Kidsreads.com - MY LAST BEST FRIEND by Julie Bowe

MY LAST BEST FRIEND
by Julie Bowe
Harcourt Children's Books
Hardcover: 0152057773
Paperback: 9780152061975
Ages 8-12
160 pages

When Ida May's best friend, Elizabeth Evans, moves away, Ida's life nosedives into depression and isolation. She swears never to have another best friend again --- they're much too painful to lose.

So Ida starts fourth grade without any friends. Her mother tries to set her up with the PTA president's daughter --- the snooty Jenna Drews, who tormented Ida and Elizabeth --- but Ida knows it will never work. How can you be friends with someone who calls you "I-duh"? But to please her parents, she agrees to go to the movies and a sleepover party with Jenna.

Both activities turn out just as Ida expects, with Jenna insulting and rejecting her. But there's one surprise --- a new girl named Stacey Merriweather who has just moved into town and happens to be in the same class as Ida and Jenna. Ida can't help but notice Stacey's huge, friendly smile and senses an instant connection with her. However, Ida fights these feelings with all of her strength; she must remember her vow of no more best friends. They just end up leaving.

Nevertheless, Ida's curiosity gets the best of her. How can she find out more about this stranger without opening herself up for more hurt? She soon figures out a way --- by writing a note yet keeping her identity a secret. Ida scribbles a quick question, signs it "a girl" and leaves it on Stacey's desk. This inspires a secret letter-writing venture that brings light and smiles back into Ida's life. Through the anonymous letters, Ida and Stacey share stories, drawings, jokes and concerns. Without meaning to do so, Ida has slipped into another special friendship. Should Ida risk revealing her true identity?

What a delightful story this is! Julie Bowe has created a thoughtful, funny and realistic look at one girl's struggles with losing her best friend. Readers will quickly bond with Ida, feeling her pain, sharing her hopes and fears, and urging her to open up for a new relationship. The exciting concept of sharing secret letters with a special someone keeps the pages turning fast, and MY LAST BEST FRIEND ends all too soon. We hope to read more from this talented new author.

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND

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