THE FRIEND EXCHANGE

A boy decides to trade in his best friend for a better model in Black’s illustrated children’s fantasy novella.

Ten-year-old Jim Jones doesn’t take kindly to losing, so when he and his best friend, Adi Anand, get into a fight over a video game, he declares their friendship over. Jim’s parents suspect something is up at dinnertime and ask him about the problem. After Jim explains, his dad declares they must go to the Friend Exchange: “Everyone knows all about it. You bring in your old friend and exchange him for a new one.” Jim is skeptical, but the next day his father brings him to an unmarked storefront where a bespectacled man meets him with a contract. The boy signs the paperwork, and the man explains that his associates will go and pick up Adi; then, Jim is taken to a room full of children in glass cases, each with descriptions that include their names, likes, and dislikes. He chooses a boy named Daniel, based on Daniel’s love of video games, and eagerly awaits his arrival. Daniel takes Adi’s place, but things don’t work out as Jim hoped. He trades Daniel in for another friend—this time a younger girl named Kathy, whom he hopes to be able to boss around. However, he eventually learns a familiar lesson: Be careful what you wish for. Black’s cautionary tale features fast-paced action and a clear moral that will be most appropriate for readers of early elementary school age. Gaddis’ cartoon-style pen-and-ink illustrations help break up the text and may make it seem less visually intimidating for early readers. (The characters’ skin tones are unclear, due to the overall lack of color.) Although it initially appears that the story strains credulity, a twist at the end sheds a great deal of light on the situation, even if it’s not a particularly original plot turn. An eventual reunion in the story may serve as a model to young readers for resolving arguments.

A straightforward morality tale for early elementary schoolers, with a twist.