I've been waiting to read this until the release date was creeping closer and now it's practically here!

If you haven't introduced your 3rd and 4th grade girls to Ida May, now is the time! Ida May is EveryGirl,with all the little joys and torments of a 9 year old girl. She has a best friend, a fish, a love of drawing, and a loving family.

In the latest Ida May story, Ida's hard-won best friend, Stacey, isn't acting so BFF as she should be....and it's all because of that stupid game Jenna brought to school. Or is it?

Bowe presents the perfect blend of friendship angst, and her characters are rich and varied, no stereotypes here! The characters are realistic and their actions are believable, but not black and white. Ida's realization of the different ways people can be friends and the growth of the various characters pulls the plot of school excitements and friendship bumps along to a satisfying conclusion.

Verdict: I'd recommend these to pretty much any girl in 3rd or 4th grade and they'd also make a great book club selection, as there's plenty of possibilities for discussion (although the story never descends into didacticism, nor is it an "issues" book) I can't wait to show off our library's copy on my school visits!

ISBN: 0803735014; Published May 2010 by Dial; Review copy provided by author; Purchased for the library

Ida May writes in her diary, has a best friend Stacy and a new pet a fish. School is complicated because her friends sometimes don't get a long. Jenna is fighting with Brooke, and Jenna starts bringing a game of Truth or Dare to school and sometimes the Truths are hard an sometimes the Dares get rather mean. See what happens when Ida May is dared to have her ears pierced by another 4th grader.

Wow! That is the first thing I though when I finished this book. I work with middle school kids and there is so much peer pressure to fit in. The middle grades are a time of drama, especially for girls trying to find their place. The characters in the book are fourth graders. Ida wants to fit in. Her parents won't let her get her ears pierced, her friends are changing before her eyes and she is trying to figure it all out. Should she go along with the "in" group or be herself? When are friends not really your friend? You can find answers to these questions by reading the book. ( )