Everybody Needs a Buddy by James Preller
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on January 29th 2019
ISBN: 1328857190
Pages: 96
Goodreads

In this second installment of the Big Idea Gang series, the PTA has a surplus of money (wouldn’t that be nice!), and the gang has noticed a new kid spending most of every recess alone. They decide to convince the school to install a buddy bench so kids don’t have to feel alone at recess, but the PTA has already decided to allocate the money to the library. Through learning about forming an argument and persuasion, the kids and the school find a solution that works for everyone.

This story in this book is an improvement over the first book in this series, but there is still some troubling language that is hard to overlook. Specifically, there are a couple instances of what feel like racial stereotyping. The overall story is a good one, and the concept and message behind it are important and relevant. This book is best for one-on-one sharing with 2nd-4th graders. It would also be appropriate for new independent readers.

Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta