ADDIE'S FOREVER FRIEND
by Laurie Lawlor & illustrated by Helen Cogancherry
From Lawlor (Addie's Long Summer, 1992, not reviewed, etc.), another amiable, atmospheric portrait of life in 1880s Iowa. Addie and family are living with Aunt Ida and Uncle Manfred while their farm recovers from flood devastation and their father helps friends homestead in the Dakota Territory. In ten short, easy-to-read chapters, Addie conquers her fear of swimming, with the help of her brave best friend Eleanor; anticipates the birth of a new sibling, who she hopes will be a sister, a ``forever friend'' as her Aunt Ida puts it; and adjusts to homesickness and the possibility of going west. Addie does get a sister after all, but also realizes her wish for a forever friend in Eleanor. The stories are gentle and heartwarming, and full of authentic detail—warmly evoked in the black-and-white illustrations—and smatterings of drama; Lawlor has a knack for making historical fiction comfortable and relevant to readers. (Fiction. 8-12)