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My Forever Friends Julie Bowe

I'm a big fan of the middle grade Friends for Keeps series. It's realistic and although I love my feisty MG heroines (Ramona, Clementine, Allie Finkle) I love Ida's quietness. She's an observer but still has a lot of friends and energy. If that makes sense. I also like that the series deals with small problems instead of big drama, but they're the small problems that we all have in 4th grade as we try to navigate friendships.

This one has slightly bigger drama, but it's still drama that most of us went through at one point or another. Jenna and Brooke used to be best friends, but now they're in a huge fight. No one knows what happened (but them) but everyone's dealing with the fallout. Things come to a head when Brooke decides to not go along with one of Jenna's plans for all the girls and demands that everyone else follow her. What happens is a split and now everyone is fighting, at least they are when they're talking to each other--including Stacey (who went with Brooke) and Ida (who stayed with Jenna.)

It's a strong addition to the series that looks at changing friendships and allegiances and how that doesn't have to spell absolute doom.

One touch I really enjoyed was how no one was looking forward to the trip to the Laura Ingalls Wilder cabin. That's the type of thing that book characters are really excited to see, but even Ida thinks it's going to be boring, especially because it's just a replica, not the real cabin. It's almost children's literature sacrilege, but dude, it's true! It's a teeny tiny cabin in the woods. There's not a lot to see! Little touches like these make me think that Bowe probably took that same field trip in elementary school.

Book Provided by... the author, for review consideration

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In May, I'll be participating in the blog tour for the upcoming My Best Frenemy by Julie Bowe. So, I thought it was time to get people caught up on the series, so readers can read the first two before book three comes out. This first review initially ran in the now defunct Edge of the Forest.*

My Last Best Friend Julie Bowe

Ida and Elizabeth were the perfect pair of friends—they knew everything about each other and had all the same interests. Elizabeth was such a perfect friend that Ida didn’t need any others. When Elizabeth moves away without Ida saying goodbye, and she doesn’t keep in touch, Ida decides to never have another best friend.

Of course, her parents see it differently and keep setting up play dates with Jenna, who is nothing but a bully as soon as adults leave the room. Then enters the new girl, Stacey. Stacey has a wide smile that you have to try not to smile back too. Ida knows that all of Stacey’s claims can’t be true, but why is she lying and what is she trying to hide? And wait! If Ida doesn’t want to ever have another best friend, then why does she care?

Ida’s struggles with parents, Jenna, and loneliness are at turns heartbreaking and humorous. Jenna is the perfect fourth grade bully—-the darling of adults, but a mean girl who makes other kids eat their science projects. Bowe perfectly captures Stacey’s dilemmas in dealing with Jenna. As the new girl, Stacey is torn between standing up to Jenna and risking becoming her next victim, or keeping her mouth shut and watching Jenna terrorize the fourth grade.

Ida’s adventures are true to life and the ending is one that is happy and believable.

*Well, this is the review I submitted. The Edge of the Forest had an editor, so it might have been slightly different on the site.

Book Provided By... the publisher, for Edge of the Forest review

My New Best Friend Julie Bowe

Things are much more settled in Ida's world than they were in the first book. Stacey's her best friend, but she's friends with the other girls in her class, except Jenna, but even she's mellowed a bit. When Ida and Stacey are playing in Ida's attic, they find a creepy mermaid nightlight and decide it has magical powers to grant wishes. Ida quickly realizes that Stacey is using the nightlight as an excuse to lie and get in trouble. Ida's not sure what to do. Can she tell Stacey just to stop and still be her friend? Meanwhile, the class is preparing a performance for their parents based on the work they've been doing in Greek Mythology. Jenna has all the girls doing a dance reenacting the story of Gaia (with Jenna has Gaia, of course).

I like that Stacey still has an issue with lying and tha

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