"Readers will come to cherish Dreenie's openheartedness, just as Dreenie comes to
cherish her newfound friend."Publishers Weekly, starred review

"The complexities of friendship among three fifth-grade girls are eloquently explored in this short,
accessible novel. Hamilton is right on target with her depiction of the speech and mannerisms
of fifth graders."Horn Book

"Hamilton gets the way kids talkshe makes us 'stop and look.' Many readers will be caught by the
jumpy, edgy story of sorrow and hope, of kids trying to be friends."Booklist

Friendship isn't always easy

Natalie is different from the other kids in Dreenie's fifth-grade class. She comes to school in a wheelchair.
She always wears a knitted hat. And she's allowed to bring her puppy to class. The kids in the class call
Natalie "Bluish" because her skin is tinted blue from chemotherapy.

Dreenie is fascinated by Bluishand a little scared of her, too. She watches Bluish and writes about her
in her journal. Slowly, the two girls become good friends. But Dreenie still struggles with Bluish's illness.
Bluish is weak and frail, but she also wants to be independent. How do you act around a girl like that?


Virginia Hamilton (1936-2002) grew up in rural Ohio among an extended family and generations of storytellers. Her grandfather, Levi Perry, was brought by his mother from Virginia slavery to Ohio via the Underground Railroad. She has received nearly every award in the field of children's literature, including the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, the Newbery Medal, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, and the Coretta Scott King Award.

Lisa Renee Pitts is an accomplished actress in theater, film, and television, appearing in The Practice, The Shield, and Law and Order. A native New Yorker, she holds a B.F.A. degree in theater arts from Rutgers University. She resides in Burbank, California.