Best Friend Insurance

by Beatrice Gormley, Emily Arnold McCully (Illustrator)

After losing her best friend to the meanest girl in school, Maureen meets Mr. Costue, an insurance salesman offering friend insurance, who promises her a perfect friend in twenty-four hours

Genres: Young Adult, Childrens

160 pages, Paperback

Published February 28, 1985

About the author

Born in Glendale, California, Beatrice grew up in Southern California. After graduating from Pomona College, she worked in publishing near San Francisco. There she met and married Robert Gormley, and they moved to Massachusetts. They have two daughters.
Since age 9 Beatrice had wanted to become a writer. But it wasn't until after her children were born that she really focused on her writing. In 1981 her first book, Mail Order Wings,was published. Since then she's written many popular novels and biographies for young people. Her most recent books are Second Lives, a novel of humans and other animals, and the biography Joe Biden: Our 46th President.

Reviews

[Rubén]

:')

[Laura]

This book was completely bizarre. When you pick up something promising to tell you a tale about "best friend insurance," the plot that transpires in this book is not what you expect (especially the ending, sheesh). I do have to give it some credit for being memorable, I guess. And for teaching me that it takes an absurdly long time to roast a turkey. (Well, "absurd" if you are currently hungry when you choose turkey to eat. Not so absurd if you have a whole holiday to properly cook. . .)

[Laura Floyd]

First time I ever heard of DNA was in this book. A strange but kid-friendly introduction to the science-fiction of genetics.

[Eliana]

This book is BY FAR the weirdest book I EVER read!It's about this guy who takes parents' DNA and turns them into kids so that he can be the only adult in the world and rule the earth!!!

[Josephine (biblioseph)]

Kinda cute. The details remain vague. But I remember thinking the whole DNA friend insurance thing a little far fetched, but something I'd probably want. When I read it 10 years ago. :)

2/28/11

[Emily]

Cute little book. Been meaning to read it for ages. The target audience is 10-year-old girls. I think it also counts as science fiction.