May 29, 2023
Afro-Panamanian American 10-year-old Flora Violeta LeFevre and her Argentinian American BFF Clara Ocampo Londra have experienced everything together, including agonizing Saturday Spanish lessons and daring adventures at the local skate park. So Flora is devastated when Clara has to move from their Rhode Island hometown to California because of Clara’s mother’s new job. As the besties lament Clara’s impending move, they hang out as much as they can and create, using coding tool Scratch, a BFF-ometer test to help them make new friends. While Clara seems to immediately find a new friend group, Flora can’t imagine anyone replacing Clara. It’s even difficult to connect with her sister Maylin, who’s too preoccupied with planning her quinceañera to offer Flora comfort. But when Lebanese new student Zaidee Khal arrives from Paris, Flora begins to believe that maybe she won’t feel lonely forever. Pencil-like b&w sketches from Rim (Take a Chance) pepper vivacious prose by Chamber (Finish the Fight!), punctuating Flora’s moments of elation and sorrow as she works to navigate her shifting relationships. Realistic familial dynamics and a fair amount of tween antics from Flora and company add verve to this warm friendship story. Ages 8–12.
June 1, 2023
Grades 3-7 Ten-year-old Flora and Clara are inseparable BFFs. They look forward to all the exciting things they'll experience together once they're teenagers, but their plans are foiled when they find out that Clara is moving across the country after Christmas. To make things worse, Flora's sister, Maylin, has been especially irritating lately as the day of her quincea�era approaches. To prepare for the move, Flora and Clara come up with a BFF-ometer to help each other find new friends with the same interests. Once Clara has moved to California, it doesn't take long for her to make a new friend, but Flora, on the other hand, is left feeling heartbroken and alone. However, with the arrival of a new student, Zaidee, Flora will find that great friendships can form unexpectedly. Chambers has captured the many real and raw feelings that a child may experience when a friend is moving. Paired with the splendid illustrations by Rim that enhance the story, this is a delightful look into the special connections one can have with friends and family.
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Starred review from May 15, 2023
Ten-year-old Flora struggles after her best friend moves away. Flora LeFevre would rate her best friend, Clara Londra, full marks on the BFF-ometer the girls programmed in Scratch. Clara makes Saturday Spanish school bearable, and she's down for any adventure. They both have parents from far away--Flora's are from Panama, and Clara's are from Argentina. So, when Clara's mother announces that they are leaving Rhode Island to move to California, Flora feels lost even though the girls resolve to remain best friends no matter what. Maylin, Flora's older sister, is too obsessed with planning her quincea�era to pay attention to her. Worse, Clara quickly finds a new friend in California. Flora thinks no one can hold a candle to Clara until a new student arrives in class: Hailing from Paris, Lebanese Zaidee Khal seems too sophisticated for fifth grade. As Flora slowly warms up to Zaidee, they begin to form a new friendship. But can Flora have two besties? Chambers places universal friendship trials within the specific joy and beauty of an Afro-Panamanian family, capturing the deep, intense emotions of childhood bonds. Rim's delightful illustrations punctuate the text and capture the mood of the characters' journeys. The dialogue is peppered with Spanish in the natural cadence of bilingual families, with each member possessing varying degrees of proficiency. Non-Spanish-speaking readers won't miss a beat and may even pick up a phrase or two. Funny, heartwarming, and sweet. (Fiction. 8-12)
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