The Pages Between Us

December 15, 2016
Best friends Piper and Olivia are back for a second outing in The Pages Between Us series. The sixth-graders have a lot to adjust to in middle school. Piper is an indifferent student but a talented videographer. Olivia is dealing with serious crushes and the just as crushing news that the Battle of the Books team might be defunct for lack of interest. The two pair up: Piper makes a first-rate video that's posted online and stars Olivia, and both reap benefits when the video starts to go viral. The entire tale is related through the (very long) notes the pair exchange in a shared journal, with the occasional addition of illustrations, video scripts, and other addenda to add variety. It's not easy to see how they have the time to craft such wordy messages. The pair are differentiated enough that each voice is recognizable. They both have their own middle school issues to angst over, Piper that she feels like an unnecessary, unappreciated member of her large family and Olivia that she overthinks everything and gets a bit worked up as a consequence. A popular classmate also weighs in through her blog, which adds a humorous counterpoint to the often earnest journal entries. Piper and Olivia are both depicted with light skin on the cover, blonde Olivia's a bit lighter than brunette Piper's. Not much happens, but it's all fun and readily recognizable middle school stuff. (Fiction. 8-12)

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January 1, 2017

Gr 4-7-In this second installment of the series, the anxious and studious Olivia gets help from her best friend, Piper, who is struggling to make her own mark in a family of standouts. Olivia's beloved Battle of the Books competition is threatened by lack of interest, so Piper puts her video-making skills to work and creates a YouTube sensation to drum up participants. Readers are privy to back-and-forth notes, texts, emails, blog posts, memos from the principal, and more, resulting in an up-close look at this friendship. Most entries are printed in a normal font, while other notes, posters, etc., look handwritten, keeping the pace quick and the content visually interesting. The plot is linear, and enough background is provided so tweens do not miss anything by reading the novels in this series out of order. Olivia and Piper are sweet and even in their most private correspondence seem well-behaved, making this a safe pick for younger readers. The girls document their concerns and help each other work through issues such as anxiety, school woes, and crushes, which makes the characters relatable to those dealing with similar problems. Bonus points go to the author for including plentiful references to other middle grade titles as part of the Battle of the Books story line.VERDICTRecommended for general purchase, especially where there are fans of the first volume.-Lindsay Jensen, Nashville Public Library

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