When Jane-Marie Told My Secret [Hardcover]

Nancy Poydar (Author), Gina Willner-Pardo (Author), Jane Feder (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Carolyn and Jane-Marie are best friends. That means they share everything: gymnastics and snacks after school, jokes, and secrets. But then Jane-Marie tells Carolyn's secret, and nothing is the same anymore. This upbeat, funny chapter book, with bright illustrations on every spread, perfectly captures the doubts and the unexpected pleasures of evolving friendships.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3?Third-grader Carolyn is angry when she finds out that her best friend has revealed her secret: that she wants Katie Kempo, the most popular girl in the class, to like her. After confronting Jane-Marie, Carolyn seeks out new people to sit with at lunch or to play with after school. But still she misses Jane-Marie. By the time Carolyn accepts her apology, it looks as if each girl will bring along a new pal to create a foursome. A lot goes on in just four, 10-page chapters?everything from betrayal to reconciliation. Willner-Pardo's realistic portrayal of the rewards and problems inherent in having one best friend is ably assisted by Poydar's watercolor illustrations, one on almost every double-page spread, which show contemporary, jeans-clad children going through the school day. This approachable book has less text than Janice Lee Smith's "Adam Joshua" series (HarperCollins), but is aimed at the same audience. A perfect choice for readers who want a little more story but not so many words.?Susan Hepler, Alexandria City Public Schools, VA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3^-4, younger for reading aloud. The jealousy and misunderstanding among girlfriends as well as their joyful bonding are dramatized in this easy chapter book. Carolyn shares school lunches, special jokes, and private nicknames with her best friend, Jane-Marie, and they have a lot of fun together at school and at home; but when Jane-Marie gives away a secret, Carolyn can't forgive the betrayal. The immediate first-person narrative gets across the hesitancies and hostilities of the female social scene; in one funny chapter, a boy just can't understand what Carolyn's getting so het up about. Bright watercolor-and-colored-pencil illustrations on almost every page show the hurt, the fun, and the uncertainty as Carolyn tries to get the hang of this friendship thing. Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (September 9, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395663822
• ISBN-13: 978-0395663820
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,570,058 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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