Beach break by Meredith Badger

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Go Girl! Besties 1. Hardie Grant Egmont, 2009. ISBN 9781921502989.
(Age 8-10) Beach break is the first book in the Go Girl! Besties and will be welcomed by fans of other Go Girl! series. Mia is thrilled because her two best friends are coming to stay at the beach house with her during the holidays. She is certain that they will have a wonderful time and has lots of beach fun planned. But when Shae and Michiko begin to act strangely she begins to worry that they may not stay her best friends.
Meredith Badger has written a book about the familiar theme of a beach holiday and what happens when more time than usual is spent with friends. Young girls will be sure to identify with the exploration of friendship and its pressures. They will sympathise with Shae who is homesick and Mich who is having trouble telling her friends her secrets.
Mia's parents are portrayed in a very sympathetic light, caring and understanding but firm about rules for Mia's older sister who wants to go to a bonfire on the beach. Mia's character develops as she has to come to some hard decisions about whether she should tell her parents about Rose's decision to sneak out. With some creative planning by the threesome, all turns out well.
Girls will be sure to like this series with its well organised chapters, likeable characters and engaging illustrations by Danielle McDonald.
Pat Pledger

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