THE BEST WORST DAY
by Bonnie Graves & illustrated by Nelle Davis
The Best Worst Day ($13.95, $3.95 paper; April 22, 1996; 64 pp.; 0-7868-0167-0, paper 0-7868-1090-4): In the Chapters series, an entry about the wish for a friend that comes true, with only minor disappointments along the way. The new girl in Lucy's class, Maya, looks like perfect best-friend material, and Lucy practically wills it to be so. At the end of the day, it is Maya who asks Lucy for friendship. This sweet but unlikely tale has a gloss of perfection usually reserved for fairy tales; new readers will feel comfortable with the pacing and the just-right dose of suspense. (Fiction. 7-9)