Having a younger sibling can have its challenges, especially when you are opposite genders and there is a bit of an age gap between you and your sibling. To be honest, there are many afternoons when I hear my daughter tell her little brother to leave her alone, or how his games aren’t for big kids; his rules are lame. She’d rather hang out with her own friends or decompress by herself in her bedroom.

This probably sounds familiar to a lot of you out there with the same situation at home. Your kids don’t always appreciate the unique and forever companionship of their siblings. But let me back up a second, I’m not talking about a teen daughter and a child sibling. This is my eleven-year-old daughter and her relationship with her six-year-old brother. “Hanging out” with friends is still “having a play date” at someone’s house. And it’s not always full of complaints, I assure you!

As the months go on and she moves further into tweenhood, she is definitely going through her own journey into adolescence. But I will never second guess her love for her younger brother. She is always watching out for him and taking him into consideration, even when others are doting on her. What made me realize just how special their bond was, despite the daily bickering, was how she channeled their imaginative play into her first book, “Titan’s Smelly Adventure.”

Anyone can ask Ally Wilburn; she truly believes there are just some situations in which she thinks she is better at dealing with her brother than we are. She always has his best interest at heart and that is basically the gist of Titan and Talia’s relationship. I love how she took their characteristics and wove them into this story, giving it life from the perspective of a kid who is the responsible sibling.

Let all siblings look past their pet peeves and find the true gem of their magical bond!