Best Friend Next Door

April 27, 2015
Hannah faces some emotional earthquakes in the waning weeks of the summer before fifth grade in this chipper, funny novel that explores the loyalties of family and friends. Things are bad enough now that Hannah's best friend and next-door neighbor, Sophie, has moved to Canada. Then Hannah's father and stepmother announce that they are expecting a baby, and a new family quickly moves into Sophie's house. When Hannah sees a girl arrive next door (wearing the exact tie-dye shirt Hannah is wearing!), she is determined not to like her. That proves impossible after Hannah meets Emme and learns that they share a birthday and a love of palindromes, peanut butter, and swimming, among other things. In her first book for middle-graders, Mackler (The Future of Us) warmly depicts the ebb and flow of this duo's relationship in alternating chapters narrated by each girl. Emme's two mothers and Hannah's parents form a supportive team during their daughters' first school year together; readers will enjoy spending time with this memorable pair as they, their friendship, and their families grow and change. Ages 8â12. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House.

March 15, 2015
Ten-year-olds Hannah and Emme have a lot in common-but does that mean they have to be friends?Hannah's best friend, Sophie, has just moved away. The new girl, Emme, who moves in with her two moms to Sophie's house is oddly similar to Hannah. Both of their names are palindromes (which they love), they were both born on New Year's Day, and they both hate pizza. That should make it easy to become friends, but Hannah has also just found out that her parents are having a new baby. So many changes at once throw her life into a tailspin. As for Emme, being the new kid is never easy. It sure would help to have a friend. Writing in alternating chapters from Hannah's and Emme's points of view, Mackler gives a spot-on portrayal of the ups and downs of young friendships in her middle-grade debut. Strong emotions and insecurities abound. But so does laughter, loyalty, and...palindromes. Oh, so many palindromes! Mackler deftly weaves the thread of her plot between the two girls' tribulations and joys (at school and home) for a story that will resonate with any child who has ever struggled to parse the mysteries of friendship. (Fiction. 8-12)

April 1, 2015

Gr 3-5-When Hannah's best friend and next-door neighbor Sophie moves to Canada before the start of fifth grade, Hannah can't imagine life without her. Soon a new family moves in with a girl the same age as Hannah taking over Sophie's old room. After a rocky start, Hannah and Emme become fast friends, bonding over their shared love of palindromes and peanut butter and their dislike of pizza. Not everything is rosy as Hannah struggles to accept the new addition to her family and Emme deals with bullying at school. Mackler captures the ups and downs of close friendship as Hannah and Emme's relationship is challenged as they begin to discover their differences. The girls learn what it means to be a friend, in good times and bad. Mackler depicts modern families in an unobtrusive way-Hannah's dad and stepmom are expecting a new baby and Emme has two moms. VERDICT Sure to find readers amongst young readers, this charming book will be a hit with fans of Meg Cabot's "Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls" series (Scholastic).-Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga Public Library System, OH

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2015
Grades 5-7 The last thing Hannah Strafel wants after her longtime next-door neighbor and best friend Sophie moves away is a new neighbor or best friend. But, unexpectedly, she gets both when Emme Hoffman-Shields arrives, and the two fifth-graders learn they both love palindromes and swimming and even share the same birthday. However, as they discover differing interests and face separate challenges, from school to home, each fears growing apart. Happily, through ups and downs, they come to new understandings, including the importance of honesty, communication, and trustand that although commonalities may bring people together, differences can strengthen and enrich relationships, too. Mackler, author of The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things (2003), here insightfully portrays the complexities of friendship and adapting to change. The girls' alternating first-person narratives occasionally blur, but lend depth to their individual and shared experiences, from confronting bullies, to insecurities, to adapting to a new sibling. Hannah's dad and stepmom and Emme's two moms (whose gay relationship is a nonissue) provide loving, reassuring presences throughout. Despite some predictability, an engaging, supportive read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)