This book is about a little boy named Ira whose best friend is moving away. He doesn't take the news of the move very well, but is forced to cope regardless. He eventually realizes that it won't be so bad after all, as he can still go visit Reggie on the weekends. ( )

Book about a boy who has to move away from best friend. The story takes some turns as the boys go through different emotions coming to terms with the move. Pierce County Library. 2nd through 3rd grade

Ira is surprised to discover that his best friend Reggie feels happy about having to move to a new house.

One reason I liked this book is because of how relatable the plot was to children of all ages. This book is about two friends, Ira and Reggie, who have to cope with Reggie moving to another town. As a defense mechanism, Reggie brags about how great his new town is and about how excited he is to move there, causing Ira to feel sad. They go through a period where they aren’t friends, until the day that Reggie moves. The sadness suddenly hits Ira and Reggie, and they hug each other and cry about losing their best friend. The story ends with Ira happily packing to go visit Reggie for a weekend in Greendale. A lot of children have had to deal with either moving themselves or having a friend move away, so I think this book hits home for many people. Another reason I liked this book is because of the theme that the reader overwhelmingly understands when the book ends. The main idea of this book is that friends sometimes fight, but distance doesn’t ruin the bond between two best friends. The story had a happy ending of the two boys imminently reuniting, and the reader could clearly see that the characters remained best friends even though they didn’t live next door to each other anymore. I think this is an important lesson to teach both children and teenagers. ( )

Ira confronts several emotions when he learns his best friend Reggie is moving away