Student Review: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Brashares)

Title: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Author: Ann Brashares
Genre: Realistic Fiction (Friendship, Love)
Pages: 294
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars


Has it ever occurred to you that a pair of pants could bring a group of friends closer? This story is about four very close friends: Carmen, Lena, Tibby, and Bridget. They have been friends ever since they were born. Their mothers had taken a yoga class for pregnant women and they eventually all became good friends. The girls would have play dates and spend each summer together. However, this summer would be the first one that the girls had to spend apart. On the day before they were to separate, they found a pair of pants in Carmen's room and they all tried it on. It was a miracle because the pants fit each of them perfectly as if they were made especially for them. They decided to share the "sacred" pants and send it to each other over the summer. It was a way for them to be together while apart. This story is mainly about their adventures and what happens to them while wearing the pants.


To be honest I only chose this book because it was the only book that I own and have not read yet. The reoccurring theme in this book was the importance of friendship. This story illustrated how much they cared for one another and that made it easier to understand what the characters were going through. A character that was not mentioned was Effie who is Lena's younger sister. Although the author did not say very much about this character I felt that she was the one I was able to connect to the most. Effie's personality is very similar to mine; she is a very quirky, talkative, and a happy-go-lucky type of girl.


This was not the best book I have ever read, that's for sure, but it was something I could easily relate to so I rated it 3 1/2 stars out of 5. The author also did a good job describing the characters emotions which really helped me understand how the situation affected them. The main reason I rated this book 3 1/2 instead of giving it a 5 was because to me it had a very common message and the story was very predictable. I would recommend this book to girls who enjoy reading about the bond that friends share.


How would you feel if you were separated from your best friends for a whole summer knowing that only a pair of pants were supposed to keep you together? Would you feel relieved or even more anxious?
--Abigail, 8th grade

This is why I love reading student book reviews.  I LOVED this book and rate it higher than Abigail.  But I read it as an adult who desperately wishes I had a group of friends like this in high school...and a magic pair of pants!