My Worst Friend [Hardcover]

P. J. Petersen (Author), Meredith Johnson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998 | Age Level: 7 and up

This young school-based novel by a popular author centers on the rocky relationship between two girls who really should be good friends--but just aren't. Jenny has been wary of Sara since the first day of kindergarten--and with good reason. Sara has a sharp tongue and a prickly personality. She knows how to get what she wants, and she always wants to get Jenny. Every time Jenny thinks they can be friends, Sara does something mean in return. Then Sara is diagnosed with cancer, and Jenny has to reconsider her whole relationship with her nemesis. Plotted so that the surprises keep coming to the very end, this novel spotlights the mean kid in class and subtly examines her manipulative effect not only on Jenny, but on the other kids, too. Readers can observe the struggles around as well as the struggles within the main character as she tries to cope with the mixture of feelings she is experiencing. Even though the topic is serious, Petersen tells the story with light humor that will appeal to his usual audience of young middle-graders. Easy to read and accurately capturing the different emotions of the classroom characters, the novel combines laughs and tears to produce a story with an unforgettable edge. P. J. Petersen lives in Redding, California. Meredith Johnson lives near Pasadena, California.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-4-A mediocre story about two longtime rivals who realize it's possible to resolve their differences. Sara and Jenny have known each other practically all their lives, but Sara has a nasty streak that keeps the two at odds most of the time. When Jenny discovers that Sara is ill and could die, she decides to try to be a friend to her. Her plan backfires as the girl remains her unpleasant self, even in the face of kindness. Finally the girls come to a truce and begin to develop somewhat of a friendship. Although the story is about a serious subject, it is difficult for readers to develop any sympathy for Sara. Any transformation on her part is too little too late. Although one occasionally suspects her bravado is simply a defense mechanism, most of the time she is just manipulative and unpleasant. Still, the relationship portrays a type of rivalry that readers may have experienced, and the message to treat those with illnesses like everyone else is admirable. Black-and-white line drawings, one per chapter, illustrate the story. Sally Warner's Sort of Forever (Knopf, 1998) is a better choice on the subject of juvenile cancer.
Carrie A. Guarria, Lindenhurst Memorial Library, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 2^-4. The author of The Sub (1993) returns with another humorous story for beginning chapter-book readers. Jenny Jones and Sara Trent have shared a relationship based on mutual dislike and dirty tricks since nursery school when Sara poured sand inside Jenny's white tights. Now that they are older, they confine their interactions to more mature venues--mostly name-calling and nasty notes. Then Sara becomes ill (a malignant brain tumor), missing several months of school, and Jenny feels lost without the jocular camaraderie with her rival. When Sara returns to class, sans hair and some of her old spirit, Jenny feels obliged to be nice to her, even when she doesn't deserve it. How the two come to terms with their unusual friendship and Sara's health makes for an interesting conclusion. Although the pair's behavior may seem somewhat over the top, it is refreshing to find a story about friendship that isn't cloyingly sweet. True, Sara is a master manipulator, but Jenny knows her enemy and how to handle effectively whatever Sara dishes out--not a bad skill for any of us to learn. Illustrated with black line drawings. Give this to fans of Kathleen Leverich's Best Enemies series. Kay Weisman

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1st edition (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525460284
• ISBN-13: 978-0525460282
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,507,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book tells and good story and leaves a good messsage., August 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: My Worst Friend (Hardcover)

P. J. Peterson's My Worst Friend is both written well and entertaining. In addition, it carries a message about what friendship is and the different ways in which friendship can be shown.

Sara and Jenny seem to be the opposite of friends. They constantly call each other names and insult each other, but when Sara becomes critically ill, Jenny shows what it means, not only to be a friend, but what it means to be a truly caring person. In doing so, she learns something about one thing a person with a life-threatening illness needs above all: to be treated as a normal person, not pitied as some poor little sick thing. The highlight of the book comes when Jenny and Sara find themselves as competitors even though Sara is still sick. How do you compete with someone who's ill without either running over her roughshod or offending her?

This book can provide an important way for youngsters to understand how their actions and words affect other people. It can also help them understand how to deal with someone who is different. Most of all, My Worst Friend is a good story, one that children 9 through 12 can relate to in their own lives.

5.0 out of 5 stars My worst friend, August 3, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: My Worst Friend (Hardcover)

My Worst Friend by P.J Peterson is an excellent book for kids between the ages of 9-12 years of age.

Sara and Jennifer are worst enemies. They don't get a long anywhere, including school. All they do is insult each other by name calling. Jenny's teacher tells the news about Sara that she is in the hospital, with a tumor in her head. While Sara is sick in hospital Jenny visits her. Since Sara had lost her hair, Jenny did not even want to look at her head. The 6th grade class had made a banner which Sara thought it was a 2 minute project on the computer. When Jenny goes to school the next day she starts to lie about what Jenny said about the banners the 6th grade had made. But, still Sara has changed with her face all pale, but definatly not her attitude. When Sara comes back almost everyone wanted to feel her head, and one asked is it itches! I would recomend this book to anyone I know. It very well written, and funny.