Enemies

Avowed enemies Mary-Anna and Sandra, whose mothers are best friends, find their relationship transformed during an outing to the city, when the two girls are separated from the adults and they must depend on each other for safety

Grade 3-4-- A thin but realistic story about two girls who dislike each other intensely but who are obliged to spend time together because their mothers are best friends. When they get lost in the city, they are forced to rely on each other, and this makes each of them realize the value of the other. The writing is bumpy and the characterization is weak: the focus is so much on the girls' hateful behavior toward each other that it's easy to lose sight of them as individuals. This is lightweight, easy reading, "Babysitter's Club" type of material that should find an audience because of its subject and length. Readers will whip through it, but they won't bother with a second look. --Carolyn Jenks, Oyster River Elementary School, Durham, NH
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