
Reach for this book when your daughter feels the first sting of a friendship shifting due to a new boyfriend or a changing family dynamic. It is perfect for the pre-teen who feels like her best friend is suddenly a stranger and who struggles with the pressure to act older than she feels. Bunny and Emily have always been a duo, but when Bunny starts seeing a boy Emily disapproves of, their bond is tested by jealousy and judgment. Through a realistic lens, the story explores the messy transition from childhood play to adolescent dating. Parents will appreciate how it validates the intense emotions of middle school without being melodramatic. It offers a hopeful look at how a change in perspective at home can help a girl find her footing with her peers. It is a gentle, grounded guide to the evolving nature of loyalty and independence.
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Sign in to write a reviewThemes of loneliness and feeling abandoned by a parent or friend.
The book deals with parental dating and the emotional fallout of a father who is physically or emotionally distant. The approach is secular and realistic. The resolution is hopeful but grounded: the problems aren't magically fixed, but the protagonist develops the emotional tools to handle them.
A 12-year-old girl who feels like her best friend is moving at a different speed than she is, whether that is dating faster or staying 'younger' longer.
Read cold. The book is very accessible. Parents might want to discuss the scene where the girls first fight to highlight how both characters have valid, if conflicting, feelings. A parent might see their child withdrawing from a long-term best friend or making harsh judgments about other kids' social choices.
Younger readers (10-11) will focus on the 'mean girl' aspect of the fight. Older readers (13-14) will recognize the nuanced pressure of performing maturity for boys.
Unlike many 'friendship breakup' books that focus on bullying, this focuses on the organic, painful growing pains of two good people simply moving in different directions.
Bunny and Emily are best friends whose relationship is tested when Bunny begins dating a boy named James. Emily finds James unsuitable and immature, leading to a significant rift between the girls. Simultaneously, Bunny is dealing with her father's absence and her mother's new relationship, which forces her to re-evaluate her own needs for companionship and her expectations of others. The story concludes with the girls reconciling as Bunny gains maturity through her family experiences.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.