
A parent should reach for this book when their child is navigating the intense, confusing emotions of a changing friendship, especially one strained by competition or jealousy. Fortunes and Frenemies dives into what happens when a sudden stroke of luck pits two best friends against each other, testing their loyalty and forcing them to confront difficult feelings. With humor and heart, it explores themes of self-confidence, envy, and the hard work of empathy. For ages 9-12, this story normalizes the big feelings that come with middle-grade social shifts and provides a great starting point for conversations about what makes a true friend.
The book's core conflict revolves around intense social and emotional turmoil between friends. It directly addresses feelings of jealousy, exclusion, and betrayal in a secular, contemporary school setting. The approach is realistic about the pain these situations cause, but the resolution is ultimately hopeful, emphasizing reconciliation and emotional growth.
Your experience helps other parents find the right book.
Sign in to write a reviewAn ideal reader is a child aged 9 to 12 who is feeling insecure or left behind in a friendship. This book is for the child whose best friend just made the sports team they were cut from, or who is watching their friend become popular with a new group. It resonates with kids struggling with comparison and the fear of being replaced.
This book can be read cold. Parents should be prepared for it to bring up their child's own feelings about fairness, jealousy, and loyalty. It's a good idea to be ready to listen without judgment and discuss how the characters could have handled their big feelings differently. A parent has just heard their child say, "She thinks she's better than me now," or has seen their child crying because they were excluded by their best friend for the first time. The trigger is witnessing the painful, sharp end of a shifting childhood friendship.
A 9-year-old will likely focus on the plot and the surface-level hurt: "It's not fair that she got the prize!" and "Her friend was being so mean." A 12-year-old is more likely to understand the internal conflicts, the pressures of social status, and the difficulty of communicating when you're hurt or envious. They will connect more with the themes of identity and self-worth.
While many books cover friendship drama, this book's use of a singular, high-stakes 'fortune' as the catalyst creates a sharp, focused conflict. Marti Dumas's signature humor and witty dialogue prevent the story from becoming overly heavy, making difficult emotional topics accessible and engaging for middle-grade readers.
Two inseparable best friends find their bond tested when one of them experiences a sudden, dramatic change in fortune, possibly by winning a major contest or gaining unexpected popularity. This event catapults one friend into a new social sphere, leaving the other behind. The story follows their journey as they navigate the treacherous waters of jealousy, misunderstanding, and social pressure, becoming 'frenemies' who must decide if their friendship is worth fighting for.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.