Thank You, Lucky Stars

Friendship is sometimes a fickle thing, and this is certainly true for fifth-grader Ally Miller in the book Thank You, Lucky Stars by Beverly Donofrio. Her longtime best friend Betsy has ditched her at the start of the school year, leaving her sad, alone, and without any hope of finding someone to perform with for the fifth grade talent show. Bizarre new student Tina, however, seems eager to have Ally as her new friend. Ally doesn't really want to be friends with the Princess Leia bun-wearing, loudmouthed girl who doesn't care what people think of her, but the two are nonetheless drawn together. How will Ally balance her yearning to be popular and well-liked with the true friendship that Tina has to offer?

Fans of Stargirl may wish to take note! While this book is geared for a slightly younger audience, Tina's free spirit is very similar to Stargirl's, and funky disco dancing is a fairly adequate substitute for the bunny hop. However, while the side story of Tina's mentally ill mother has the potential to be truly moving and interesting to the reader, it seems more like a plot device than anything else in some places, burried underneath Ally's dominating story. Despite this flaw, Ally's tale is strong and emotional, and her fears are well drawn.

Overall Grade: A-