Best Friend Next Door: A Wish Novel - Softcover

Carolyn Mackler is the author of the popular teen novels, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things (A Michael L. Printz Honor Book); Tangled; Guyaholic; Vegan Virgin Valentine; and Love and Other Four-Letter Words. Carolyn's most recent novel, The Future of Us, cowritten with bestselling author Jay Asher, has received starred reviews, and the film rights have been sold to Warner Brothers.
Best Friend Next Door is her first novel for a younger audience.

Gr 3–5—The summer before fifth grade has been rough for Hannah. Her best friend next door moved away, her father and stepmother announced that they are expecting a baby, and a new girl has moved into her friend Sophie's house. New girl Emme and Hannah soon become best friends and even call themselves twins—they have the same birthday, love palindromes and peanut butter, hate pizza, come from nontraditional families (Emme has two moms), and swim competitively. Together the girls solve a bully problem, care for a sick cat, weather a big birthday disappointment, and help Hannah adjust to big family changes. When the girls begin to change, however, and to develop individual tastes and interests, they wonder if their friendship can survive. Tara Sands and Cassandra Morris narrate the girls' alternating chapters with much tween expression and give the adults suitably mature voices as well. Through them, Mackler gives voice to the common fears and challenges that preteen girls face, and shows that true friendship and supportive families can overcome many obstacles. VERDICT While the girls' reactions to some situations are sometimes overly dramatic, they offer positive solutions that will be appreciated by young listeners. ["Sure to find readers amongst young readers, this charming book will be a hit with fans of Meg Cabot's 'Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls' series": SLJ 4/1/15 review of the Scholastic book.]—MaryAnn Karre, formerly of the Binghamton City School District, NY