The Kind of Friends We Used to Be

Author: Frances O'Roark Dowell    

Summary: Marylin and Kate used to be the closest of friends, but lately they can't find much in common. At the start of 7th grade, the two girls find they've both had a transformative summer. Kate is suddenly into guitars and songwriting. She wears black, clunky, combat boots and faded jeans. Marylin is on the cheerleading squad, is friends with the popular girls like "Meanest Cheerleader Ever," Mazie Calloway, and subscribes to fashion magazines. Plus, Kate hasn't been able to completely forget how Marylin treated her "like dirt," last year. As the school year progresses the two old friends head off in different directions, neither approving of the other's path. But the two girls come together when Marylin decides to run for Student Government Representative and Kate becomes her campaign manager, much to the annoyance of Mazie. The more they are together, the more they wonder if their friendship can ever go back to what it used to be.

Review: The Kind of Friends We Used to Be is a realistic story of junior high school girls who are drifting apart as they start to discover who they really are. Readers will find the characters familiar, if not entirely relatable. The content is appropriate for young girls 9 years and up. However, whether intentional advertising or artistic brand name placement, there are many references to specific companies and brands, like Food Lion, Target, Play Doh, Star Wars, etc... This is a slice of life type of book where the story picks up already in progress and ends much the same way. Don't expect any clear cut decisions to be made or for the story to neatly wrap up. The Kind of Friends We Used to Be ends without any resolutions to any part of the story which may leave some readers feeling cheated. Since this book is a sequel to The Secret Language of Girls, maybe we can assume the story was left hanging to make way for a third installment.

Interest Level: Grades 5 - 8
AR Level: 5.8 (worth 6 pts)
Lexile Level: 950

Profanity:
None

Potentially Inappropriate Behavior:
Kate watches shows she's not allowed to on MTV.
Name calling (mild)

Potentially Inappropriate References:
None

Parental Concern Rating:
0 out of 5

Children Make Terrible Pets

Author: Peter Brown

Summary: When Lucy, the bear, finds "the cutest little critter in the whole forest," she can't resist taking it home. She names him Squeaker and promises she'll take care of him. Lucy's mother is unhappy to see that Lucy has brought home a child! She asks, "Don't you know children make terrible pets?" Lucy and Squeaker become fast friends, but the good times are short-lived when Lucy begins to discover her mother might be right.

Review: The roles are reversed in this clever tale of a bear named Lucy who finds a boy in the woods and wants to keep him as her pet. Just as people know bears don't make good pets, Lucy finds children aren't ideal pets either. They are messy and hard to control, and ultimately belong with their own kind. Brown's illustrations use warm colors that create a nostalgic feeling. The pictures are clean and uncluttered. Brown concentrates only on the action of the story and leaves the background blank on most the pages.

Interest Level: Grades K-2
AR Level: 1.8 (worth .5 pts.)
Lexile Level: Not listed

Profanity:
None

Potentially Inappropriate Behavior:
Child ruins furniture (as a pet might)
Child swings from chandeiler

Potentially Inappropriate References:
None

Parental Concern Rating:
0 out of 5