Tag Archives: Changes

MG – Not the Worst Friend in the World

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Rellihan, Anne. Not the Worst Friend in the World. Holiday House, 2024. 978-0-823-45479-2. 272 p. $18.99. Grades 4-8.

Estranged from her best friend because of some terrible, horrible things she said, Lou Bennett is not looking forward to a lonely sixth-grade year at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School. Outspoken, impulsive Francie Fitzgerald is now into a different friend group, her hair style, lip gloss, and boys; so when new girl Cece Clarke-Duncan passes Lou a note declaring that her father has kidnapped her and she needs Lou’s help. Compliant, docile Lou can’t help but support Cece’s efforts to find Cece’s mother. With a nod to Harriet the Spy, author Anne Rellihan depicts Lou with her notebook by her side, scribbling the thoughts about her classmates that swirl around her head and the stray clues she detects from conversations around her small town of Mayfield, Missouri. The trouble is, what she concludes may not coincide with Cece’s beliefs. One of those beliefs is in astrology. For their “Christ Is Alive! Project” focusing on a town member who does good for others, Cece pairs with Lou and pushes her choice of Angel, who writes horoscopes for the local paper and tells fortunes. Even after Angel realizes Cece may be wrong about her father, Cece persists in her plan to find her mother in St. Louis, where Lou’s biological father lives, too. When Lou summons the courage to refuse to go ahead with Cece’s plan, Cece stages a hurtful revenge. This fresh twist on a story of middle-grade friendship relies a lot on Lou’s insecurities and secrets of adults. On the brink of preadolescence, Lou’s vacillates between her growing closeness to her new friend and the fond remembrance of better times with her old friend. She struggles with her changing relationships with her birth father, her mother, and her African-American stepfather. The genuine middle school dialogue, Lou’s uncertainties, and the depiction of a caring family make Not the Worst Friend in the World a compelling read.

THOUGHTS: Everything in this book rings true to me: The routine of Catholic school, the parental response, Lou’s confusion with a problem and sorting out the mystery. The author uses interesting imagery to describe Lou’s feelings. Recently, I overheard some young readers commenting on the plots of  middle-grade following the trope of the dead parent or the absent parent. Though, Cece’s mother has left her family, Lou’s parents are open and nurturing, as is Cece’s father. This makes this read refreshing change.

Realistic Fiction

Elem. – Big Dog, Little Dog

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Rippin, Sally. Big Dog, Little Dog. Illustrated by Lucinda Gifford. Kane Miller Publishing, 2022. Unpaged. 978-1-684-64383-7. Grades K-3. $17.95.

With a great friend and a lot of attention, Big Dog enjoys a great life with his person. But sometimes the days can be long and lonely. One day while on a walk, Big Dog and his friend meet another person with a little dog. Then things begin to change. Little Dog and her person move in with Big Dog and his person, and Little Dog doesn’t seem to understand how anything works. Big Dog decides Little Dog needs to go, so he begins to sabotage Little Dog to show their people just how annoying Little Dog is. When Big Dog goes too far and is sent outside for the night, Big Dog realizes he and Little Dog may not be so different. Beautiful watercolor illustrations enhance this story of dealing with life’s changes. Children will adore the dogs and root for them to learn to like each other.

THOUGHTS: Big Dog, Little Dog is great for a lesson on how friends can have big differences. Hand this title to a child who is getting a new sibling or going through a change in family situation. Highly recommended for elementary collections. Note: This title originally was published in Australia in 2021.

Picture Book          Maryalice Bond, South Middleton SD