Julie Bowe Reviews

Added February 11, 2008

My Last Best Friend

Author: Julie Bowe
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.
Available At: Bookstores everywhere
Publishing Date: April 2007
Genre: Middle Reader: Contemporary
Format: Hardcover
Price: $16.00
ISBN-13: 978:0-15-205777-0
Author Email/Website: www.juliebowe.com
Reviewer: Joyce Handzo
Rating: 9 Gargoyles

My Last Best Friend is the first book by this author and I hope it won' t be her last. This terrific story takes young readers into the fourth grade world of Ida May. Filled with realistic situations, snappy dialogue and a wonderful blend of humor and gentle heartache, these pages are sure to please.

When Ida May's best friend moved away, she decided she didn't want another best friend. That changed when she met the new girl in her fourth grade class, Stacey Merriweather. There was something special and secretive about Stacey that made Ida want to get to know her better, but she didn't want the heartache of losing another friend. Instead, she wrote anonymous notes to Stacey, carefully hiding both her identity and her desire for friendship. That worked fine until bratty Jenna Drews starts to make trouble.

Young readers will open this book and step into Ida's classroom, meeting characters that are similar to students in their own schools. The author's words creatively capture the emotions of this age group and the very real struggles they encounter. The wonders - and the fears - of fourth grade friendships are explored in the safety of fiction but with a view to reality. Ida's hopes and doubts are clearly understood, offering readers a chance to think through these issues. The universal and timeless appeal of this book is seen in its simplicity and sincerity.

The passing of anonymous notes lends an air of excitement to the story, and makes Ida both victorious and vulnerable. Stacey's popularity and her secretive past are a nice twist and Jenna's bratty behavior will further endear Ida to readers. With the right-sized chapters and a fast-paced plot, My Last Best Friend is a slice-of-life story with a cherry on top!

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This page was last updated on February 11, 2008

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