Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Funny first day of school for a quirky pair of new pals.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In NOT REALLY BUDDIES: BUDDY AND BEA, BOOK 1, Buddy is excited to be in a second-grade class with all his friends and a fun teacher he knows from first grade. But when he gets to school, he finds out that they're all in the classroom of a new teacher, Ms. Maple. Trying to hide his disappointment and be helpful to the new teacher, he ends up sitting next to Bea, the new kid. She's loud when he's quiet and keeps talking to him about how his hair sticks up in a weird way. Can he survive his first day with her, let alone a whole year?
Is It Any Good?
With lots of emotions, a simple storyline, and lively, engaging illustrations, this is a fun read -- especially for those new to chapter books. Not Really Buddies: Buddy and Bea, Book 1 is engaging and a little goofy, with a nice message of kindness and trying to learn more about others before judging them. The characters have varied, interesting backgrounds: It comes up several times that Bea lives with her grandma, Buddy has two dads, and their new teacher is the child of immigrants. Mukai's black and white illustrations are expressive and capture all the energy and action of a busy early elementary classroom. Overall, it's a good pick for growing readers.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it's like to be paired up with someone who's different from you, like in Not Really Buddies. What can you do to persevere and enjoy time with someone whose personality is very different from yours?
What would you say to a friend who's self-conscious about something the way Buddy is about his hair?
When have you been patient and shown self-control like Buddy did when he was frustrated with Bea?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Perseverance , Self-control
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Peachtree Publishers
- Publication date : July 11, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 5 - 8
- Number of pages : 80
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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