The Reel sisters—Joey, Stevie and Alex—are back in the second installment of the Sisters Club series. Each sister has her role in the family, and Stevie is the one who likes to do the backstage work. Even thinking about being onstage makes Stevie nervous—it’s older sister Alex who’s the star. When tryouts for Once Upon a Mattress roll around and Alex is uninterested, Stevie, who loves to sing, decides to try out. Turns out, Alex can’t resist the lure of the stage, even when a light comedy is on the bill. Woven into the sisterly drama of jealousy and minor betrayal is Little Women, which Stevie is reading aloud to Joey (who wants to be called Jo). References to the classic abound, and readers familiar with it will be relieved when the sisters, after drama of all sorts, sort themselves into a supportive, March-like relationship. McDonald manages to squeeze a lot of action into one story, but instead of feeling frantic, it feels like a real family. Here’s hoping for a third act. (Fiction. 8-12)
