A Frog in My Throat Book

Kate and Jake have always been best friends; always, that is, until Jake's cousin, Lionel, moves nearby and Jake starts spending time with him instead. Kate struggles with his abandonment and her own loneliness as she seeks new friends that share her likes and dislikes. And, perhaps there is a place in her life for her old best friend after all.

Children's Literature

What do you do when your best friend is suddenly friends with somebody else? This is the dilemma that Kate faces as the school year starts. Jake had always been her best friend, but with the arrival of Jake's older cousin, Lionel, to the neighborhood, Kate finds that Jake has started spending all his free time at Lionel's. Now, there is no one to play with on the playground and no one to partner with on the forthcoming class trip. The story of how Kate finds a surprising new friend and retains her friendship with Jake is a wonderful tale about discovering new friends and keeping old ones. Wishinsky takes a common childhood dilemma and, through the voice of Kate, tells it in a way that is easily accessible to primary students. Readers will no doubt relate not only to Kate, but to Jake as well. Kate's resourceful approach to solving the problem of wanting to partner with two friends on the class trip will make readers smile and no doubt help them find parallel resolutions to their own playground dilemmas. Short sentences, simple dialogue, and the wonderful pencil drawings scattered throughout will help those early chapter readers gain confidence in their ability to handle longer texts. Reviewer: Kris Sauer