My Worst Best Friend

Gr 7 Up—Gracie believes that there are only two kinds of girls: "Those Girls," who make heads spin and horns beep, and everyone else. She is proof that opposites attract. Gracie is a smart, environmentally conscious, lizard-loving girl, while her best friend, Savannah, is a boy crazy, fashion loving, drama queen. The highs and lows of high school run their course, but the track becomes bumpy when Savannah begins to secretly date a college guy behind the back of her current beau, Archie. Savannah's GPA can't compare to Gracie's, but she's skilled in the art of communication with an almost innate ability to plead and cajole Gracie. Yet, Gracie remains loyal to a fault. However, Savannah's feathers get ruffled from the loss of attention when Archie's best friend, Cooper, changes from annoying presence at the lunch table into a quirky, fun-loving guy that Gracie spends an increasing amount of time with at Neighbour's Project, a community outreach center for kids. The girls' friendship starts to fray when Savannah's white lies domino to include Gracie's need to lie. Dyan Sheldon spins an insightful tale (Candlewick, 2010) about high school friendships and the delicate threads that hold them together. Narrator Jeannie Stith is wonderful, offering slight voice variations forthe many characters. She shines with Savannah, a pay-attention-to-me Valley girl. A great story about the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly sides of friendship.—Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City Schools, OH