The Best Friend Battle

January 19, 2015
Sylvie Scruggs is desperate. Miranda Tan, her best and only friend, is making new friends (with boys, no less), and Sylvie is terrified that she’ll be left friendless. Despite Miranda’s assurances that Sylvie will like Georgie and Josh if she gives them a chance, Sylvie isn’t sure (“He was like a flea waiting to pop out of the grass and bite me”). With Miranda’s ninth birthday party approaching, Sylvie is determined to keep Georgie from outdoing her, so when she suspects that Georgie is going to give Miranda some expensive pets as gifts, her imagination and fear go into overdrive. Sylvie’s escapades highlight the power of jealousy, even as she learns that friendships can form when least expected. Adolescents will identify with Sylvie’s delicate self-esteem and fierce anxiety—Santoso’s b&w illustrations do a fine job of playing up her emotional turmoil—and they’ll laugh heartily as Sylvie forges ahead with a risky plan chock-full of hilarious antics and funny dialogue. Eyre’s entertaining debut will have readers looking forward to Sylvie’s next adventure. Ages 7–10. Author’s agent: Caitlin Blasdell, Liza Dawson Associates. Illustrator’s agency: Shannon Associates.

December 15, 2014
Nine-year-old Sylvie Scruggs becomes obsessed with the notion that she must provide her best friend, Miranda Tan, with a birthday present superior to the one given by Sylvie's baseball rival, Georgie Diaz.Sylvie is appalled when Miranda cheers for both Sylvie and Georgie at a baseball game and becomes increasingly worried when she learns that Miranda and Georgie grew close while Sylvie was on a family vacation. The plot revolves mostly around Sylvie's bumbling attempts to make right a situation she has created: the somewhat accidental theft of Georgie's new pet ferret. Sylvie's mother perfectly pegs Sylvie's personality when she reports to Sylvie's dad about Sylvie's day: "No major disasters to report. Just worrying about things she doesn't need to worry about. Like usual." Sylvie tells the tale, and while it may well leave younger children laughing, the recommended upper range of 10 seems a stretch. Younger children will enjoy the fact that Sylvie is less mature than almost anyone else in the book, while older kids may wince at her foibles, her erroneous vocabulary choices and her ignorance of the word "indigestion." The debut novel deftly presents a multiethnic neighborhood, including some Spanish words from Georgie's abuela. The simple but expressive grayscale illustrations complement the book's humorous tone. A good read-aloud for second grade or an independent read for a third grader. (Fiction. 7-9)

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January 1, 2015

Gr 2-4-There are so many reasons why Sylvie Scruggs doesn't like Georgie Diaz. He didn't invite her to his "welcome-Georgie-to-the neighborhood party," he makes fun of the way she pitches, and, worst of all, he's a boy. Now, Sylvie finds out that while she was away on her family's annual two-week vacation, Georgie stole her best friend, Miranda, right out from under her. Miranda and Sylvie have been best friends since they were babies. They had everything in common, and now Georgie is trying to come between them. Sylvie has to do something to keep Georgie from taking her place in Miranda's life. But will her plan work before Miranda's big birthday party? Eyre's laugh-out-loud debut novel captures the discovery of the opposite sex in a fun and realistic way, while Santoso's black-and-white artwork brings the personalities of the characters to life. Fans of Junie B. Jones will love the adventures of this heroine as they become engaged in this early chapter book.-Annette Herbert, F. E. Smith Elementary School, Cortland, NY

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2015
Grades 2-4 Sylvie's best friend is being stolen away, or so she thinks. Eight-year-old Sylvie and Miranda are BFFs. Both are more interested in sports and science than girly-girl things. But while Sylvie is on vacation, Miranda befriends Sylvie's neighbor and baseball nemesis, Georgie. Sylvie is furious that Miranda cheers for both of them at their baseball game and that her rival has given Miranda a bigger and better birthday present. Overcome with jealousy, Sylvie attempts to discover what the better present is and accidentally steals one of the ferrets in Georgie's room. (Yes, she crawled in through his window!) In the process of resolving the stolen-ferret situation, Sylvie learns that best friends can have other friends, too. Supportive but firm parents offer both levity and sound advice to their daughter. This transitional book is printed in a large font with extra space between lines for easier reading. Expressive black-and-white spot illustrations support the text. Pair this with Barbara Park's Junie B. Jones series or Sara Pennypacker's Clementine series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)