Dear Friends

Gr 3-7–Len, real name Eleni Belle Klarstein, named after her grandmothers, is a soon-to-be middle schooler. Just back from summer camp, she’s anxious to reunite with her best friend Sylvie. It’s hard reigniting their friendship since it feels as if they have been apart forever, and Sylvie has made other friends. Len feels left out. Her mother is too controlling and doesn’t help her navigate the choppy waters of middle school. Len writes in her journal in an effort to understand conflicts, and she tries not to go down what she calls her “worry spiral.” In fact, she feels all her friendships have unraveled, so she decides to embark upon what she calls Eleni Belle Klarstein’s Friendship Fact-Finding Mission. She will study all of her ended friendships, retrace all her steps and discover what happened, what was her fault, what she could have done better, and most importantly, how to get Sylvie back to being her true confidant. Readers will be amused by the different friend categories Len comes up with, and her dedication to her mission. Len, who is Jewish, is depicted with light skin and dark hair.