Beacon Street Girls: Worst Enemies/Best Friends
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this first book in the Beacon Street Girls series is about four very different middle school girls who are forced to learn more about one another and end up becoming the closest of friends. Issues related to diversity, learning differences, first crushes on boys, health and body changes, and awkward relationships with parents and siblings are all dealt with. Even though the plotline is a bit formulaic and the dialogue is unrealistic at times, the main message -- to live happily by accepting differences and working cooperatively with others -- is one that all parents will want their tween readers to glean.
Families can talk about the girls' varied backgrounds/interests and how they learn from one another. What does each girl bring to the club that's unique? What is the common thread pulling them together? Parents can also point out how these girls don't have any socio-economic stressors (no one has an after-school job or parents with financial hardships) -- is that the case with the kids you know? What additional challenges do you think the girls would face in those circumstances? Families can also talk about the girls' journal-writing assignments. Do you think it helped them better understand themselves, their new friends, or both?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Pam Gelman
Being the new kid in class, living with a learning difference, getting compared constantly to older siblings, adoption from another country -- all of these are relatable experiences that provide colorful backdrops for seventh graders Charlotte, Maeve, Katani, and Avery.
THE BEACON STREET GIRLS: WORST ENEMIES/BEST FRIENDS is about adolescent girls with issues who are misread by peers and find the courage to be honest -- and the joy of reciprocal tween friendships.
The success of this story is in the character development -- these girls are quirky and fun to get to know -- more than the plotline, though it's very readable. But at times the girls are too good to be true, clearly without socio-economic pressures and time-consuming responsibilities at home.
Though they have their moments of cattiness, the girls also have the maturity to respect and understand one another's challenges, most likely because they have meaningful adults providing models of responsive listening, caring, and activism. Parents can offer this book to tweens knowing that they'll learn more about living cooperatively and respectfully with others.
From The Book
"Why don't you go next, Maeve," suggested Avery.
"OK," she said. "Something like: We won't put ourselves down if we aren't super-smart, super-coordinated, or a supermodel, because we always do the best we can."
"Got it," said Charlotte. "OK, here's one: We'll be loyal to our friends and will trust them, even if they make a mistake or do something totally embarrassing."
"Like getting a tablecloth caught in your zipper in the cafeteria," said Maeve in a loud whisper.
Charlotte blushed.
"It's true," I said. "And we're all here, aren't we? Now, hush up, Maeve, this is good."
"We should just go for it," said Avery, "How will we know what we can do if we don't try? We should stand tall and stay true to our own best selves!"
Plot Summary:
Charlotte, who lives with her widower father, starts the seventh grade in a new school in Brookline, Mass. When she's assigned to sit at the lunch table with Katani, Maeve, and Avery, she quickly forms stereotypical opinions of them. Charlotte's awkwardness with them brings disaster until a writing assignment and a sleepover start to turn the worst of enemies into best friends.
A tower room at Charlotte's house becomes the girls' secret clubhouse. When Charlotte's father discovers them, Katani's grandmother is the one who does the explaining.
Related Books:
If this is a hit with your tween, there are more books in the Beacon Street Girls series.
Other Books About Friendships
The Babysitters Club
The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls
Friendship for Older Readers
Flipped
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
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Sexual ContentVery innocuous and normal flirtations from a seventh grade girl directed at a boy. |
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LanguageWhen quoting Gone with the Wind: "Damn it, Scarlett..." |
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Social BehaviorStrong adults (teacher, father, grandmother) support the girls in learning more about people who are different than themselves (especially those with learning challenges and challenging family dynamics). Characters are also of mixed races and ethnic backgrounds. |
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CommercialismCelebrity name dropping: Madonna, Oprah, Audrey Hepburn, Angelina Jolie. The publisher, B*Tween Productions, has a Web site and sells products related to the main characters. |
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