Wednesday, June 06, 2012

My Extra Best Friend

My Extra Best Friend. Julie Bowe. 2012. Penguin. 224 pages.

 I'm Ida May and I could use a little light. That's because I'm digging around in my bedroom closet, trying to find my flashlight. If I had a flashlight, it would make looking for one a lot easier. 

This is Ida May's fifth adventure, and I still love and adore this character!!! I do, I just love seeing the world through Ida May's eyes. I love her observations and her insights. There are times, of course, when Ida May just doesn't get it, especially in My Extra Best Friend. But. I think this just makes her more realistic, more authentic. 

In My Extra Best Friend, Ida May is off to Meadowlark Camp with her classmates: Jenna, Brooke, Stacey, Randi, Meeka, Jolene, Rusty, Tom, Joey, and Quinn. The girls will all be staying in the same cabin, with the addition of one more camper, a girl named Liz. Could this Liz be the same Elizabeth or "Lizbutt" of days of old? You know, the Elizabeth who moved with her family to New Mexico and never, ever, ever, ever, ever wrote to Ida May no matter how many letters Ida May sent her. That Elizabeth.

While the novel is definitely about the full camping experience--arts and crafts, singing, swimming, hiking, etc. It is also a novel about trust, friendship, and accepting change and growth as a good thing. The lesson, of course, is a good one. Brooke and Ida and Liz all have something to learn it seems.

The Friends for Keeps Series:

My Last Best Friend
My New Best Friend
My Best Frenemy
My Forever Friends
My Extra Best Friend

Read My Extra Best Friend
  • If you want to meet one of the best girl heroines ever, I just LOVE Ida May. 
  • If you are a fan of the Friends for Keeps series by Julie Bowe
  • If you are looking for great books to share with young readers; probably 8+ unless you've got an advanced reader ready for long chapter books.  

© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

No comments: