The Year of the Book / Andrea Cheng /146 pages

This is probably the most absolutely perfect book for 4th grade girls.  Anna Wang is a Chinese American girl who has lost her best friend to the snooty girls in her class.  She takes refuge in the world of books but eventually must find her way through the complexities of friendships to understand her friend Laura and make a new friend.  This book would be a lot of fun in a book club because of the many themes...multicultural, growing up, friendship, and difficulties in families.  Great illustrations enhance the story.