Jasmine and Maddie

“Can two seemingly opposite girls become friends? . . . the spot-on-cover will entice readers who will identify with the pain of middle school, enjoy the well-developed secondary characters and applaud the girls’ growth.” —Kirkus Reviews

“. . . Though their circumstances are vastly different, their worries and insecurities prompt them to similar behaviors, namely theft, and their struggles with dishonesty and its aftermath are sensitively portrayed as they learn to approach each other with empathy rather than jealousy. Both girls are budding wordsmiths, so their observations are peppered with witty similes and vivid images, and the poems they share at their teacher’s prompting are heartfelt and lyrical. In the tradition of Frances O’Roark Dowell, Pakkala manages to capture a poignant moment in tween life, when friendships strain and girls are struggling to find their voices and assert their identities. Mistakes and tensions are interlaced with tender moments and liberating laughter, self-protective lies with explosive honesty; this is not girl, interrupted but girl, launched.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books