SECRET ADMIRER
From the Nancy Clancy series, volume 2
by Jane O'Connor & illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
When there are no mysteries to solve, Nancy and best friend Bree turn their sleuthing skills to the business of love.
It’s nearly Valentine’s Day, and young girls’ hearts turn to love. The little girls play matchmaker after Nancy’s guitar teacher, Andy, and best baby sitter in the universe Annie each break up with their respective love interests. Who could be better matched than their two favorite high schoolers? What with Nancy’s trademark grown-up words, interesting facts about hearts from their teacher, Mr. Dudeny, and Annie’s fondness for French vocabulary, this love story has a little more substance than most chapter books for new readers. Readers will enjoy seeing Bree and Nancy set Annie and Andy up for their “surprise” date and will secretly be relieved when Annie figures things out for herself. Platonic love might not be as exciting to the young girls as romantic love, but it is nice (and more realistic) to see old friends like Annie and Andy enjoy each other’s company as friends. Gentle, black-and-white line drawings combine with easy-to-read font and familiar characters to make this the logical series for fans of Fancy Nancy to fall in love with.
Ooh la la! What will these two friends think of next? (Fiction. 5-8)