The Book of Dares for Lost Friends

May 4, 2015
Set on the west side of Manhattan, with frequent ventures into Central Park, this entertaining and compassionate coming-of-age story explores middle-school cruelty, the heartache of abandonment, and the supple bonds of friendship. At the start of sixth grade, Lanora, the only child of bitterly divorced parents, ignores her best friend Val and seeks admittance to a clique of snooty blondes, “the A Team,” who admit her only to drop her. Val, a confident student and soccer player, accepts Lanora’s distancing until her six-year-old brother insists the “evil Werd has cast a spell upon Lanora” and she needs rescuing. Kelley (The Desperate Adventures of Zeno and Alya) smoothly weaves together plot threads that involve ordinary family interactions; the subtle interventions of a cat named Mau; an odd, brilliant teenager who lives in an antiquities shop; ancient Egyptian ceremonies; and a mentally ill homeless man. Val’s observation that the “world was so crowded with sights and sounds and smells; there didn’t seem to be space for demons and spells” captures the story’s blend of reality, whimsy, and magic. Ages 8–12. Agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt.

Starred review from April 15, 2015
With the help of Tasman, a singular boy with a troubled history, Val, a good-hearted, well-grounded sixth-grader, tries to harness ancient forces in order to help her best friend, Lanora, whose attempt to "begin again" has gone seriously awry. In this meticulously designed tale, Kelley takes an ordinary, realistic situation-upon entering middle school, a girl decides to start fresh and jettisons her longtime best friend, who is unwilling to let matters rest-and imbues it with layers of poignancy and enchantment. Readers will instantly know that there's magical realism afoot, as the story begins from the point of view of Mau, a cat. Mau guides Val, who is genuinely altruistic and concerned about Lanora's new path, to an antiques store. There, she meets Tasman, a boy who is smart and intuitive but emotionally scarred and essentially alone. What gives the material its otherworldly power is the way these three very different children (and a quartet of classmates that almost acts like a chorus) use ritual and magical thinking to find the faith they need to persevere and mature. Although the story is sometimes opaque and takes a while to jell, it's evocative and ultimately hopeful. Readers with patience and the willingness to work with the story will find its rewards ample and lasting. (Magical realism. 9-13)

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