Pea's Book of Best Friends

Pea Llewellyn #1

by Susie Day

When Pea Llewellyn's dizzy but dazzling single mum becomes Marina Cove, author of the bestselling Mermaid Girls books, everything changes. It's time to leave their tiny flat in Tenby for a proper house in London, and a whole new life. Pea likes the red front door, and the attic bedroom all to herself. She even likes her hideous new school uniform, in a masochistic Malory Towers sort of way. But there's an empty chair beside her in every lesson, and no one seems to want to fill it. In the absence of volunteers, Pea is going to have to acquire herself a best friend . . .

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Contemporary, Fiction, Humor

282 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2012

Reviews

[Stephanie]

Pea and her sisters Clover and Tinkerbell are moving from their tiny, mold-ridden flat in Tenby, Wales, all the way to a beautiful new house in London, for an unusual reason: their mother, a sweet but flaky writer, has suddenly exploded into literary celebrity with her new series The Mermaid Girls! She's publishing under the pseudonym of 'Marina Cove'. That means that the girls are dealing not just with their lives turning inside-out, but with two disconcertingly different versions of their own mother: the "Mum" they've always known and the "Marina" that girls all over the country are suddenly obsessed with, who is glamorous and not at all the same.

Worse yet, the original three "mermaid girls" of Marina's books were based on her own daughters...and the one based on Pea has now turned evil AND died! What does that mean?

It just makes sense for glamorous author 'Marina Cove' to have a beautiful house in London...but now Pea, Clover and Tinkerbell (all strong and fabulous personalities!) have to find new identities of their own as London girls. As Pea hunts for a new best friend to anchor her in her new home, she runs into one hilarious catastrophe after another, cycles through various different possible identities of her own (to try to fit in with different best-friend candidates), and finally comes to a conclusion:

Really, Pea thought, there was no such thing as a normal family; just yours, and everyone else's.

And that really sums up the loveliness - and the quirkiness - of the book in so many ways. Really, my only criticism of this entire delicious novel is its title - Pea's Book of Best Friends sounds a little bland to me, and doesn't give any hints of the total wackiness, charm and hilarity of Pea's family and their new friends and acquaintances.

Here's what I really want to say: If you love The Penderwicks, Ballet Shoes or Hilary McKay's Casson Family series, READ THIS BOOK! You will love it, I promise. I really, really did.

It's not often that I come across a book that fills me with this kind of missionary zeal - but I read it with such utter delight, I want to give copies of it to everybody I know. It's just that kind of book!

I cannot wait for the next book in this series!

[Daisy May Johnson]

I actually think there's a bit of a quiet revolution going on at the moment for the under ten market. I've been reading a lot for this age demographic recently and have been really loving the idiosyncratic quality of practically everything I've read. These books aren't churned out by factories, or written by committee; these books are written by funny, charming and highly unique authors. I mean, if you showed me a paragraph from say Alex T Smith or Maudie Smith(no relation!) or Jacqueline Harvey or Lauren St John, I bet you could very easily identify who wrote what.

I love that. I love that we've come to a stage of having books that are uniquely written for this age demographic and that they're GOOD. They're all so flipping good!

And I really really love that I can now add Susie Day to that list.

Pea's Book of Best Friends doesn't quite have the right title for what it is. I sort of expected a bit of a Junior Mean Girls type thing but what I got is a gorgeously quirky, funny, crumpets toasted by the fire sort of book. It's so lovely.

Pea's mum is Marina Cove, author of the famous Mermaid Girls books. And now, because she's doing really well, she's bringing Pea and her sisters through to London. That means Pea has to start a whole new life, one where she's not automatically getting the hand-me-down clothes and one where she's not got a best friend. Her sisters aren't that happy either - and so begins the great "ex-merminating" project where the sisters decide to exterminate the mermaid books that have brought them to London and so go back to their former lives.

Pea's list of best friend requirements - and how it changes over the story - is brilliant. She gets an extra star from me for wanting a best friend like Sally from Malory Towers (which, to be fair, doesn't everybody?)

And Vittoria, over from Brazil and living with the family in order to improve her English, steals practically every scene she's in. Innit.

I look forward to the rest of the series!

[Emma]

Review by Amber Year 6

I thought this book was amazing. I enjoyed every single bit of it; but if I had to pick my favorite part it would have to be when Pea made friends with Sam1.

Pea was easy to relate to and showed that good friends can be found wherever you are. My Favorite character was Sam1 because he is kind and generous (always good things to have in a friend). I also liked Pea as she is hard working and brave. Although I didn't like Sam 2 who is, in contrast to Sam1, a mean and selfish pig.

This book is amazing - I am telling you to go read it because I am sure you will enjoy it. It will make you laugh out loud although there is some tense moments due to certain events. Actually I am going to insist you read it as I guarantee you will enjoy it no matter what age you are.

[Jasmine]

Hey guess what I adore contemporary middle grade stories about big creative families. This is an excellent one. I love everybody in this townhouse.

[Itookrome]

I've read this book at least 5 times (last time I was 18) and I will say that with my chest. I know this family like the back of my hands and I love this book, please show it to your kids (or you), especially if you've ever moved countries or towns.

[Avery]

It was a really good and sweet book. A great one if you want to get out of a reading slump. The characters are loveable and sweet and the plot is cute. Good for ages below ten.

[kafka]

i read this at age 8 and was like wtf

[Kristina]

Rating and review from 6 year old:

"I liked how the door got unlocked."

Review from me:

Good exploration of how kid's can find friends in a new environment.

[Khadija]

Love it!

[Little Reader]

It was a wonderful bool and I enjoyed every bit of this book ✨

[Lilishccino 🧸]

Super cute book! 🦋
Adding to the list of childhood books will be passed down to my kids in the future!

[Tatum Flynn]

This isn't my usual kind of book: it's the younger end of MG, it isn't fantasy, there's no big adventure story, and it's pink *gasp*. BUT... I absolutely fell in love with Pea's Book of Best Friends, so much so that I instantly rushed off and bought the next two books in the series. It is that unusual thing: an absolutely happy-making book, the kind that makes you just want to hug yourself when you've read it. The characters are brilliantly drawn and loveable, their lives are gripping despite their problems being fairly 'normal', and oh did I mention it's HILARIOUS? It made me burst out laughing numerous times.

Really recommended if you want a dose of charm, an easy yet intelligent read, and something that will leave you with a big smile on your face.

[Kirsty]

Just a quick review for this super cute little read.

In short I loved it. It was funny and sweet and I loved all the characters you come across in this book from the main character Pea through to the entire host of secondary characters you meet.

For me this book was about finding a friend and what it means to be a friend and finding that friendship in unexpected places and I loved it for that.

I also particularly loved the way the book dealt with unusual family set ups as the norm and embraced the diversity of the different characters within the story. This is so needed in children's books in order to make children see that there isn't such as a normal family and that diversity should be embraced and celebrated.

All in all just a fabulous little book.

[Dandolino]

This is a great book for kids. It has a story they can identify with and shows how one family copes with moving house and all of the problems (and joys) that can entail. It's a really well written book and avoids being patronising. The characters are great. My favourite was Tinkerbell who is not like her name (probably why I like her so much). Highly recommended.

[Janey Colbourne]

This and the others in the Pea's book series are my absolute favourite books to read with my daughter. Sensitively and humorously deals with life's challenges for older children, through the life of an unconventional family.

[Simon Blandford]

By poppy age 8

I really really like " Pea's book of best friends "I really would read it if you have not , a perfect book if you like a mystery !! My best character is clover she is funny but in a serious way !!! Very very very very very very good .

[Lancashire Lass]

A hugely entertaining read, spot-on for girls of 8/9+ !
Pea's Book of Best Friends is funny and totally engaging.
My daughter and I both loved it!

[Caitlin]

Fabously brilliant book about trying to find a real friend.

[Tara]

Very cute!

[Ruth]

Super 8+ read. Fun quirky characters and a warm family you instantly want to be part of.