The third book in the Mackenzie Blue series really hit home for me. You see, while the other books were about Zee staying true to herself, this one was about friendship. Zee's BFF, Ally, returns to visit from France just in time for Brookdale Academy's camping trip. I could so relate to Zee's lack of enthusiasm at being outdoors for a week with both her old and new friends. It's awkward, trying and makes for some great reading as we get to see Zee grow up and realize some valuable lessons on friendship.

A pivotal moment in Zee's growth occurs with this diary entry (p. 121):

Hi Diary,

Does Ally hate me? I know I hirt her feelings. But, I didn't mean to . I just want everyone to get along. I think Ally is mad at Chloe, but it's not Chloe's fault.

What if we had done Ally's idea instead of Chloe's? Would Chloe be mad at me? Maybe having a lot of friends means you just can't win.

Zee

And then to make matters more interesting, Zee's older brother tells her the legend of the Mountain Man. Is he real? Is he just a scary story? Why is he looking for his missing leg amongst unsuspecting campers?

I loved the other two Mackenzie Blue books, but this is my favorite by far. To watch Zee begin to comprehend complexities like friendship in a very real way makes for some head-nodding moments as you turn the pages. If you have a tween girl in your life, I highly recommend getting the Mackenzie Blue series. The books teach valuable lessons in a subtle, realistic way that even your most sophisticated tween will enjoy. And once again, the illustrations, IMs and diary entries make the story even more current.

The fourth book, Mackenzie Blue: Mixed Messages is one that I'm really looking forward to and it's release date is November 23, 2010. That's just in time for holiday gift buying and I already know a tween girl who will have this book in her stocking and a Mama who will gladly read it with her on Christmas Day.