THE BUDDY BENCH

When Padma and her friends notice a lonely new boy at
school, they make a plan to help him feel included.

Padma loves school, and she loves her friends. When she
finds out that she has been assigned to a different classroom than her friends,
she isn’t bothered, seeing it instead it as an opportunity to make new friends.
But Padma notices a new boy who stands by himself at the side of the
playground, looking lonely. To help him feel included, Padma and her friends
get the principal’s permission to create a “buddy bench,” a place where kids
can sit together and make new friends. After some initial hesitation, the
lonely boy sits on the bench, and Padma and her friends learn that Zander’s mom
is a military pilot and that the family has been through a number of moves.
Padma strikes up a friendship with him, and by the end of the book, he has been
absorbed into Padma’s happy and diverse peer group. Padma’s name hints at
Indian heritage, and Zander appears black. The book’s vibrant illustrations
include a diverse cast of characters who are compassionate, convincing, and
empowered to solve their own problems. Although the language is appropriately
simple and clear, it can sometimes feel forced and stilted, particularly in
dialogue. Likewise, the plot, though well-intentioned, lacks cohesion.

An appealingly illustrated early reader that’s
strong on social message but rather weak on plot. (Early reader. 6-9)