Narrated by big sister and neat-freak Olivia, Super-Completely and Totally the Messiest shows the foibles of Sophie as she navigates life in her free-spirited way. Judith Viorst creates memorable and endearing characters while Robin Preiss Glasser captures their spirits in the illustrations.
For a study in opposites, put Olivia and Sophie on a t-chart to compare traits. Sophie is also a study in hyperbole–have students point out all of the extremes in her behaviour. Have students respond by writing if they are more like Olivia or Sophie. Make sure they back up their writing with examples or incidents from their own experiences.