Double Dare You

Gr 3–5—Fifth grade is not off to a good start for Ella. Her best friend Zoe doesn't show up to the first day of school, and Ella gets stuck sitting next to Peach Parker, her former BFF and now enemy. Peach tries her hardest to get Ella in trouble with their new teacher Ms. Weiss. Despite the rocky beginning and Peach's best attempts at manipulation, things seem to be going well until students in their class start doing strange things for apparently no reason at all. Ella and Zoe discover that Peach is the leader of a dare game. When Ella is challenged to do something that will hurt a classmate, she must decide whether to accept the double dare. This slight book, the first in a series, is written in diary format, with black text meant to resemble handwriting and certain words and phrases emphasized in red ink. The illustrations and the use of lists and poetry make this a great pick for reluctant readers.