Friendship Over

Being ten is hard. Just ask Celie—who is juggling fights with her sister, secrets at school, a forgetful grandmother, and a best friend who won't speak to her. How can a girl who doesn't like change survive when everything around her is changing? By writing, of course. Girls will recognize their own struggles as they join Celie who lets it all out in her top-secret diary.* " . . . Wright's spot-on black-and-white illustrations perfectly complement Sternberg's text. . . This satisfying slice-of-life story about the permutations of friendship and family resonates." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"As she did in Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie and its sequels, Sternberg exposes the travails of adolescence with authenticity and humor in this first volume of the Top-Secret Diary of Celie Valentine series. . . " — Publishers WeeklyJulie Sternberg is the author of the best-selling Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie and its sequels, Like Bug Juice on a Burger and Like Carrot Juice on a Cupcake. Formerly a public interest lawyer, she is a graduate of the New School's MFA program in Creative Writing, with a concentration in writing for children. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York. Visit juliesternberg.com.

Johanna Wright has illustrated Clover Twig and the Magical Cottage, Clover Twig and the Perilous Path, and several picture books, including her own The Secret Circus, Bunnies on Ice, and The Orchestra Pit. She lives with her husband, fuzzy cats, and two young children in Portland, Oregon. Visit johannawright.com.