Beacon Street Girls: Worst Enemies/Best Friends

Book review by Pam Gelman, Common Sense Media
Beacon Street Girls: Worst Enemies/Best Friends Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 9+

Different is OK -- a great message for tweens.

Annie Bryant Friendship 2007
Rate book

Parents say

age 13+

Based on 3 reviews

Kids say

age 9+

Based on 8 reviews

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rate book

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this book.

What Parents Need to Know

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.

Community Reviews

mamasitta123
mamasitta123 Adult
March 12, 2010
age 17+

Girly Girls

I love it!

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Great messages
Great role models
peony
peony Adult
June 20, 2009
age 9+

really good for middle school girls; iffy for younger girls

What's good: It's a funny and entertaining read. The switches of viewpoint and voice between the four different girls, all interesting and likable, work surprisingly well, as do the variations in story format between straight narration, school reports, letters, chat room transcript, etc. The adults in the background of the story are positive and caring and involved. The girls' club rules are full of positive messages, though phrased in teen argot. If the girls' economic circumstances and friendship seems a little too good to be true -- well, I'm not going to complain about that. I imagine girls of just the right age and developmental stage will see themselves reflected in the characters. But some of that reflection, while a typical stage for girls to go through, is not exactly what I'd want a younger girl to start aspiring to ahead of time. So what's not so good as role models for younger girls: One girl is extremely image conscious: her first reaction to people is to do a complete fashion inventory report card. One girl, out of a desire to retain her friends, does two things she has been explicitly told not to do by her father, violating conditions of their home rental; once this is eventually discovered, she gets off pretty easily, without any real penalty. One girl takes an approach with a crush that is tooth-grating for me: she spends hours primping, then maneuvers and tricks a (clearly not interested) boy into a date. Please -- how about an honest, straightforward approach to liking a real boy, and then maybe having a date -- not this attempted manipulation of a crush-object garbage!?!? The shallowness feels true-to-age -- but makes it perhaps a horizon-limiting, rather than an inspiring, example for younger girls. I recommend for ages 11 or 12; iffy, depending upon maturity, for the younger "tween" girls of 8, 9, or 10.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

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.

Is It Any Good?

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 socioeconomic 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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • 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, and what is the common thread pulling them together? Parents can also point out how these girls don't have any socioeconomic stressors (no one has an after-school job or parents with financial hardships). What additional challenges do you think the girls would face in those circumstances?

Book Details

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate