Frightmare Sister... and other animals - Lynn Keighley

These comic stories, told by a brother, chart the ups and downs, the mad mayhem of family life as he and his sister grow up; the fun and falling out, the shared games, her crazy fads and fancies and their many disagreements. Jen Morton looks like a cherub; cute smile, laughing eyes, a mop of blonde curls. But she is gobby, clever [and knows it], very demanding and determined to get what she wants. And boy can she be a pain in the proverbial. Everything she does is OTT. Some stories show how unlucky the Jenster is with her pets and animals in general. There's the tale of Samster the hamster, a hedgehog, an unfortunate Dalmatian, a near-death incident with a tortoise, a clever and witty parrot and Charlie the cat who goes missing. There's a scrumping event involving the police, a playground fight, and a huge array of other sibling entanglements. There are no time-travelling squirrels or talking elephants, no magic, no warlords, hobbits or dragons in these funny stories, but there are lots of recognizable adventures and misadventures that all children and adults alike will have experienced and remember. This is life as we know it, but full of laughs and awkward situations. We've all been there or thereabouts. Not so much frightmare as fun time.