The Truth About 5th Grade

May 27, 2024
Though everyone keeps telling them “people change,” fifth grade best friends Charli Wilson and Alex Andropov, who do everything together, are certain that nothing can come between them: their mothers co-own an architecture firm, their fathers co-facilitate a poetry club, and they’re next-door neighbors. But when Charli meets classmate Henry and dubs him her True Crush Forever, and learns that Alex committed the BFF crime of “BLABBERMOUTHERY” by telling someone about said crush, things begin to fall apart. Charli has never told anyone that Alex sleeps with a blankie or that he has a crush on quiet classmate Kiara, so she doesn’t understand Alex’s betrayal. Alternating diary entries written by Parisi (the Marty Pants series) and Tomsic (The 12th Candle) feature expressive illustrations that match the characters’ personalities: doodles in the margins and dramatic line breaks personify Charli’s stream-of-consciousness narration while Alex’s organized paragraphs sport larger defined sketches. As the besties struggle to get on the same page, they navigate friendship rivalries, pranks, and violations of privacy via fast-paced chapters that highlight their differences—and similarities—and offer laugh-out-loud moments. Character skin tones match the white of the page. Ages 8–12.

June 15, 2024
Fifth grade is full of drama over friendship and crushes. Charlotte "Charli" Wilson and Alex Andropov have been best friends since preschool. They have long-held traditions, including a secret signal when one of them wants to leave an uncomfortable situation, and they're fiercely protective of each other's vulnerabilities: Charli has webbed toes, and Alex still sleeps with his blankie. As they prepare to enter fifth grade, their hormones are ramping up. Charli can't stop thinking about Henry, who moved here recently from California, while Alex is crushing on the free-spirited Kiara. When Alex lets it spill that Charli likes Henry, she's furious. Will the two ever make up? Told in diary format, the book alternates between Charli's and Alex's perspectives. Both protagonists are well developed, and their personalities come through. Charli's entries are effusive and peppered with doodles of hearts and flowers, while Alex's writing is comparatively terse, with comic book-style illustrations. Readers will relate to the characters' big feelings, from their all-encompassing crushes to the angst of feuding with a BFF. The conflict between Charli and Alex keeps the story moving fast. The book includes plenty of humor, such as a memory of a ladybug flying up Alex's nose, though some references may go over kids' heads. The illustrations are appealing and break up the text, making it accessible to reluctant readers. Characters have skin the white of the page; hairstyles imply some diversity. Lively, fun, and deeply relatable. (Fiction. 7-11)

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August 1, 2024

Gr 3-6-This illustrated diary-style novel delves into the changes and frustrations fifth grade can bring, as well as the importance of listening. Charli and Alex are BFFs who are about to start fifth grade when Charli falls hard for her "True Crush Forever," Henry. Alex doesn't understand the obsession and is far more worried about surviving fifth grade and his brother finding his journal. One day, Charli is told by someone that Alex is a blabbermouth and told everyone about her forever crush on Henry. Charli is upset, but Alex is innocent. This novel alternates between Alex's and Charli's respective journal entries with doodles, comics, and more drawings to make them feel authentic. Readers have to deal with a miscommunication between the two friends that drags on at times and leads to pranks and middle school revenge schemes that ultimately fail, often to comedic effect. The characters do resolve their differences in the end; however, the diary format does not allow for much direct communication between the characters to show this resolution. VERDICT A lightly comical tale of fifth grade that fans of Diary of Wimpy Kid and similar books will enjoy.-Kylie Woodmansee

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