Horn Book

A family move takes Mallory away from her best friend Mary Ann. She has fun with new neighbor Joey, but this violates the girls' mutual promise to not be friends with a boy. In the end, Mallory discovers she doesn't need to choose between Mary Ann and Joey. Black-and-white drawings and the lively text reveal some very contemporary kids.

Kirkus Reviews

Eight-year-old Mallory is moving away from her best friend Mary Ann in this predictable effort for chapter-book readers. The first-person narrative should provide insight into the young protagonist; instead it limits the story to Mallory's self-pitying point of view. She seems spoiled as she whines about the move, adjusts to her new neighborhood, befriends neighbor Joey, and eventually runs away with Mary Ann after a weekend visit. Joey's sister, Winnie, and Mallory's brother, Max, lack any depth besides playing their cardboard roles as evil siblings. The parents, rather than taking a stand against the interminable mean-spirited sparring, seem to accept that their children will say and do cruel things to one another. Indeed, the spoiled Mallory is rewarded first with a trip to a restaurant and later with take-out Chinese food after being "punished" for her bratty behavior. A flat effort at depicting a familiar life passage. (Fiction. 7-10)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Spinning a spry variation on a familiar theme, Friedman launches a series starring a spunky eight-year-old who is not happy about her family's impending move. Mallory makes a determined attempt to avoid the inevitable, reciting for her patient mother the day-by-day agenda that she and her best friend, Mary Ann, have devised, concluding, "As you can see from this very busy schedule, I don't have time to move this summer.... Sorry. Maybe we can talk again in the fall." The heroine's chatty first-person narrative brims with similarly flip comments and asides, as Mallory trades barbs with her caustic 10-year-old brother, grumbles that her new bedroom is so small that she "[does not] think there's enough air" for her and her beloved cat (as she writes to Mary Ann), and develops a friendship with Joey, her new neighbor (despite the fact that she has solemnly pledged a "pinkie swear" to Mary Ann that she will "never be friends with any boy next door"). The plot proceeds at a perky pace as she and Joey devise pranks to pay back their self-absorbed older siblings; Mallory copes with her divided loyalty between her two friends; and, when Mary Ann comes to visit, is afraid to divulge the fact that she's broken her "pinkie swear." Readers may groan at many of Mallory's relentless jokes, yet they'll find her—and Joey—likable characters worth revisiting. Ages 7-10.<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC""> (Mar.)

School Library Journal (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2004)

Gr 2-4 Despite "Operation-Convince-My-Mom-that-Moving-and-Leaving-Behind-My-Best-Friend-Is-a-Bad-Idea," eight-year-old Mallory's parents go forward with their plans. On Wish Pond Road, three hours away from her best friend, all of the houses look alike but there is a wishing pond that she can't wait to try out. Even though she pinkie swore with Mary Ann that she wouldn't play with the boy next door, Mallory has fun with Joey. When Mary Ann comes to visit, Mallory must learn how to balance both friendships. Large-type print, an open format, and humorous illustrations make the book accessible to newly confident chapter-book readers. Mallory is an appealing character who deserves a place alongside Junie B. Jones, Judy Moody, Amber Brown, and Clarice Bean. This amusing offering makes a good choice for youngsters who are adjusting to new environs. Debbie Stewart Hoskins, Grand Rapids Public Library, MI