Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library
Youth Services Department

FRIENDSHIP FICTION Grades 4-6


Adler, C. S. The Lump in the Middle. J FIC Adler
As the "lump in the middle" between her "perfect" older sister and cute younger sister, Kelsey feels out of place in her family until she meets Gabe whose affection gives her the confidence she needs at home.

Alcock, Vivien. The Trial of Anna Cotman. J FIC Alcock
New to town, Anna is happy to find a friend, even if it is the bossy and quarrelsome Lindy, and is pleased to be allowed to join the secret society run by Lindy's older brother until she commits a "crime" that the society won't forgive.

Asch, Frank. Hands Around Lincoln School. J FIC Asch
When sixth grader Lindsay creates the Save the Earth Club at school, her radical methods of enlightening the student body jeopardize her friendship with best friend Amy.

Avi. Romeo and Juliet--Together (and alive!) at last. J FIC Avi
The eighth grade's plan to get two reluctant "lovers" together by means of a classroom production of Shakespeare's play has some very unexpected results.

Bauer, Marion Dane. A Dream of Queens and Castles. J FIC Bauer
In England with her mother for a year, dreamy Diana meets an eccentric old man and shares his frustrations and use of the royal family as a means of escape.

Birdseye, Tom. Just Call Me Stupid. J FIC Birdseye
Terrified of failing and believing that he is stupid, a fifth grader who has never learned to read begins to believe in himself with the help of an outgoing new girl next door.

Blume, Judy. Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great. J FIC Blume
A summer in Tarrytown, N.Y., is a lot of fun for ten-year-old Sheila even though her friends make her face up to some self-truths she doesn't want to admit.

Bowe, Julie.  My Best Frenemy.  J FIC Bowe (SERIES)
Almost-ten-year-old Ida May finally has a new best friend at school, but after bossy Jenna Drews starts an increasingly dangerous game of Truth or Dare, Ida is not quite sure who her friends really are.

Byars, Betsy Cromer. The Pinballs. JPB B  //  J Fic Byars
Three lonely foster children learn to care about themselves and each other.

Carbone, Elisa Lynn.  Sarah and the Naked Truth.  J FIC Carbone
While ten-year-old Sarah faces some challenges after losing most of her hair in a bubble gum accident, her closest friends Christina and Olivia deal with identity issues of their own, and in the end all learn to stand up to others in order to be true to  themselves.

Carbone, Elisa Lynn. Starting School With an Enemy. J FIC Carbone
Worried about finding friends when she moves from Maine to Maryland, ten-year-old Sarah gets off to a bad start by making an enemy of a boy.

Cassedy, Sylvia.M.E. and Morton. J FIC Cassedy
Eleven-year-old Mary Ella, ashamed that her older brother Morton is a slow learner and longing for a friend of her own, is astonished when the flamboyant new girl on the block picks Morton for a friend.

Clarke, Judith.Riffraff. J FIC Clarke
An eccentric writer brings about a friendship between two unusual nine-year-olds, rowdy forceful Sophia and shy artistic Sam.

DeClements, Barthe. The Pickle Song. J FIC DeClements
When Paula attempts to befriend the new girl on the block, she learns that there is more to friendship than simply sharing good times.

Ellis, Sarah. Next-Door Neighbors. J FIC Ellis
Her family's move to a new town in Canada leaves shy twelve-year-old Peggy feeling lonely and uncomfortable, until she befriends the unconventional George and the Chinese servant of her imperious neighbor Mrs. Manning.

Farrar, Susan Clement. Samantha on Stage. J FIC Farrar
Eleven-year-old Samantha has always been the best in her ballet class, but when she sees the new Russian girl dance she begins to wonder who would get the coveted lead in the school's production of the Nutcracker ballet.

Ferguson, Alane. Cricket and the Crackerbox Kid. J FIC Ferguson
Pampered eleven-year-old rich kid Cricket thinks she has finally found a friend in Dominic, who lives in the low-income houses called crackerboxes, until they quarrel over ownership of a dog and their classroom becomes a courtroom to decide who is right.

Giff, Patricia Reilly. Love, from the Fifth Grade Celebrity. J FIC Giff
Casey enjoyed Tracy's company during summer vacation but becomes increasingly jealous of her irrepressible new friend when she joins Casey's fifth-grade class.

Givner, Joan. Ellen Fremedon : Journalist. J Fic Givner
Ellen and her best friend Jenny decide to publish a newspaperthat will, unlike so many others, be completely truthful.  But publishing a paper isn't as easy as it seems.

Gormley, Beatrice. Best Friend Insurance. J FIC Gormley
Just when Maureen feels she has been demoted to second-best status by her former best friend Tracey, a rather unusual insurance agent turns up, guaranteeing replacement of lost friends within twenty-four hours.

Grabenstein, Chris.  Riley Mack and the Other Known Troublemakers.  J FIC Grabenstein
Eleven-year-old Riley Mack and his friends, Briana, Mongo, Jake and Jamal outwit the school bully, solve the mystery of who stole the goldendoodle named Poodle, and get evidence to help the FBI catch bank robbers.

Henkes, Kevin. Words of Stone. J FIC Henkes // J PB H
Busy trying to deal with his many fears and his troubled feelings for his dead mother, ten-year-old Blaze has his life changed when he meets the boisterous and irresistible Joselle.

Holmes, Barbara Ware. Charlotte Shakespeare and Annie the Great. J FIC Holmes
After prodding her best friend Annie into trying out for the lead in the play she has written for their sixth grade class, Charlotte feels herself losing control of her own play and experiences jealousy when Annie suddenly gets all the attention.

House, Silas.  Same Sun Here.  J FIC House
A twelve-year-old Indian immigrant in New York City and a Kentucky coal miner's son become pen pals, and eventually best friends, through a series of revealing letters exploring such topics as environmental activism, immigration, and racism.

Jones, Jennifer B.  Dear Mrs. Ryan, You're Ruining My Life.  J FIC Jones
In an effort to get his mother to stop writing about him in her books, fifth-grader Harvey and his best friend decide to try to make a romantic connection between her and their school principal.

Levinson, Marilyn. And Don't Bring Jeremy. J FIC Levinson
New in the neighborhood and eager to be part of a new crowd, sixth-grader Adam finds it difficult to come to terms with the needs of his older brother who suffers from a learning disability and often seems younger than Adam himself.

O'Connor, Jane. Yours Till Niagara Falls, Abby. J FIC O'Connor
Ten-year-old Abby faces two months of summer camp without her best friend.

Perkins, Lynne Rae.   All Alone in the Universe.  J FIC Perkins
Debbie is dismayed when her best friend Maureen starts spending time with ordinary, boring Glenna.

Pfeffer, Susan Beth. Make Believe. J FIC Pfeffer
Carrie and Jill are best friends and their families have always been close, so when Jill's parents separate, it not only affects Carrie and Jill's friendship, but Carrie's feelings about her own family as well.

Robinson, Nancy K. Veronica Knows Best. J FIC Robinson
No longer a show-off, Veronica decides the best way to make friends is to "take an interest" in people and determines to practice this theory on Kimberly Watson. Sequel to "Veronica the Show-Off."

Roos, Stephen. The Fair-Weather Friends. J FIC Roos
Twelve-year-old Kit has looked forward all winter to spending the summer at her grandmother's on Plymouth Island and seeing her friend Phoebe, but she finds Phoebe changed--more grown-up--and wonders if the gap between them is too great to bridge.

Sachs, Marilyn. A Secret Friend. J FIC Sachs
Ten-year-old Jessica loses her best friend, and in struggling to win her back finds out some important things about friendship.

Sawyer, Ruth. Roller Skates. J FIC Sawyer
Liberated for a year from her parents' restrictions, ten-year-old Lucinda discovers true freedom in the care of her temporary guardians as she roller skates around the streets of turn-of-the-century New York.

Shalant, Phyllis. The Transformation of Faith Futterman. J FIC Shalant
Suzanne jeopardizes her membership in the sixth grade's most popular group, the Insiders, when she joins the school band and befriends a "Nearly Nerd" named Faith Futterman.

Simon, Coco.  Mia in the Mix.  JPB S (SERIES: Cupcake Diaries)
When the popular girls club takes interest in Mia, she has to decide between being popular and her new cupcake club friends.

Slote, Alfred. Tony and Me. J FIC Slote
Tony, a star athlete, befriends Bill and gives hope to the losing baseball team, but Tony's problems force Bill to make some tough decisions.

Snyder, Laurel.  Penny Dreadful.  J FIC Snyder
When her father suddenly quits his job, the almost ten-year-old , friendless Penny and her neglectful parents leave their privileged life in the city for a ramshackle property in Thrush Junction, Tennessee, where their tenants have never paid rent and their town's shop include Praise God the Lord Hot Dog Shack Fugate's Feed Shop and Bridal Store.

Teague, Sam. The King of Hearts' Heart. J FIC Teague
Aspiring to make the varsity track team, thirteen-year-old Harold neglects his brain-damaged friend Billy, until a crisis leads him to transfer his dreams of championship to Billy.

Wallace, Barbara Brooks. Claudia and Duffy. J FIC Wallace
All the troubles in sixth-grader Claudia Harper's life seem to start with her fourth-grade friend Dunford Wylie Booth V.

Weeks, Sarah. Oggie Cooder.  J FIC Weeks
Quirky fourth-grader Oggie Cooder goes from being shunned to everyone's best friend when his uncanny ability to chew slices of cheese into the shapes of states wins him a slot on a popular television talent show, but he soon learns the perils of being a celebrity--and having a neighbor girl as his manager.

5/12

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