MS Review – The Best Friend Bracelet – realistic fantasy
Collier, Nicole D. The Best Friend Bracelet. New York: HarperCollins, 2024.
Guide to Categories : MS Review – review of books for older elementary-aged and middle school-aged children
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Summary
A tender, funny story about making—and keeping—friends, perfect for fans of Sarah Mlynowski.
“In this sentimental and kindhearted novel, Collier (The Many Fortunes of Maya) realistically presents adolescent angst as viewed through a thoughtfully realized protagonist whose avid internal reflection—influenced by a mite of magic—will inspire readers’ own path toward personal introspection.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A lightly magical story that thoughtfully explores friendship and developing a strong sense of self.” — Kirkus Reviews
At Hurston Middle School, best friendship is a big deal. And Zariah Brown makes the best best friendship bracelets in town. Business is booming; Zariah can hardly keep up with orders.
The problem is, Zariah doesn’t have a best friend of her own. As the entire seventh grade gears up for their big Pajama Jam weekend, it seems as if everyone else is paired up except her.
So Zariah pours her heart and soul into making the ultimate friendship bracelet, using a set of beads gifted to her by a mysterious woman. But the bracelet turns out to be a tiny bit . . . magical. In fact, anyone who puts it on instantly becomes Zariah’s best friend. Now all she has to do is find the perfect best friend and get the bracelet on them. Easy, right?
It turns out finding the ideal friend isn’t so simple, and things quickly spin out of control. Will Zariah ever find her true BFF, or is she destined to be alone forever?
Purchase The Best Friend Bracelet on Amazon – https://amzn.to/3ZRd7HW
My MS Review
The Best Friend Bracelet may be the first book by Nicole Collier that I have read. She seems to understand the minds of middle school girls – their insecurities and desires for a best friend. I loved the fact that the main character is a young female entrepreneur.
Zariah makes unique bracelets for girls to give to their best friends. She questions the purchaser for details and then designs a bracelet just for the recipient. But deep down, she really wants a best friend of her own. Her grades begin to slip because of her focus on her business, so she has to do extra credit. She is thrown together with another girl who doesn’t need the extra credit but does need her mom to think she has a best friend. Theo and Zariah work together to accomplish their individual goals. Meanwhile, Zariah creates a bracelet for the best friend she doesn’t have, and it turns out to have magic, and anyone who wears that bracelet is immediately her bestie.
I enjoyed this story and would place it in my library. However, because of the magical element of the bracelet, I encourage each school librarian to make their own determination as to the book’s appropriateness for their library. The Best Friend Bracelet is appropriate for middle school girls.
I received a complimentary copy of The Best Friend Bracelet. This is my honest review.
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