The Real True Friend (Dory Fantasmagory #2)

Old friends and new will hope this highly successful sequel will not be the last starring this inventive, original child. 

Gr 2-4--Dory has quite the imagination. She has a monster for a friend, a fairy godmother who understands her, and a nemesis named Mrs. Gobble Gracker. When Dory starts a new year at school, however, she decides that it's time to make a real pal. After all, her monster friend caused a lot of trouble. Rosabelle, a girl her age who has an amazing imagination just like Dory seems like a good option. But Rosabelle doesn't seem to want to spend any time with her. Can Dory win her over? What will happen when Mrs. Gobble Gracker gets in the way? The story is well written, humorous, and engaging. The illustrations are amazingly detailed and complement the text well. The characters are fairly well developed and will grab young readers. Fans of Annie Barrows's "Ivy and Bean" (Chronicle), Barbara Park's "Junie B. Jones" (Random), and books with a little bit of humor and fantasy mixed into a school setting will enjoy reading this second installment in the "Dory" series. VERDICT A great addition to any library collection.--Kira Moody, Whitmore Public Library, Salt Lake City, UT

In a sequel every bit as delightful as its predecessor, Hanlon follows the wildly imaginative star of Dory Fantasmagory to school, where Dory attempts to make a "real" friend (as opposed to the monsters she plays with at home). She is immediately drawn to a princess-loving girl named Rosabelle, but Dory's overtures of friendship don't initially hit their mark: " 'Do you want some floppy cookies?' I whisper to her, which is my nickname for salami because I love it so much. She does not." Once again, Hanlon's hilarious narration and cartooning reveal an uncanny talent for getting into the mile-a-minute mind of a one-of-a-kind girl. Ages 6-8. Agent: Ann Tobias, A Literary Agency for Children's Books. (July)