Unusual Friendships
Staff -- School Library Journal, 1/1/1997
From ethereal guardian angels to faithful four-footed companions, this month's Curriculum Connectors features strong and sometimes unconventional friendships. This seemingly eclectic grouping of titles, culled from SLJ's "Best Books" of years past, encompasses humorous picture books, realistic fiction, time travel, and fantasy, and provides limitless opportunities for booktalking.
BLOCK, Francesca Lia. Missing Angel Juan. HarperCollins. Tr $14; PLB $13.89.
Gr 8 Up -- L.A. native Witch Baby rollerskates around New York City in pursuit of her boyfriend with her grandfather's ghost as her guardian angel. Slinkster cool prose, replete with observations and images both earthly and sublime. (Oct., 1993)
BYARS, Betsy. Wanted . . . Mud Blossom. illus. by Jacqueline Rogers. Delacorte. Tr $14.
Gr 4-8 -- Mystery's afoot for the Blossom family as their friend Mad Mary comes up missing and their beloved dog is accused of murdering the school hamster. A rip-roaring good read. (July, 1991)
CALHOUN, Mary. High-Wire Henry. illus. by Erick Ingraham. Morrow. Tr $13.95; PLB $13.88.
Gr 1-3 -- Jealousy drives this haughty feline to walk an emotional tightrope when a new puppy arrives, but after Henry heroically rescues the rascal, he feels reassured about his place in the family. High-spirited adventure, with the cat's wonderfully depicted displays of emotion stealing the show. (Apr., 1991)
CRUTCHER, Chris. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. Greenwillow. RTE $14.
Gr 8 Up -- An obese boy and a disfigured girl suffer the emotional scars of years of mockery at the hands of their peers. They share a hard-boiled view of the world until events in their senior year hurl them in very different directions. A story about a friendship with staying power, written with pathos and pointed humor. (Mar., 1993)
ELLIS, Sarah. Next-Door Neighbors. McElderry: Macmillan. Tr $13.95.
Gr 4-7 -- A painfully shy minister's daughter learns to look outward rather than dwell on her own insecurities when she encounters prejudice, arrogance, and short-sightedness in an elderly neighbor. Strong personalities emerge in a rewarding novel that explores the true meaning of friendship and conviction. (Mar., 1990)
GRIFFIN, Peni R. Switching Well. McElderry. Tr $15.95.
Gr 5-8 -- A vivid story of two girls living in San Antonio, one in 1891 and one in 1991, who make a wish on the same day at the same hour and switch places, thus becoming outsiders in societies unprepared to receive them. A fine blend of time travel and friendship, laced with insight into social history and attitudes. (June, 1993)
HAHN, Mary Downing. Stepping on the Cracks. Clarion. Tr $13.95.
Gr 5-8 -- In a small southern town in 1944, two girls help a seriously ill army deserter, a decision that changes their perceptions of right and wrong. Issues of moral ambiguity and accepting consequences for actions are thoughtfully considered in this deftly crafted story. (Dec., 1991)
HENKES, Kevin. Jessica. illus. by author. Greenwillow. Tr $11.95; PLB $11.88.
PreS-Gr 2 -- A shy preschooler insists that her friend Jessica is not imaginary--and, in the end, she's absolutely correct. Henkes's depiction of play-alone and play-together time brims with buoyant camaraderie in this upbeat story of friendship fulfilled. (July, 1989)
HENKES, Kevin. Words of Stone. Greenwillow. RTE $14.
Gr 4-6 -- An emotionally scared boy is able to break free of his crippling fears when he meets a brash, lonely girl who forces him to face himself. A story rich in characterization, dramatic subplots, and some very creepy moments. (Sept., l991)
JOHNSON, Angela. Julius. illus. by Dav Pilkey. (Richard Jackson Bks.). Orchard. Tr $14.95; PLB $14.99.
PreS-Gr 2 -- Maya's parents are horrified with her granddaddy's gift of a big pig, but the child adores the ill-mannered, rambunctious porker. Pilkey's vibrant illustrations capture the messy, joyful antics of these pals. (Mar., 1993)
JOHNSTON, Julie. Adam and Eve and Pinch-Me. Little. Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-316-46990-4.
Gr 6-10 -- Cynical Sara Moone, 15, has been shuffled around to different foster families all her life. Through her hard-edged first-person narrative, readers feel her pain and see her slowly open up, let her latest family in, and finally come to believe in love. (July, 1994)
JOYCE, William. Bently and Egg. illus. by author. (Laura Geringer Bks.). HarperCollins. Tr $15; PLB $14.89.
PreS-Gr 3 -- A quick-thinking frog has some unexpected excitement when he becomes caregiver and guardian to his friend duck's newly laid egg. An engaging story of "eggnapping," the cycle of nature, an the nature of friendship. (Apr., 1992)
KING-SMITH, Dick. Martin's Mice. illus. by Jez Alborough. Crown. Tr $10.95.
Gr 2-5 -- A wise fantasy. A well-meaning cat loves mice, and captures one as a pet. Only when Martin becomes a pet himself does he understand about the nature of freedom and friendship. Sparkling characterizations and laugh-out-loud dialogue add levity to a book filled with depth and emotion. (Jan., 1989)
KONIGSBURG, E. L. T-Backs, T-Shirts, Coat, and Suit. (Jean Karl Bks.). Atheneum. Tr $13.95.
Gr 5-8 -- When employees of a food service begin to wear revealing bathing suits on the job, 12-year-old Chloeand her stepfather's sister refuse to take part or take sides in what becomes a sizzling controversy. Individual rights are called into question, justice is served, and a meaningful friendship is forged. Konigsburg at her provocative best. (Oct., 1993)
LISLE, Janet Taylor. Afternoon of the Elves. Orchard Bks. Tr $12.95; PLB $12.99.
Gr 4-6 -- Scorned by her peers, ill-kempt Sara-Kate enchants Hillary with stories of the elves who live in her weedy backyard. The blossoming of their friendship and tentative Hillary's own inner flowering are as exquisitely rendered as Sara-Kate's impossible-to-dismiss imaginings, the wistful core of this incisive novel. (Sept., 1989)
MARINO, Jan. The Day that Elvis Came to Town. Little. Tr $14.95.
Gr 6-8 -- Wanda's dull life becomes more exciting when her family takes in a glamorous boarder -- until she learns that the light-skinned woman is black. Romantic fantasies and mistaken assumptions both play a part in this compelling story that exposes the injustice and heartbreak of racism. (Jan., 1991)
MARSDEN, John. Letters from the Inside. Houghton. Tr $13.95. ISBN 0-395-68985-6.
Gr 8 Up -- A correspondence struck up through a magazine ad results in two girls becoming friends and confidants. An emotionally charged narrative, told solely through their letters, reveals the innermost thoughts and horrific secrets of these very different, but compelling teens. (Sept., 1994)
NELSON, Theresa. Earthshine. (Richard Jackson Bks.). Orchard. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-531-06867-6; PLB $15.99. ISBN 0-531-08717-4.
Gr 6-9 -- A life-affirming miracle of a book written in crystalline prose. Two preteens, both of whom have parents with AIDS, grudgingly become friends and help one another to face their losses, learn the value of hope, and try to make sense of a senseless world. (Sept., 1994)
RATHMAN, Peggy. Officer Buckle and Gloria. illus. by author. Putnam. RTE $15.95. ISBN 0-399-22616-8.
K-Gr 3 -- A policeman puts students to sleep with his safety lessons until he teams up with an arresting pup who literally steals his show. A laugh-out-loud romp with a lot to say about jealousy and friendship. (Sept., 1995)
REAVER, Chap. Bill. Delacorte. Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-385-31175-3.
Gr 5-8 -- A plucky, motherless girl, whose only companion is her dog Bill, learns about trust and loyalty when she must choose between her two-faced, moonshiner father and his arresting officer, who befriends her. A novel laced with humor, tenderness, and irony, and populated with keenly realized characters. (June, 1994)
RYLANT, Cynthia. Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat. illus. by Sucie Stevenson. Bradbury. PLB $11.95.
K-Gr 2 -- A shabby, scraggly stray cat moves in with Henry's family and adopts their oversized hound, Mudge, nurturing and teaching him proper feline etiquette. A heart-tugging yet buoyant story, illustrated with hilarious scenes to tickle beginning readers. (Aug., 1990)
SCHOTTER, Roni. Captain Snap and the Children of Vinegar Lane. illus. by Marcia Sewall. Orchard Bks: Watts. Tr $14.95; PLB $14.99.
K-Gr 3 -- The twitchy, wiggly children of Vinegar Lane scamper through Sewall's woodcutesque paintings in this crackling good story of pint-sized neighbors who melt the Captain's hard heart with a couple of good deeds and a whole lot of high spirits. (May, 1989)
SEBESTYEN, Ouida. Out of Nowhere. (Melanie Kroupa Bks.). Orchard. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-531-06839-0; PLB $15.99. ISBN 0-531-08689-5.
Gr 5-9 -- An unlikely assortment of outcasts -- an adolescent boy abandoned by his mother, a pit bull ditched by its owner, an elderly woman deserted by her husband, and a lonely man -- are brought together by a wise, loving teenager whose had her own share of troubles. Poignant and uplifting. (Mar., 1994)
