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About this item
Highlights
- Can Lou Bennett keep a secret?
- 8-12 Years
- 7.9" x 5.6" Hardcover
- 272 Pages
- Juvenile Fiction, Mysteries & Detective Stories
Description
About the Book
Eleven-year-old Lou wishes she could turn back time to mend her friendship with Francie after a terrible fight, so when Lou befriends Cece she's eager to prove herself. But as she uncovers the truth about Cece's family, she grapples with what being a good friend means.Book Synopsis
Can Lou Bennett keep a secret? She'll do just about anything to prove herself to her new friend--and the best friend she betrayed--in this debut middle grade mystery with high emotional stakes. It's the thirty-fourth day of sixth grade, and eleven-year-old Lou wishes she could rewind time. Lou wants to go back to the ninth day of sixth grade--the day before she fought with her best friend Francie and said the terrible, horrible things she can't unsay. Or better yet, she would go back to fifth grade when Francie was still the Old Francie. Then the new girl, Cece Clark-Duncan, passes Lou a mysterious note. It says she was kidnapped. (!) If Lou can help Cece, maybe she can prove she's not the world's worst friend. But as observant Lou uncovers the complicated truth about Cece's family, she starts to panic. Can she help Cece without hurting her? Or will Lou end up losing another friend instead? Anchored by an outstanding voice and a page-turning mystery, this remarkable debut novel honors the powerful middle school friendships that can both break and heal a tender eleven-year-old heart. Perfect for fans of Fish in a Tree and My Jasper June, and pays homage to the great classic Harriet the Spy. A Booklist Top 10 Mystery & Thriller Book for YouthA Kansas Notable Book
Review Quotes
★ "[A] pitch-perfect middle grade novel. . . . The mystery and plentiful conversation help keep the momentum going all the way to the end."--The Horn Book, Starred Review ★ "Rellihan creates an appealing narrator. . . An engaging story told from a convincingly tween-age perspective."--Booklist, Starred Review ★ "The mystery will reel readers in, while the emotions and relationships make this a book to savor."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review "Debut author Rellihan adeptly renders Lou's pain from her broken friendship."--Publishers Weekly "A highly recommended story about friendship, family, and growing pains."--School Library Journal "Anne Rellihan's Lou is one of the most authentic narrators I've read in years. Anxious, self-aware, and endlessly fumbling, but with such an enormous heart that it's impossible not to love her. Not the Worst Friend in the World is a book about just how complicated friendship and family can be, and how much they both matter in the end." --Laurel Snyder, author of My Jasper June "Not the Worst Friend in the World has it all: quirky characters, vivid settings, and a mystery guaranteed to keep readers up past bedtime. Anne Rellihan has given us a rich and wonderful story about the tangled threads of friends and family, and the power of love to heal a broken heart." --Megan E. Freeman, award-winning author of Alone "This book has all the drama--family secrets, friendship breakups, and the painful consequences of one's own mistakes. The slow reveal of mysteries kept me turning pages, while the vivid small-town setting reminded me of the best of Kate DiCamillo." --Amy Noelle Parks, author of Kirkus and School Library Journal Best Book Summer of Brave
About the Author
Anne Rellihan is a former elementary school teacher and an alumna of Teach for America with a master's degree in education from Columbia University. She lives in Kansas with her husband and four children. When she's not writing, Anne volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate. This is her debut novel. Find her online @AnneRellihan and annerellihan.com.Dimensions (Overall): 7.9 Inches (H) x 5.6 Inches (W) x 1.7 Inches (D)
Weight: .75 Pounds
Suggested Age: 8-12 Years
Number of Pages: 272
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Sub-Genre: Mysteries & Detective Stories
Publisher: Holiday House
Format: Hardcover
Author: Anne Rellihan
Language: English
Street Date: February 6, 2024
TCIN: 89186462
UPC: 9780823454792
Item Number (DPCI): 247-21-7016
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
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Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 1.7 inches length x 5.6 inches width x 7.9 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 0.75 pounds
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4.5 out of 5 stars with 2 reviews
100% would recommend
1 recommendations
Realistic friendships and emotions
4 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
- 1 year ago
Not the Worst Friend in the World is a commendable middle-grade book. The author, Anne Rellihan, does a solid job of portraying realistic emotions and situations for the young people in the story. She identifies the hurt of lost friendships, the need to commune with one's peers, and the pain of fraying families in a natural manner. The book addresses painful subjects, and the author deals with them naturally, letting the hard blows hit without too much brutality for this age group. Her percipience of the sensitivities of children is palpable. The references to Louise Fitzhugh's "Harriet the Spy" added little to the story. Young people owning journals where they keep observations and reactions to the world is not unusual. I felt that rather than being an accolade to Fitzhugh's 1964 book, Not the Worst Best Friend in the World borrowed too heavily from it. While the character's practices were mainly dissimilar, the emotional repercussions were far too close for my liking. Middle-grade students will find much to enjoy and identify with in this novel. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Workshop. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, Penguin Workshop, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.