ALA Booklist (Sat May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Loyalty is the theme in this lively picture book by the creators of Bullies Never Win (2009). Jessica is a worrywart, and her latest source of anxiety is her best friend, Lizzie, who copies Jessica's spelling words and lies to the teacher. Should Jessica say something to Lizzie, to the teacher, or to Mom and Dad? If she tells, her friend will be mad. If she keeps quiet, she will feel dishonest and angry. The bold, cartoon-style scenarios in pen, ink, and watercolor are uncluttered and keep the focus on Jessica, at first fuming in the classroom until, finally, she explodes, and the teacher talks to her about what helping means. Of course, the friends make up, and Lizzie apologizes and draws her friend a picture labeled "Bes frens 4 ever." The happy ending about forgiveness will spark as much discussion as the conflict will: neither is easy, and both words and pictures capture the complexity of the situation, to which there is no neat resolution.

Kirkus Reviews

Worrywart Jessica has a new, unexpected problem: Her best friend, Lizzie, has begun copying off Jessica's spelling tests and lying about the rules of games. When they work on their homework together, somehow Lizzie gets Jessica to write her T-word poem for her. When Lizzie steals Jessica's math money, Jessica can't hold it in anymore. A talk from Mr. Martin and some time at the thinking desk for Lizzie restores the girls' BFF status. While Cuyler captures the pain felt by a child when betrayed by a best friend, she provides no back story to account for Lizzie's wrongdoing, which will mystify readers, and their sudden detente is unsatisfying. Howard's cartoons are pleasing, but the two girls are regrettably similar in look, making it difficult to tell the adversaries apart. A misstep. (Picture book. 5-9)

School Library Journal (Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Gr 1-3 When her best friend copies from her paper during a spelling test, worrywart Jessica does not know where to turn. She doesn't want to betray Lizzie and lose her friendship by telling their teacher. Then at recess, Lizzie is dishonest in a game of tag. When Jessica writes a poem that Lizzie is praised for, she finds it difficult to hide her feelings. The situation comes to a head when Lizzie takes advantage of her once again and Jessica loses her temper. When their teacher intervenes, the truth comes out. Lizzie apologizes for her behavior and renews her friendship with Jessica. The situation that Jessica faces is a real one that children grapple with on a regular basis. The struggle to find a solution that is fair but does not hurt others is difficult, but the ability to be true to oneself is a hard lesson to learn. The examples in this book are excellent and will encourage discussion and problem solving for similar situations. The writing is a little stiff, and the text is purposeful, but it will reach a wide audience. Howard's engaging cartoon artwork and liberal use of white space help to lighten the message. His large-headed figures convey a plethora of expressions and attitudes with a minimum of line. Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME