Cora Davis’s life is garbage. Literally. Her professor parents study what happens to trash after it gets tossed, and Cora knows exactly how it feels to be thrown away. Between her mom and dad separating and a fallout with her best friend, fifth grade for Cora has been a year of feeling like being tossed into the dumpster. But Cora has learned a couple of things from her parents’ trash-tracking studies: Things don’t always go where they’re supposed to, and sometimes the things you thought you got rid of come back. And occasionally, one person’s trash is another’s treasure, which Cora and Sybella learn when they come across a diary detailing best-friendship problems. Told from two intertwining points of view, this is a warm, wry story of friendship, growing up, and being true to yourself.
Reviews
Perfectly capturing the struggles of navigating early interpersonal conflict, this book is designed to not only resonate with young readers, but also to subtly share wisdom regarding emotional intelligence…Educational without moralizing, and capturing kid logic without condescending, The Friendship Lie is a refreshing middle grade novel—and is particularly great if you’re looking for a book that passes the Bechdel test. –Jessie Horness, Foreword Review
I’m so glad to have read this story of friendships, tangled and untangled, and young people who care about each other and the planet. I loved the details of their daily lives that brought it to life.
A great read, intelligent, hopeful, human and kind. I would have liked it so much as a child; I liked it so much now. –Hilary McKay, author of Saffy’s Angel and Love to Everyone
Readers will be charmed by Donnelly’s tale of friendship gone awry and captivated by the mystery at the story’s heart.–Ali Standish, author of The Ethan I Was Before and August Isle
ISBN 978-1-68446-061-8 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-68446-062-5 (eBook PDF)
Rebecca Donnelly 