Friendship

children's fiction/middle-grade. Meh. The writing is good but the story uninteresting. Julia is 12 years old, has a mom fighting in Iraq, likes to pretend with her friend that they live in the olden dys (with corsets and pantaloons and such) and is starting to think about boys. Baskin may have perfectly captured this time in a girl's life, but it's not something I care to read about; the parts about her missing her mom are touching, but there isn't enough here to carry the story. Not really a Newbery contender. ( )

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Julia and Eliza are lifelong friends who have shared everything until one develops her first real crush. The girls find themselves drifting apart until Eliza does something drastic to win back her best friend.

This review first appeared on my blog: http://www.knittingandsundries.com/2011/05/egalley-wednesday-may-25-2011-descent...

It is the summer of 2004, and Julia is staying with her Aunt Louisa (who is really her sister, 22 years older than Julia). Her father was laid off from IBM and is now manager of a gas station and has to work a lot, and her mother, who joined the National Guard, was deployed 9 1/2 months ago. She and her niece Eliza (who she calls her cousin, since they're both 12) are best friends, with their own imaginary games, including one where they fantasize about parasol and carriage days. Uncle Bruce, Eliza's father works at Mohawk Mountain Lodge, which has been around since 1862, and Julia and Eliza spend a lot of time exploring the grounds. This summer is different than others, however, since Julia is starting to notice boys, and is becoming less interested in the imagination games that have bound her and Eliza together.

This is a lovely coming-of-age novel that I think pre-teens and tweens will enjoy and relate to. Julia's worry about her mother, and her growing crush on a particular boy will resonate with many. The familial relationships are well-written and believable. I enjoyed it; it made me recollect that awkward "in-between" feeling - when you're not quite a little girl any longer, but not really old enough to be a young woman.

QUOTE (from a galley; may be different in final copy):

They come in person. They come to your house in their full dress uniform and then you know. You know it's not good news.

Book Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Parents: This is a good clean read. ( )