Bound To Stay Bound

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 Best buds
 Author: Scharnhorst, Becky

 Publisher:  Margaret K. McElderry Books (2025)

 Classification: Easy
 Physical Description: [34] p., col. ill., 29 cm

 BTSB No: 782452 ISBN: 9781665960939
 Ages: 4-8 Grades: K-3

 Subjects:
 Plants -- Fiction
 Friendship -- Fiction

Price: $23.98

Summary:
When Spencer moves to a new town, his mom is worried he may have a hard time making friends. But it's easy! First, Spencer meets Fred, who is an excellent listener. Then there's Dottie, who's a bit wild, and Eugene, who's a jokester. The only thing is, Fred, Dottie, and Eugene are all plants.

 Illustrator: Jiang, Jiarui

Reviews:
   Kirkus Reviews (05/15/25)
   School Library Journal (07/04/25)
   Booklist (00/06/25)

Full Text Reviews:

School Library Journal - 07/04/2025 K-Gr 2—Spencer, pink-skinned with brown hair, is a boy who makes friends easily; they just aren't human. Upon moving to a new town, he quickly makes friends with the free plants that are sitting on the curb outside his new home. His family is slightly bewildered that he doesn't seem to want human friends. When his mom asks him if he would rather have a friend who can talk, Spencer, who is sharing a cool drink with a blooming plant, says, "Why? We understand each other perfectly." And so it goes as Spencer befriends plants large and small, including an oak tree he names Kevin who seems to take pleasure in dropping acorns on Spencer's head. When Daisy, a Black girl with a caterpillar, encounters Spencer hanging out with Kevin, friendship blossoms based on mutual respect and the clear understanding that plants and insects make great friends. Digital illustrations capture the large variety of friends and interactions Spencer enjoys with his plant, and eventually human, friends. This title speaks to the ability of young people to find comfort in nature and honors their intelligence to make their own way in the world, ignoring the conventions around them. VERDICT Spirited Spencer and his many plants will encourage other young readers to find friends and make connections in ways that feel right to them. Recommended.—John Scott - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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