MY LAST BEST FRIEND

Fourth grade is about to start, and Ida May has a lot to deal with. She will have to write in cursive, learn to multiply and divide, stop playing with dolls—and get used to the absence of her best friend Elizabeth, who has moved away. To top it off, her parents are insisting that she play with Jenna Drews, resident popular girl and bully. Then Ida meets Stacy, a new girl with whom she seems to have a lot in common. Unfortunately, Jenna absorbs Stacy into the popular group. Is there some way Ida can learn to succeed in fourth grade, make new friends and thwart Jenna’s catty comments? Ida’s humorous outlook is engaging, and the situation is realistic. With one exception—the circumstances surrounding Ida’s previous best friend are not thoroughly addressed—this is an entertaining story that young girls will particularly enjoy, and Ida’s cleverness and wit in coping with day-to-day problems will certainly appeal. A good selection for reluctant readers as well as those adjusting to the pressures of growing up. (Fiction. 7-10)