Kayla Miller, and Jeffrey Canino (text), and Kristina Luu, (illustrator), Besties Find Their Groove (Besties #2), Walker Books, 2023, 208 pp., RRP $17.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760657147
Besties Find Their Groove is the second in a new graphic novel series set in the same school as Miller’s Click! universe but featuring best friends, Beth and Chanda.
The focus for this book is the school dance and the friends, mostly driven by Chanda’s insecurities, take on a quest to make it perfect! That, of course, means finding the perfect outfit and a date. Beth becomes despondent after the pair take a fruitless trip to the mall looking for dresses. She comes to the sad realisation that none of the pretty dresses we found were made for somebody with a body like mine.
Meanwhile, Chanda who constantly compares herself to her older ‘perfect’ sister becomes obsessed with finding a date. Especially after Beth finds a date by simply being herself. Chanda makes it a mission; a ‘Boy Safari’ no less, making and crossing off a list of eligible dates. When, in desperation, she asks a boy who says ‘no’, she’s crushed.
The Besties learn about the value of friendship, family, and the power of feeling comfortable in your own skin. This would be a timely read for kids freaking out about their Grade Six dance or formal. Pitch-perfect for mid to late primary school aged children.
Reviewed by Heather Gallagher
