Summer Book Club Wk 8 - My Forever Friends

Week 8 of the Summer Book Fair is officially here - a day late. (Sorry about that) I've had great fun reviewing the 8 GREAT books that were in this event and I look forward to making this an annual event.  Please read the review to find a "hidden surprise" that will help me set up future events & book clubs! Also, a special thanks as I get my feet under me on this event - I tried different things and ended up with a format I was happy with - I hope you enjoyed it too!

~ Tina "The Book Lady"

My Forever Friends   **Series**
by Julie Bowe
Published by Dial Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 978-0803735132
Ages 9-12, 224 pages

Friendships are shifting in this fourth book, and all because Jenna and Brooke (former BFF's) are feuding. Soon all of the girls in class have taken sides, with Ida May smack in the middle. Does Ida have what it takes to understand the true nature of Jenna and Brooke's real friendship, and figure out a way to bring them - and the rest of the class - back together?

My thoughts:
This is a very different book from all the others in the Summer Book Club - but I wanted to make sure the girls didn't feel left out if they aren't into the adventure and mystery of the books I reviewed this summer. My Forever Friends is part of the Friends for Keeps series of 4 books. Based on the adventures and thoughts of four 4th grade girls with all the hangups, conflicts and attitudes (remember what that was like?) of girls at that age - if you're daughter has Frenemy's or Best Friends this book will be right up their alley!

This book revolves around Ida May and Jenna who are forced to spend time together when Jenna begins to spend time at Ida's home every day after school due to her mother's difficult pregnancy. Jenna is very list oriented, needs to have everything planned/followed and hates having her schedule changed (at least if she doesn't decide to change it). Ida ends up spending time with Rachel (Jenna's little sister) more to support her as Jenna has a mean streak and bosses Rachel around and puts her down quite a bit.

I don't know how many of you remember the middle school grades and how mean the girls could be to each other? Being best friends with one girl one week and then best friends with another girl the next week. This book reminded me a lot of that awkward age and how much I hated the stress and upheaval during that time. BUT, on the other hand, girls who read the series will identify with Ida May, Jenna, Stacy and the other girls in the Friends for Keeps series and should enjoy them thoroughly.

I'm going to rate this book a 4 - I didn't particularly care for the book but it is very well written, the author has a great understanding of girls at this age and I'm very sure that girls in the 4th - 6th grades will identify and understand exactly what's going on. And maybe they will learn some tricks they can use to get through this period in their young lives. =D

About the author:

Julie Bowe is the author of the Friends for Keeps series. She lives in the Wisconsin area where she and her husband raise their son and daughter. Julie has worked as a youth director, a camp program director, as a curriculum writer and editor.

My Last Best Friend was included in Kirkus Reviews '07 First Fiction Spotlight: Promising Debuts from Important New Voices, won the 2008 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, and was a finalist for the 2008-09 Great Stone Face Book Award. School Library Journal describes it as perfect "for readers who have graduated from Sara Pennypacker's 'Clementine' stories, Barbara Park's 'Junie B. Jones' series, and Megan McDonald's 'Judy Moody' books." (info from Amazon author page here)

Links you might enjoy:

Julie Bowe's Website & livejournal page

Make a My Best Friend friendship bracelet - FREE instructions!

Surprise - A Giveaway! 

Would you please fill out this survey to help me plan next summers Summer Book Club event? There is a reward in it at the bottom of the survey - ONE Lucky Person will WIN a copy of the book of their choice - just fill it out. That's all you have to do!  Just Click Here!

Note: Everyone is welcome to enter the contest - if you are international you will receive a $10 GC to the bookstore of your choice - Barnes&Nobel or Amazon. US entries will receive my copy of the book you chose.  Thanks for understanding!
(Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.)

The Summer Book Club line up:

Week 1: How Huge the Night! http://tiny.cc/czqcq

Week 2: Journals of the Big Mouth Bass: http://tiny.cc/1mjcw

Week 3: The Last Words of Will Wolfkin: http://tiny.cc/67tq4

Week 4: When Molly Was a Harvey Girl: http://tiny.cc/k3mav

Week 5: Uncommon Criminals: http://tiny.cc/gncae

Week 6: The Elephant's Tale: http://tiny.cc/pzp7u

Wk 7: Yuri's Brush w/ Magic: http://ning.it/qL3ha9