"THE BEST FRIEND BATTLE," by Lindsay Eyre, illustrated by Charles Santoso, Arthur A. Levine Books, $16.99, 152 pages (f) (ages 8-12)
Lindsay Eyre’s first children’s book, “The Best Friend Battle,” captures the ecstasy and agony of the friendships of 9-year-olds and introduces young readers to Sylvie Scruggs.
Sylvie loves adventure, baseball and her friend Miranda Tan — not necessarily in that order. When Sylvie returns home from a family summer vacation, a battle begins at a baseball game where Sylvie discovers that Miranda, her best and only friend since they were both in diapers, has included two neighborhood boys, Josh and Georgie, in her circle of friends.
In her quest to stop Georgie from stealing her best friend, Sylvie stoops to spying and lying. But her misadventures lead her to discover that best friends can “cheer for everybody.”
Eyre tells the story through 9-year-old Sylvie’s thoughts, feelings and vocabulary — and she knows her 8- and 9-year-olds well. The characters are likable, real and of several ethnicities. Topics such as the death of a pet, parent/child relationships and developing friendships are dealt with in gentle, humorous and positive ways.
Charles Santoso’s animated and often funny illustrations add emotional depth to the story.
There is no swearing, inappropriate language, sexual innuendo or violence in this story. It’s an age-appropriate chapter book that would be fun to read aloud.
Sylvie’s second adventure, “The Mean Girl Meltdown,” will be released in August, according to the author’s blog.
Eyre, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recently received her Master of Fine Arts degree from Vermont College of Fine Arts in creative writing for children and young adults. She grew up in Utah but lives in Cary, North Carolina, where she home-schools her five children.
Santoso is a concept artist and illustrator who lives in Sydney. His website is at charlessantoso.com.
If you go ...
What: Lindsay Eyre book signing
When: Saturday, May 16, 2 p.m.
Where: The King's English Bookshop, 1511 S. 1500 East, Salt Lake City
Web: kingsenglish.com, lindsayeyre.com
Note: Places in the signing line are reserved for those who purchase a copy of the featured book from The King's English.
Rosemarie Howard lives in a 100-year-old house on Main Street in Springville, Utah. She enjoys creating multimedia projects. Her website is at dramaticdimensions.com.