Clementine, Friend of the Week

Clementine, Friend of the Week. Sara Pennypacker. Illustrations by Marla Frazee. 2010. July 2010. Hyperion. 176 pages.

I couldn't wait for Margaret to get on the bus Monday afternoon.

This is the fourth Clementine book. Others in the series include Clementine (2006), The Talented Clementine (2007), and Clementine's Letter (2008).

There is so much to love about Clementine. I hardly know where to begin. Well, that's not exactly true. If you are not familiar with Clementine, you should definitely begin at the beginning. And you should go ahead and check out the whole series while you're at it! She's fun. She's spirited. (But not particularly in a bratty kind of way.) And she's unforgettable.

What is this Clementine book about? Well, it is Clementine's turn to be "friend of the week." Her classmates will be creating a booklet about Clementine. What will her classmates say? What kinds of compliments will she receive? How do her classmates see her? Do they like her? Or not? As Clementine worries about what kind of friend she really is, what kind of person she really is, readers get treated to a heartfelt adventure. It's a thoughtful book that delighted me. This may just be my favorite Clementine yet.

What I liked about this one was that it showed Clementine could do more than get into trouble and be cute while doing so.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers