THANK YOU, LUCKY STARS- Beverly Donofrio

Ally is a fifth grade girl who wakes up on the first day of school, and excitedly dons the leggings, butterfly t-shirt, and rhinestone hair clip that she and Betsy, her best friend since kindergarten, have agreed to wear. When she arrives at the bus stop, however, she discovers that Betsy is wearing a matching outfit,  but it doesn't match Ally's. Instead, Betsy is wearing the same jeans skirt as Mona, another girl that lives on their block. Ally's dreams of singing a duet of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" at the annual talent show,   along with her hopes for a fun fifth grade year quickly go down the tubes. 

Because she has no one else, Ally becomes friends with Tina, a quirky new girl that moves into their class. Tina wears plaid leggings and a Princess Leia bun, asks for Hershey kisses from the principal's candy dishes when she is sent to the office, and seems determined to totally embarrass herself (and Ally) in the talent show.  She also tells great stories, loves disco (Ally's favorite genre), can make an interesting experience out of anything (e.g. she rides Ally's bus route one day simply because she has never seen that side of town), and makes some unusual friends, such as George, a virtuoso violinist who associates with almost none of his other fifth grade peers. 

THANK YOU LUCKY STARS would be a nice book to have around for times when the fifth grade meanies strike. It's a story about surviving the ending of one friendship, and beginning new ones. It's a story about loyalty. It's a story about accepting and enjoying people who are a little different than you. A great fifth grade girl book.