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mehsi's review against another edition
4.0
A fun scifi story about friendship, mean girls, siblings, flying spaceships cats, and more! I really like Lyla she reminded me of myself at that age. All the girls and friends were doing their hair, talking about celebs and shows, while I didn't care too much about those things. Rather like Lyla I liked stickers and candy. I wasn't a fan of Bianca, not even later on. This is one girl I wouldn't want back as my friend if she so easily drops me for a cooler girl and acts so crappy towards me. I loved Betty and I loved how she helped out our MC. I also loved that this book took place in the future, with flying bicycles, moving stickers, fridges that take your order, cleaning stuff without having to lift a finger, and other things, though I did think it was cringy how they reacted and treated stuff from this age. Fun and cute illustrations!
katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
Futuristic friendship story, an imagination-enhancing setting.
There are plenty of stories for children about growing up and finding your friends change around you. Here, the setting makes this a very memorable version on the theme, with Lyla living nearly a hundred years in the future, on an Earth where you can change weather in the playground at the touch of a button, stickers can walk across walls and pets are robots that obey commands.
Lyla is looking forward to her best friend's birthday party, but is shocked to find her place has been taken by the new girl, newly arrived from the moon colony. The new girl is sophisticated and looks down her nose at Lyla, encouraging her best friend to do the same. Avoiding their hurtful comments one lunchtime, she finds a loose board that leads to the house next to the school, and to an adventure that might just give Lyla confidence in herself as well as a new and unexpected friend.
I've read several of Patterson's illustrated picture books to my boys in the past, and always found she has a knack for the young child's perspective. Here is no different - the 10 year old girl's obsessions and ways of thinking are well expressed, and the world she creates for Lyla, her family and schoolfriends is easy to picture, and full of amazing, imagination-enhancing ideas.
Of course there is the bully/new girl, the smitten best friend, and there's also a school rebel who shows Lyla what friendship can be about while providing some comic relief from her angst. We also get the eccentric recluse living next to the school who gives Lyla a way to prove what she's really worth, this character was a bit of a stereotype really, though young readers will still enjoy the storyline.
This was an easy read for an independent reader aged 7-10, girls will probably be more inclined towards the story, full of female characters, though I'll still give it a try with my eldest boy. It's illustrated throughout and the setting makes this a book that will capture interest.
There are plenty of stories for children about growing up and finding your friends change around you. Here, the setting makes this a very memorable version on the theme, with Lyla living nearly a hundred years in the future, on an Earth where you can change weather in the playground at the touch of a button, stickers can walk across walls and pets are robots that obey commands.
Lyla is looking forward to her best friend's birthday party, but is shocked to find her place has been taken by the new girl, newly arrived from the moon colony. The new girl is sophisticated and looks down her nose at Lyla, encouraging her best friend to do the same. Avoiding their hurtful comments one lunchtime, she finds a loose board that leads to the house next to the school, and to an adventure that might just give Lyla confidence in herself as well as a new and unexpected friend.
I've read several of Patterson's illustrated picture books to my boys in the past, and always found she has a knack for the young child's perspective. Here is no different - the 10 year old girl's obsessions and ways of thinking are well expressed, and the world she creates for Lyla, her family and schoolfriends is easy to picture, and full of amazing, imagination-enhancing ideas.
Of course there is the bully/new girl, the smitten best friend, and there's also a school rebel who shows Lyla what friendship can be about while providing some comic relief from her angst. We also get the eccentric recluse living next to the school who gives Lyla a way to prove what she's really worth, this character was a bit of a stereotype really, though young readers will still enjoy the storyline.
This was an easy read for an independent reader aged 7-10, girls will probably be more inclined towards the story, full of female characters, though I'll still give it a try with my eldest boy. It's illustrated throughout and the setting makes this a book that will capture interest.
piperbunny's review against another edition
4.0
Such a fun sci-fi book on friendship. The author came to a recent book festival in town and read the first chapter and I couldn't get over how MEAN these girls were, even with physical violence - horrible! But we've all been there with friendship. It was so much fun. 3.5
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