The best friend plan

Gr 1--3--In this series debut, totally inseparable besties Allie and Amy make their summer plans. On "THE LIST" are getting their fortunes told, attending the Spring Fair, skating and singing backwards, going swimming, and making a new list of things to do. But plans go awry when Allie's parents announce they are sending her to sleepaway camp, which will leave Amy at home without her BFF. The humorous plot will appeal to emerging and reluctant readers, while the accessible text will help them gain confidence in navigating the story on their own. The illustrations and use of eye-catching line art complement strategically placed large font. Part of the "Quix" line of short chapter books, this title features short paragraphs, full-page and spot black-and-white line art, lots of white space, a word list, and conversation starter questions at the end of the book. VERDICT A recommended purchase for beginning reader collections.--Cheryl Blevens, Cunningham Memorial Library, Indiana State University

Best friends Allie and Amy have plans for their summer, but when they are nearly separated, they have to zoom through their summer to-do list.It's the first day of summer vacation, and Amy and Allie can't wait to get started on their short list of "Things To Do This Summer." But they've only completed one item when Allie's parents tell her that she got a spot at Camp Merry Moose. At first she is excited, but when she calls Amy, Amy tells her she can't go because then they'll be separated. Allie tries to back out of camp, but her parents won't hear of it. So she devises a plan to bind herself to Amy, which, predictably, doesn't last long. The best friends decide they will have to rush through their list. Using the alarms on their watches, they speed through their fun in time for Allie to pack for camp. Their farewell is too quick to take seriously, but it turns out they don't have to separate after all. The large, generously spaced typeset is broken up by half-page black-and-white illustrations, and a word list gives pronunciations and definitions of less-common words. The story is more fast than fun, and it sacrifices realism and emotional resonance for speed. Still, it serves its narrow purpose of bridging the gap between beginning readers and chapter books. Allie and her family are black, Amy and her family are white, and an annoying-boy secondary character has a Spanish surname.Helpful reading practice where needed. (reading questions) (Fiction. 4-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Chapter 1: Guess Who! 1 Guess Who! Ring! Ring! Early one morning, the telephone rang at Amy Cooper's house. Amy's mother answered it. "It's for you, Amy," she called. "Guess who!" Amy had no trouble guessing. She knew it was her best friend, Allie Anderson. "Meet me downstairs!" said Allie. "We've got to talk." "Aren't we talking now?" said Amy. "We've got to talk face-to-face, nose-to-nose, eyeball-to-eyeball!" said Allie. "I'm on my way!" said Amy. Amy raced to the elevator in her apartment building. She lived on the sixth floor. She watched the floor numbers light up: six, five, four, three, two, one . "Hurry, hurry," she said. As soon as the elevator doors opened, she burst outside and ran to Allie's building right next door. Just like Amy, Allie lived on the sixth floor. Just like Amy, Allie watched the floor numbers light up: six, five, four, three, two, one . "Ta-da!" she said, bursting out the door. "Are you ready for our first day of summer vacation? Remember, we've got big plans!" "I remember and I'm ready," said Amy. "Did you bring the list?" "It's right here," said Allie, pulling a crumpled paper out of her pocket. She began to read. THINGS TO DO THIS SUMMER Get our fortunes told by Madame Lulu Go to the Spring Street Fair Skate and sing backward Swim at the town pool Make a new list of things to do "Wow. We're going to be busy," said Amy. "We'd better get started right away," said Allie. "Madame Lulu, here we come!" Excerpted from The Best Friend Plan: The Adventures of Allie and Amy 1 by Stephanie Calmenson, Joanna Cole All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.