My Forever Friends

August 1, 2011

Gr 3-4-Ida May learns the complex, and often harsh, realities of fourth-grade class dynamics firsthand. Her former friends are at war, with leaders Brooke and Jenna constantly hurling vicious insults at one another. When Jenna and her little sister spend time with Ida after school due to Jenna's mother's high-risk pregnancy, Jenna's complicated home life reveals the reasons she desperately seeks control through bossing others. The girls' backstabbing and bullying pulls no punches, and the catalyst for peace, the premature birth of Jenna's brother, conveys an honest vulnerability as Brooke recalls the former best-friendship vows she swore with Jenna and works to revive them. Even readers unfamiliar with the series will find nuanced characterization in Jenna, though an abundance of secondary characters occasionally distracts from the otherwise solid child-centered dynamics. Ida's first-person narration sometimes falters in its earnest delivery ("I think about Brooke. And Jenna. And how their talents fit together") though her concern for her friends' relationship remains spot-on. Overall, this engaging presentation portrays the crossroads friends face as they navigate school popularity, classroom crushes, and the various problems on the path to maturity.-Meg Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.