Besties: Work It Out

September 1, 2021
A bad decision over tweenage responsibilities creates a friendship rift. Sixth graders Chanda and Beth are best friends looking for quick cash. Chanda Basu, a dark-haired girl who is cued as Indian American, yearns for respect from her overtly critical parents, who favor her successful college student older sister. Beth Wagner, who presents White, has a demonstrative, loving family with hardworking parents and a supportive older sister. When a dogsitting opportunity for a fancy client arises, the girls enjoy being in luxurious surroundings, trying on the dog owner's clothes and taking photos for social media. This lapse in judgment brings chaos to the job and, in the subsequent fallout, puts their friendship at risk. Even as they work hard to solve the crisis, the storyline conveys value judgments, as Chanda repeatedly makes less mature choices, while Beth displays a stronger moral compass. The ultimate lesson, however, is about communication and working through conflict, because friendships are worth nourishing. A spinoff from Miller's Click series, this graphic novel features BFFs whose emotional highs and lows propel the story forward. The full-color cartoonlike illustrations capture the energy and drama of middle school life and, notably, highlight body positivity through Beth's family. Unfortunately, the stark contrast between Beth's warm, convivial home life and Chanda's lonelier, pressure-filled one feeds into negative stereotypes about Asian American families. A not-so-subtle look at faulty decision-making. (Q&A, character sketches) (Graphic fiction. 8-12)

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