Greenwald sensitively captures the social dynamics of middle school, where popularity can take precedence over friendship. Tears and cheers abound in this endearing take on friendship.” — Kirkus Reviews
"A realistic look at situations everyday kids might have to live with, and a sweet story about perspective and making things right with people, as well as finding ways to use your creativity and interests for the good of a community." — Booklist
Praise for Absolutely, Positively Natty: "Readers . . . will commiserate with her pain and root for her all the way." — Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Dear Friends: "Through her first-person narration, readers feel up close and personal with all Leni’s emotions: the pain, the humor, and the shock. It’s the rare individual who can take such an awkward, glorious deep dive, and readers will be grateful to go through everything with Leni as their guide. Uplifting." — Kirkus Reviews
"Readers will be amused by the different friend categories Len comes up with, and her dedication to her mission. VERDICT Middle schoolers trying to navigate ever-shifting relationships will relate to this sweet story. Recommended for juvenile realistic fiction collections." — School Library Journal
“A deep and charming dive into the oh-so-familiar feelings of lost and found friendships. PS Who wouldn’t want Eleni as their bff?” — Terri Libenson, New York Times bestselling author of the Emmie & Friends series
Praise for TBH, This Is So Awkward: “Get ready to fall in love with these girls who use their humor and wit (and lots and lots of emojis) to right wrongs and build bridges.” — ALA Booklist
“Greenwald successfully blends emojis and text to bring the high drama and emotional changes of middle school to life. This first in a new series for preteens and young teens who value friendship and doing the right thing is pretty endearing.” — Kirkus Reviews
“In this fine successor to Lauren Myracle’s TTYL and its sequels, Greenwald (11 Before 12) realistically captures the language of texting tweens, including exuberant use of emoji, and how mistakes can be made and tone misunderstood amid rapid-fire digital conversations.” — Publishers Weekly
“Enticing and readable.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Praise for Friendship List #1: 11 Before 12: “This book will entice those who want to read about a relatable, funny young woman.” — School Library Journal
“Kaylan’s first-person voice perfectly captures the horrors of starting at a new school, from the prospect of eating alone in the cafeteria to the awkwardness of meeting a new neighbor boy.” — Kirkus Reviews
2024-02-17
Big changes nearly sever the friendships between three besties, but magical paper fortune tellers just might reunite them.
Even though their families are different in many ways, Nora, Bea, and Millie have been close since kindergarten at Shire, their “hippie” school in Manhattan. One memorable day in third grade, they discovered a brand of markers called Write Your Destiny at a stationery store and used them to make fortune tellers. But they got older, and eventually Nora decided that fortune tellers were babyish. Further cracks appeared when Nora attended wealthy Quinn’s birthday party—even though Quinn had publicly snubbed Bea and Millie. Angrily, the girls threw away their fortune tellers. These cracks turn into canyons when the Covid-19 pandemic brings remote schooling, and the girls’ families move away before their differences can be resolved. With seventh grade starting soon, the girls mysteriously start finding fortune tellers with messages pointing the way forward—and back to one another. The third-person narration rotates through each girl’s confusion and longing for old friends; the book also contains flashbacks to pivotal moments in their history. Greenwald sensitively captures the social dynamics of middle school, where popularity can take precedence over friendship. Readers will embrace the light magical element, but an appreciation of the real work needed to salvage the girls’ bonds won’t be lost on them, either. Main characters are cued white; Millie and Nora are Jewish.
Tears and cheers abound in this endearing take on friendship. (Fiction. 8-12)
