Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 02/15/2024 Cora and Shelly live at the beach. After school, they go to their homes, change into their bathing suits, and meet by the shore. They’ve had plenty of experience building sandcastles—it takes good tools, patience, and a sense of humor to master that skill, and it helps when your best friend lives next door. One day, Shelly tells Cora that she’s moving to her mother's home in the city. Feeling rejected and confused, Cora reacts by damaging their current sandcastle. After three days of avoiding Shelly, and a brief but helpful talk with her mother, Cora joins Shelly on the beach and tells her that she’ll miss her. Fortunately, some folks who have mastered sandcastle construction are good at building friendships and mending them, too. Peterson tells a realistic story in which the girls’ feelings about Shelly’s upcoming move initially drive them apart, but they learn to cope with the change and maintain their friendship. The simply drawn digital illustrations make good use of the seaside setting while expressing the girls’ emotions with clarity and warmth. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.