Gemma and Alice, born on the same day, have been devoted best friends ever since. Despite Gemma's larger-than-life personality and Alice's quieter, calmer character, the two are inseparable - until that is Alice has to move house, all the way to Scotland. Gemma is utterly distraught, particularly at the thought that Alice might find a new best friend. Is there anything Gem's brothers, or perhaps her grandad, can do to help? Established fans, especially male readers, will be delighted to re-encounter the flamboyant Biscuits, co-star of Buried Alive! and Cliffhanger. A charming, funny and touching story will be adored by all Wilson fans from 7 upwards.

About the Author

JACQUELINE WILSON is an extremely well-known and hugely popular author. THE ILLUSTRATED MUM was chosen as British Children's Book of the Year in 1999 and was winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Award 2000. Jacqueline has won the prestigious Smarties Prize and the Children's Book Award for DOUBLE ACT, which was also highly commended for the Carnegie Medal. Jacqueline was awarded an OBE in 2002. * 'A brilliant young writer of wit and subtlety' THE TIMES * 'Hugely popular with seven to ten year olds: she should be prescribed for all cases of reading reluctance' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY * 'Has a rare gift for writing lightly and amusingly about emtional issues' BOOKSELLER

Prizes

A delightfully entertaining and touching story from a superstar author

Reviews

Gr 3-6-Gemma has always been a high-energy handful, and Alice has always been quiet and orderly-but those differences haven't stopped them from being best friends since the day they were born. Nothing will tear these two apart-except Alice's parents, who are making her move to Scotland. Gemma tries to cope, but she's overwhelmed by sadness and her fear that Alice might abandon her in favor of a new best friend. Her attempts to keep it together are complicated by her persona non grata status with Alice's parents. It takes a road trip and an incident with Alice's snooty new friend Flora to convince her that a best friend can move away without being lost forever. Wilson blends the spunk of Ramona Quimby with the impulsiveness of Joey Pigza, with the resulting disasters being about what one would expect. Gemma's emotional outbursts are understandable (if theatrical); she walks the fine line between grief-fueled temper and melodrama. If there are unsympathetic characters here, they are the girls' mothers: Gemma's mother's attempts at reassurance are to tell her daughter that she'll make new friends and will forget all about Alice; Alice's mother is pleased that the move separates the girls as she considers Gemma a bad influence. Readers will appreciate the reassurance that it's perfectly okay to feel sad and angry when a friend moves away.-Brandy Danner, Wilmington Memorial Library, MA Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.