Stephanie and Rachel have been best friends since the second grade. They shared all of their secrets and talked to each other about any and everything. However, throughout the book their relationship changed. Stephanie becomes friends with a new girl. They are in many classes together and spend a lot of time with each other. Stephanie and Rachel slowly drift apart. Rachel has made new friends as well. Rachel almost "outgrows" Stephanie and her new friend, Alison. Is three a crowd?

In this story, Stephanie faces many problems similar to what may happen to a typical seventh grader. Stephanie becomes more mature through the book and is interested in different things than before. She thinks of boys and friends and other new things.

Stephanie also has other things going on in her life. Her parents are having problems and she has grades to keep up with. She has many new things on her mind. In the beginning of the book, her friend, Alison says that she is an "eternal optimist" (p.30), but that changes during the course of the book.

All of this ends with the winter dance. This the climax of Stephanie's new mature attitude. Romance flares up at the Ground Hog Dance and Stephanie is a part of it. It is very interesting to find out who will get hooked up during that ending dance.

If you really like a book about the real world, this book is recommended. It goes through many stage of real life that is very simple to relate to. So, try this book, and its sequel Here's to You Rachel Robinson by Judy Blume.