Best Friends for Never written by Adrienne Maria Vrettos, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary: The main character is Hattie. She is 12 and just moved from Brooklyn to Trepan Grove, Massachusetts. She was pretty sad to leave her Brooklyn life and friends behind, but both her parents got a new job. Hattie wants to fit in with her new friends, so she leaves out the nerdy details about herself - her obsession with a fantasy book series and her love of cat-themed clothes. She quickly finds friends who welcome her, Piper, Fee, and Celeste. They help her get ready for the coming school year. There is a town festival known for the fact that everyone goes and the town jinx or curse. Hattie falls victim to the curse and finds herself in a situation that leaves her friendless and experiencing the worst of being the new girl in town. Can she work with her new history project partner to reverse the curse? 

Straight Talk for Librarians: This book is targeted at upper elementary and middle school girls. The author explores friendship, bullying, working as a team and dealing with major life changes. Hattie is the portrait of an average middle school girl who wants to fit in. She let her new friends pick out her clothes so she could fit in at her new school. As the fall festival occurs, the story has a bit of magical realism to it in that Hattie is cursed. She starts to think that the Friendship Pact she made for her friends has something to do with it, but she needs to find the written curse in some old history books. As her life is turned upside down, Hattie finds solace in the school library. She finds unlikely friends and gets to know herself better in the process. This book was a quick and enjoyable read. I think that some of the book reviews are a bit harsh because of a “predictable” storyline, but I think that newer readers and those who have not read 100s of books, will find this a fun read. I think it’s relatable to middle school girls and readers will pick up elements that are relevant to them. It’s a great addition to any upper elementary or middle school library.