The Everlasting Joy of Pranks by Colleen Oakes 

The Everlasting Joy of Pranks by Colleen Oakes 

When I was creating the concept for my newest book, The Second Favorite Daughter’s Club, I reminisced about all the books that I loved reading when I was in middle school in the early 90’s and how many featured pranksters, class clowns and hilarious side-kicks. There was something so endearing about these tales;  it was an innocent (yet naughty)  time in our lives where getting a “kick-me” sign on your back seemed like the worst thing you could think of. 

I believe that’s the reason that these tales live on – I mean, what’s NOT funny about pranks?  It’s interesting to consider that even in this time of social media, pranks are still all the rage – just log into Tik Tok to see kids pranking their parents, parents pranking kids, spouses pranking each other – it’s all there. The pranks live on. Perhaps that’s because it’s always funny?  

When you think about it, children’s literature is full of some great pranksters: The Weasley Twins and their rebellion, Matilda and her floating weapons, Ivy and Bean and their sweet-cheeked innocent pranks, Curious George and stealing the Man in Yellow’s hat and finally Ramona, perpetually annoying Beezus, her sister. With my first middle grade novel, I wanted to honor that long and great tradition. I wrote with these books in mind, an ode to making your sister very, very angry. 

The Second Favorite Daughter’s Club, my newest book and first middle grade novel, is perfect for fans of these kinds of books. It’s great for those readers who love Sisters and The Baby-sitter’s Club and The Parent Trap. It’s a contemporary series for the siblings who always come in last.  My book is about two characters very dear to my heart, Santana Barnes – who is tired of playing second fiddle to her ballet protégé, honor student older sister Victoria – and Casey Hammond, a bookworm who is sick of her cute-as-a-button, adventurous little sister Sage, who steals all of their dad’s attention.

They are both second favorite daughters in different ways, both feeling very out of place in their families and at school.  Neither girl feels like they have a person; their parents are distracted by their siblings and emotionally they are sometimes forced to fend for themselves – or so they believe.

When Casey and Santana meet in their middle school library, they learn they have a lot in common: they both love reading, hate after-school activities, and most important, are clearly their parents’ second-favorite children. (Just like me – I am a second favorite daughter to my incredibly charming, magnanimous little sister.) Together, Santana and Casey create the Second Favorite Daughters Club. The members? Just the two of them. The mission? To become their parents’ favorite children by undermining their love-hoarding siblings. And what are they going to use for this? Pranks. So many pranks. Pranks involving plant poison. Pranks with schedules, pranks with cupcakes, pranks with art supplies and slime, glitter and glue. Pranks that lead to laughter, to tears and even to boarding a train to NYC.  Pranks that take them just to the edge of bad behavior – but never over.  Maybe.     

 

The book, at its heart (and underneath these super fun and hilarious pranks), is a celebration of friendship and family, acknowledging the difficulties that siblings and parents sometimes have with each other as they move through this life, growing and changing as a family.  These challenges give our characters the opportunity to reconnect with their siblings, have a bit of fun and revenge and come out the other side with an appreciation for their new friendship and their families. And pranks. Because we all appreciate pranks and the opportunity to laugh in this crazy world.
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*Bestselling author Colleen Oakes’s middle-grade debut, SISTER SABOTAGE is a celebration of friendship and family in all its challenging forms, and a reminder that there’s no one way to stand out.

SISTER SABOTAGE

For fans of Sisters and Netflix’s The Baby-sitter’s Club, a contemporary series for the siblings who always come in last.

Santana Barnes is tired of playing second fiddle to her ballet protégé, honor student older sister Victoria. Casey Hammond is sick of her cute-as-a-button, adventurous little sister Sage, who steals all of their dad’s attention.

When the girls meet in their middle school library, they learn they have a lot in common: they both love reading, they hate after-school activities, and most important, they are clearly their parents’ second-favorite children.

So they decide to do something about it. They create the Second Favorite Daughters Club. The members? Just the two of them. The mission? To become their parents’ favorite children by undermining their love-hoarding siblings. But is it possible to cheat your way to becoming your parents’ favorite? And is being in the spotlight really what they want after all?

Bestselling author Colleen Oakes’s middle grade debut, SISTER SABOTAGE is a celebration of friendship and family in all its challenging forms, and a reminder that there’s no one way to stand out.

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Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing