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The Science of Friendship
A friendship hypothesis—and one failed experiment—leads one girl to investigate the science of middle school friendship makeups and breakups in this hopeful and heartwarming story from Tanita S. Davis, author of Partly Cloudy and Serena Says. Rylee Swanson is beginning eighth grade with zero friends. A humiliating moment at the end-of-seventh-grade pool party involving a cannonball, a waterlogged updo, and some disappearing clothes has Rylee halfway convinced she’s better off without any friends—at least friends like those. The one question Rylee can’t shake is . . . why? When a group assignment in journalism pairs Rylee with science geek DeNia Alonso, DeNia’s annoyingly know-it-all, nerdy personality is both frustration and fuel to Rylee’s search for answers. Together they conduct research, run surveys, and write their way toward even more questions about what makes friendships—and breaks them. Between her shaky new partnership with DeNia, an annoying brother, and a friend from the past, Rylee’s got a lot to think about. But the more she learns, the more Rylee Could there be a science to friendship? And can it keep her from losing friends ever again? With warmth, heart, and resonance, Tanita S. Davis’s deep dive into middle school friendships is perfect for fans of Dear Friends , Let's Pretend We Never Met , and The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl .
304 pages, Hardcover
Published August 20, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 12, 2024
4.5 stars
Davis has bestowed another fabulous middle grade heroine upon us, along with a series of important lessons about friendship. This one features intriguing characters and a series of events that the target audience (and even those of us with a few more miles) will find relatable and useful.
Readers meet Rylee at a fateful pool party. What begins as an apparently small and innocuous prank devolves into something much more sinister (though age appropriate and well managed throughout the novel). The related events cause Rylee to reenter her middle school life with a desire to leave her old "friends" far behind, find a new path, and seek wisdom on how friendships evolve in general. In an effort to evade her previous group, Rylee finds herself engaged in a series of new pursuits that lead her to cowriting scientific news articles on, of course, friendship. In addition to learning quite a bit about her topic, Rylee makes major realizations about what a true friend does and does not do, improves her approaches (slowly, but still), and makes some revisions to the list of folks she knows are her actual friends.
Davis consistently delivers relatable, round characters who have a little bit of spice but also some really charming moments. Rylee's relationships with her grandparents, mother, and brother make for some meaningful additions to Rylee's struggles at school (and in her own mind), While some of her friendships could come with more backstory to heighten readers' understandings and emotions, the connections with friends reveal so many helpful scenarios. Readers learn about bullying, self-reflection, different kinds of friendships, and the struggles for acceptance between individuals and small groups at this age.
This is an educational but still very enjoyable novel on the ways middle graders (and beyond) experience friendship and the challenges and joys that come along with this. Audiences of all ages will learn a lot and enjoy the journey.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Davis has bestowed another fabulous middle grade heroine upon us, along with a series of important lessons about friendship. This one features intriguing characters and a series of events that the target audience (and even those of us with a few more miles) will find relatable and useful.
Readers meet Rylee at a fateful pool party. What begins as an apparently small and innocuous prank devolves into something much more sinister (though age appropriate and well managed throughout the novel). The related events cause Rylee to reenter her middle school life with a desire to leave her old "friends" far behind, find a new path, and seek wisdom on how friendships evolve in general. In an effort to evade her previous group, Rylee finds herself engaged in a series of new pursuits that lead her to cowriting scientific news articles on, of course, friendship. In addition to learning quite a bit about her topic, Rylee makes major realizations about what a true friend does and does not do, improves her approaches (slowly, but still), and makes some revisions to the list of folks she knows are her actual friends.
Davis consistently delivers relatable, round characters who have a little bit of spice but also some really charming moments. Rylee's relationships with her grandparents, mother, and brother make for some meaningful additions to Rylee's struggles at school (and in her own mind), While some of her friendships could come with more backstory to heighten readers' understandings and emotions, the connections with friends reveal so many helpful scenarios. Readers learn about bullying, self-reflection, different kinds of friendships, and the struggles for acceptance between individuals and small groups at this age.
This is an educational but still very enjoyable novel on the ways middle graders (and beyond) experience friendship and the challenges and joys that come along with this. Audiences of all ages will learn a lot and enjoy the journey.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
October 5, 2024
I absolutely loved this book! I wish I had read something like this when I was in middle school. It’s such a beautiful book about self love and self worth during a transitional period for most of us. I also really appreciated the message of learning to love being alone and it not being a bad thing.
January 26, 2025
This is a story that everyone, young or old can relate to. Ms. Davis does an excellent job of making sure everyone that reads this story can enjoy it, because what our main character deals with, is something that all of us have dealt with at one time or another in our lives. In this story, we get the perspective of our older generations along with the discovery of what our younger generations deal with. Our main character Rylee learns lessons both by listening and learning from other people's experiences, but she also learns to navigate her own life, with self-realization. She asks the right questions and ultimately arrives at the decisions that are best for her. Rylee can reflect on her actions in the past and in the present to help her understand what a friendship is, and what it takes to have successful relationships as she navigates through life. Ms. Davis interprets Rylee's story with a fresh point of view and brings the old school train of thought in so that the story has a multi-generational appeal for all that read it. This is an extremely fun exploration into friendships and the navigation we all go through to help us find out who we are, and what kind of people we want to be. #ReadYourWorld
October 6, 2024
Davis gets middle school situations and drama so right. It's rewarding to see Rylee grow from being so close-minded. I also enjoyed the scientific facts and different perspectives on "friendship."
I wasn't sure why DeNia liked Rylee as she was never really welcoming. But things don't always need a rhyme or reason.
I wasn't sure why DeNia liked Rylee as she was never really welcoming. But things don't always need a rhyme or reason.
August 20, 2025
Rounding up to 4.5 stars. I really like this!!!!
September 9, 2025
Great story about a girl discovering what true friendship is.
June 28, 2024
Another winner for middle grade readers from the author of Partly Cloudy, Serena Says, and Figure It Out, Henri Walden. Rylee has had a steady best friend group for the last few years but shortly before 8th grade begins, the group plays an embarrassing and downright mean-spirited trick on her, leaving her floundering and wondering if lunch was going to be alone reading a book or hiding in the library from now on. In response to the loss of those she had planned her 8th grade elective courses with, Rylee joins several classes and activities where Aaliyah and her group of sycophants won’t be. Journalism puts her with several people she has known fleetingly but certainly didn’t count as friends and being assigned to work on a series of newspaper articles on what makes friendships work or not work with DeNia may be harder than it would be to stick it out with Aaliyah.
Terrific characters that will resemble many in the schools of readers. There is a mix of ethnic backgrounds, with some being defined outright and others only vaguely referenced using adjectives like brown and some descriptions of hairstyles that could be attributed more to one population than others. But unlike in Partly Cloudy, the main characters’ races are not critical to the plot, how they treat each other is. Throughout the book and as DeNia and Rylee research scholarly articles, survey and observe people from a wide range of ages, readers will see positive and negative examples of being friends, times when friends are simply bystanders and others when they are upstanders, and will likely experience some frustration when Rylee keeps making mistakes. Ultimately, Rylee finds her people and in a way that may help those reading her story to do the same.
The story centers on students in the 8th grade, but illustration of Rylee on the book cover and many of the interactions between the characters make them several years younger. The likely readers for this excellent book are those in grades 4-6. Text is free of profanity, violence and sexual content. A few characters mention liking another and similar but pairing off as a couple does not occur. Representation: Black, Hispanic, AAPI and Caucasian characters, a question to an advice column writer in the newspaper refers to a friend who uses they/them as pronouns.
Thanks for the eARC, Edelweiss.
Terrific characters that will resemble many in the schools of readers. There is a mix of ethnic backgrounds, with some being defined outright and others only vaguely referenced using adjectives like brown and some descriptions of hairstyles that could be attributed more to one population than others. But unlike in Partly Cloudy, the main characters’ races are not critical to the plot, how they treat each other is. Throughout the book and as DeNia and Rylee research scholarly articles, survey and observe people from a wide range of ages, readers will see positive and negative examples of being friends, times when friends are simply bystanders and others when they are upstanders, and will likely experience some frustration when Rylee keeps making mistakes. Ultimately, Rylee finds her people and in a way that may help those reading her story to do the same.
The story centers on students in the 8th grade, but illustration of Rylee on the book cover and many of the interactions between the characters make them several years younger. The likely readers for this excellent book are those in grades 4-6. Text is free of profanity, violence and sexual content. A few characters mention liking another and similar but pairing off as a couple does not occur. Representation: Black, Hispanic, AAPI and Caucasian characters, a question to an advice column writer in the newspaper refers to a friend who uses they/them as pronouns.
Thanks for the eARC, Edelweiss.
April 15, 2024
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Rylee has spent a miserable summer checking out her former friends' social media and seeing them having fun without her after a pool party at the end of 7th grade ended disastrously. Now, she has to start 8th grade at Segrest Middle School without her friends. Not that they were good friends; Aaliyah and Cheris played an embarassing prank on her that was really unforgivable. She wants to avoid them so much that she has even changed her elective from cooking to journalism, even though she doesn't have a lot of interest in it. The teacher, Ms. Johnson, seems nice, but she doesn't really want to talk to the overly friendly DeNia Alonso, since she can just hear the mean things her former friend group would say about the girl's messy and exuberant ways. Luckily, Rylee has support at home from her mother, who works in human resources, younger brother Axel, and Geema and Daddy Warren. Her parents divorced, and she doesn't see her father much, but likes to talk to her grandparents. When DeNia wants to work together on a project for journalism, Rylee tries to avoid it, but since she's having trouble coming up with a topic, she ends up having to work with her. DeNia is very scientifically minded, so she takes the idea of researching why people are friends and looks up lots of studies, delving into the more scientific aspects like brain chemistry and oxycontin. Rylee, on the other hand, takes a more sociological approach and wants to collect anecdotal evidence for the articles. Rylee has some interesting conversations with her mother and grandmother about their own friendships in middle school, and even talks to a group of Geema's friends, having them fill out questionaires! Rylee still isn't a fan of DeNia, although the two spend more time together, and tries to avoid Aaliyah, although after talking to Cherise, she finds out that the other girls didn't think the prank was a big deal. Rylee also revisits her friendship with Devon, whom Rylee dropped when Aaliyah was mean about her. Rylee might have a better understanding of the brain science behind friendship after writing a series of articles with DeNia, but does this help her navigate the reality of 8th grade friendships?
Strengths: Rylee is a great character who tries to deal with the bullying incident on her own, but when she is unable to really understand it, she does talk to her trusted adults. My school just got an advisory period this year, so it was interesting to see the activities that Rylee's group does. The journalism program at the school seems very well developed, and the amount of elective courses the school has is amazing. Cooking? Ukeleles? Wow. I especially loved Geema and Grandpa Warren, as well as their friends talking about the friendships that they had in the past. Even Axel had an interesting relationship with Rylee, and thankfully a much better one than Kat and Henri have in this author's Figure It Out, Henri Weldon ! Family plays a huge role in the daily life of middle school students, and this is not shown often enough in middle grade stories.
Weaknesses: My students love to read about olders characters, so I was glad to see that Rylee is in 8th grade, but the cover looks a bit younger. Also, the inclusion of the newspaper articles slows the story down a little, even though the information is interesting.
What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who want a realistic and thorough look at middle school friendships that doesn't spare the drama. This goes along well with Lakritz's Things That Shimmer, Gerber's The Liar's Society, Bishop's Free Throws, Friendship, and Other Things We Fouled Up, and Vickers' Half Moon Summer and other titles that discuss the minefield that is middle grade friendship. I would have adored this book in middle school, and the descriptions of character's outfits was a nice touch, even if all my students seem to wear is pajama pants and crocs!
Rylee has spent a miserable summer checking out her former friends' social media and seeing them having fun without her after a pool party at the end of 7th grade ended disastrously. Now, she has to start 8th grade at Segrest Middle School without her friends. Not that they were good friends; Aaliyah and Cheris played an embarassing prank on her that was really unforgivable. She wants to avoid them so much that she has even changed her elective from cooking to journalism, even though she doesn't have a lot of interest in it. The teacher, Ms. Johnson, seems nice, but she doesn't really want to talk to the overly friendly DeNia Alonso, since she can just hear the mean things her former friend group would say about the girl's messy and exuberant ways. Luckily, Rylee has support at home from her mother, who works in human resources, younger brother Axel, and Geema and Daddy Warren. Her parents divorced, and she doesn't see her father much, but likes to talk to her grandparents. When DeNia wants to work together on a project for journalism, Rylee tries to avoid it, but since she's having trouble coming up with a topic, she ends up having to work with her. DeNia is very scientifically minded, so she takes the idea of researching why people are friends and looks up lots of studies, delving into the more scientific aspects like brain chemistry and oxycontin. Rylee, on the other hand, takes a more sociological approach and wants to collect anecdotal evidence for the articles. Rylee has some interesting conversations with her mother and grandmother about their own friendships in middle school, and even talks to a group of Geema's friends, having them fill out questionaires! Rylee still isn't a fan of DeNia, although the two spend more time together, and tries to avoid Aaliyah, although after talking to Cherise, she finds out that the other girls didn't think the prank was a big deal. Rylee also revisits her friendship with Devon, whom Rylee dropped when Aaliyah was mean about her. Rylee might have a better understanding of the brain science behind friendship after writing a series of articles with DeNia, but does this help her navigate the reality of 8th grade friendships?
Strengths: Rylee is a great character who tries to deal with the bullying incident on her own, but when she is unable to really understand it, she does talk to her trusted adults. My school just got an advisory period this year, so it was interesting to see the activities that Rylee's group does. The journalism program at the school seems very well developed, and the amount of elective courses the school has is amazing. Cooking? Ukeleles? Wow. I especially loved Geema and Grandpa Warren, as well as their friends talking about the friendships that they had in the past. Even Axel had an interesting relationship with Rylee, and thankfully a much better one than Kat and Henri have in this author's Figure It Out, Henri Weldon ! Family plays a huge role in the daily life of middle school students, and this is not shown often enough in middle grade stories.
Weaknesses: My students love to read about olders characters, so I was glad to see that Rylee is in 8th grade, but the cover looks a bit younger. Also, the inclusion of the newspaper articles slows the story down a little, even though the information is interesting.
What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who want a realistic and thorough look at middle school friendships that doesn't spare the drama. This goes along well with Lakritz's Things That Shimmer, Gerber's The Liar's Society, Bishop's Free Throws, Friendship, and Other Things We Fouled Up, and Vickers' Half Moon Summer and other titles that discuss the minefield that is middle grade friendship. I would have adored this book in middle school, and the descriptions of character's outfits was a nice touch, even if all my students seem to wear is pajama pants and crocs!
January 4, 2025
Read Your World January 2025.
This month I was graciously #gifted The Science of Friendship by Tanita S. Davis @tanita_writes for one of my #ReadYourWorld reviews.
When I first picked up this book, I didn't think I was going to like it much. The secondhand cringe embarrassment I got for Rylee in the first chapter was almost too much to bear.
But then I kept reading ended up loving this so much.
What I liked: the realistic ups and downs of friendships and middle school, how like-able the characters are, the cover art, and the ending. I've had so many friendships in my life that just fade away. Like Rylee, I don't understand it and wish I knew what happened or how to prevent it. I'm also crazy left-brained and borderline autistic, so knowing the whys of everything are important to me. When something ends, it's difficult for me to move on without knowing a reason. I love that Rylee spent the book thinking and feeling just like I do. The characters are extremely like-able and remind me of many of the middle schoolers I know. Davis did marvelous in capturing their personalities. The cover of this book is beautiful. I love the flower designs that swirl around Rylee like her thoughts and worries. And, I'm so happy with how the book ended.
The only things I didn't like: how I felt in chapter 1 and every flashback Rylee had of the pool party. and the reminder of how all my middle school friendships turned out.
#gifted @tanita_writes #readyourworld #reviews #bookreviews #tanitasdavis #embarrassment #scienceexperiements #books #middleschoolreads #thescienceoffriendship #friendship
This month I was graciously #gifted The Science of Friendship by Tanita S. Davis @tanita_writes for one of my #ReadYourWorld reviews.
When I first picked up this book, I didn't think I was going to like it much. The secondhand cringe embarrassment I got for Rylee in the first chapter was almost too much to bear.
But then I kept reading ended up loving this so much.
What I liked: the realistic ups and downs of friendships and middle school, how like-able the characters are, the cover art, and the ending. I've had so many friendships in my life that just fade away. Like Rylee, I don't understand it and wish I knew what happened or how to prevent it. I'm also crazy left-brained and borderline autistic, so knowing the whys of everything are important to me. When something ends, it's difficult for me to move on without knowing a reason. I love that Rylee spent the book thinking and feeling just like I do. The characters are extremely like-able and remind me of many of the middle schoolers I know. Davis did marvelous in capturing their personalities. The cover of this book is beautiful. I love the flower designs that swirl around Rylee like her thoughts and worries. And, I'm so happy with how the book ended.
The only things I didn't like: how I felt in chapter 1 and every flashback Rylee had of the pool party. and the reminder of how all my middle school friendships turned out.
#gifted @tanita_writes #readyourworld #reviews #bookreviews #tanitasdavis #embarrassment #scienceexperiements #books #middleschoolreads #thescienceoffriendship #friendship
February 2, 2025
Eighth grader Rylee experiences the ups and downs of middle school friendships in this sweet story aimed at middle school girls.
Rylee is devastated by embarrassment when her “best friends” pull a mean prank on her at a swim party at the end of seventh grade. That fall, she schedules classes in order to avoid them, finding herself in classes she really didn’t want to take. Along the way, she learns about herself and the many facets of friendship.
Davis presents a very likeable girl in Rylee. She is like most kids who find themselves in the fringes of school - not in the popular clique or any other group. She grows in understanding of who she is and not only what she expects/wants from friendships with the kids in her school, but also that friendships are not static and forever. As Mrs. Paulsen tells her: “It is work.” Davis doesn’t stop there – Rylee explores friendships of her grandmother via a survey she has developed (the research/science portion of this project) and sees that even they can change with time. This topic is presented in a fun way – with many passages and conversations that can be downright funny. Her session with the Gemma, Daddy Warren, and their friends is a perfect example.
Inclusion of Rylee’s reports, lists, notes, and surveys helps break up the text and are a great way to engage the reader.
Recommended for grades 5- 8
S.B.
Children's Literature Consultant
Rylee is devastated by embarrassment when her “best friends” pull a mean prank on her at a swim party at the end of seventh grade. That fall, she schedules classes in order to avoid them, finding herself in classes she really didn’t want to take. Along the way, she learns about herself and the many facets of friendship.
Davis presents a very likeable girl in Rylee. She is like most kids who find themselves in the fringes of school - not in the popular clique or any other group. She grows in understanding of who she is and not only what she expects/wants from friendships with the kids in her school, but also that friendships are not static and forever. As Mrs. Paulsen tells her: “It is work.” Davis doesn’t stop there – Rylee explores friendships of her grandmother via a survey she has developed (the research/science portion of this project) and sees that even they can change with time. This topic is presented in a fun way – with many passages and conversations that can be downright funny. Her session with the Gemma, Daddy Warren, and their friends is a perfect example.
Inclusion of Rylee’s reports, lists, notes, and surveys helps break up the text and are a great way to engage the reader.
Recommended for grades 5- 8
S.B.
Children's Literature Consultant
February 8, 2025
Eighth grader Rylee experiences the ups and downs of middle school friendships in this sweet story aimed at middle school girls.
Rylee is devastated by embarrassment when her “best friends” pull a mean prank on her at a swim party at the end of seventh grade. That fall, she schedules classes in order to avoid them, finding herself in classes she really didn’t want to take. Along the way, she learns about herself and the many facets of friendship.
Davis presents a very likeable girl in Rylee. She is like most kids who find themselves in the fringes of school - not in the popular clique or any other group. She grows in understanding of who she is and not only what she expects/wants from friendships with the kids in her school, but also that friendships are not static and forever. As Mrs. Paulsen tells her: “It is work.” Davis doesn’t stop there – Rylee explores friendships of her grandmother via a survey she has developed (the research/science portion of this project) and sees that even they can change with time. This topic is presented in a fun way – with many passages and conversations that can be downright funny. Her session with the Gemma, Daddy Warren, and their friends is a perfect example. Inclusion of Rylee’s reports, lists, notes, and surveys helps break up the text and are a great way to engage the reader.
Recommended for grades 5- 8
Rylee is devastated by embarrassment when her “best friends” pull a mean prank on her at a swim party at the end of seventh grade. That fall, she schedules classes in order to avoid them, finding herself in classes she really didn’t want to take. Along the way, she learns about herself and the many facets of friendship.
Davis presents a very likeable girl in Rylee. She is like most kids who find themselves in the fringes of school - not in the popular clique or any other group. She grows in understanding of who she is and not only what she expects/wants from friendships with the kids in her school, but also that friendships are not static and forever. As Mrs. Paulsen tells her: “It is work.” Davis doesn’t stop there – Rylee explores friendships of her grandmother via a survey she has developed (the research/science portion of this project) and sees that even they can change with time. This topic is presented in a fun way – with many passages and conversations that can be downright funny. Her session with the Gemma, Daddy Warren, and their friends is a perfect example. Inclusion of Rylee’s reports, lists, notes, and surveys helps break up the text and are a great way to engage the reader.
Recommended for grades 5- 8
September 16, 2024
Review from my little sister (12):
After an incident at a pool party this summer, Rylee is starting 8th grade without any friends. One of Rylee's electives is journalism, and there she meets a girl named DeNia. Rylee and DeNia are paired together for a journalism article about friendship and the science behind it. Rylee embarks on a journey to discover the true meaning of friendship.
I was utterly captivated by this book! It was absolutely phenomenal, and every page was enthralling. The book had a profound and poignant tone, with occasional touches of humor that added depth to the story. DeNia quickly became my favorite character due to her charmingly idiosyncratic nature and her role as a dependable and supportive friend. This novel truly stands out as one of the most compelling and authentic portrayals of friendship that I've ever encountered.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a thought-provoking and fascinating literary experience.
Happy Reading, Laly ❤️ 📚
Thank you, @harperkids @theshelfstuff, for sending me a copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
After an incident at a pool party this summer, Rylee is starting 8th grade without any friends. One of Rylee's electives is journalism, and there she meets a girl named DeNia. Rylee and DeNia are paired together for a journalism article about friendship and the science behind it. Rylee embarks on a journey to discover the true meaning of friendship.
I was utterly captivated by this book! It was absolutely phenomenal, and every page was enthralling. The book had a profound and poignant tone, with occasional touches of humor that added depth to the story. DeNia quickly became my favorite character due to her charmingly idiosyncratic nature and her role as a dependable and supportive friend. This novel truly stands out as one of the most compelling and authentic portrayals of friendship that I've ever encountered.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a thought-provoking and fascinating literary experience.
Happy Reading, Laly ❤️ 📚
Thank you, @harperkids @theshelfstuff, for sending me a copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 23, 2024
This is a great middle-grade book about friendships: what makes good friends, how we can get in our own heads about events, and what friends need to be left behind.
"A humiliating moment at the end-of-seventh-grade pool party involving a cannonball, a waterlogged updo, and some disappearing clothes has Rylee halfway convinced she’s better off without any friends—at least friends like those. The one question Rylee can’t shake is . . . why? When a group assignment in journalism pairs Rylee with science geek DeNia Alonso, DeNia’s annoyingly know-it-all, nerdy personality is both frustration and fuel to Rylee’s search for answers. Together they conduct research, run surveys, and write their way toward even more questions about what makes friendships—and breaks them. Between her shaky new partnership with DeNia, an annoying brother, and a friend from the past, Rylee’s got a lot to think about. But the more she learns, the more Rylee Could there be a science to friendship? And can it keep her from losing friends ever again?"
"A humiliating moment at the end-of-seventh-grade pool party involving a cannonball, a waterlogged updo, and some disappearing clothes has Rylee halfway convinced she’s better off without any friends—at least friends like those. The one question Rylee can’t shake is . . . why? When a group assignment in journalism pairs Rylee with science geek DeNia Alonso, DeNia’s annoyingly know-it-all, nerdy personality is both frustration and fuel to Rylee’s search for answers. Together they conduct research, run surveys, and write their way toward even more questions about what makes friendships—and breaks them. Between her shaky new partnership with DeNia, an annoying brother, and a friend from the past, Rylee’s got a lot to think about. But the more she learns, the more Rylee Could there be a science to friendship? And can it keep her from losing friends ever again?"
January 19, 2025
Rylee spent a miserable summer at her friend's place. The embarrassment that Rylee faced and the recollection of memories bringing her painfully to the same incident over and over was relatable to middle school situations. I was not sure if I could continue reading the book after recollecting similar experiences of mine. I am glad I pushed through and resumed reading. The scientific facts and perspectives that were dissected as part of journalism class were beautifully written. I enjoyed reading the conversations between Rylee and DeNia and how they both came together as friends. Rylee’s idea on recruiting people to answer her questions and the steps she takes were commendable. A good friend will respect your boundaries and will treat you with respect, however, that does not mean you will never argue or fight. It is all about how you work along and resolve your differences. I felt this message was conveyed subtle rather than preachy. Highly recommend the book!
December 18, 2024
I'm not gonna lie--I had some PTSD junior high flashbacks while reading this book! (Okay, maybe some from more recent times too.) Rylee is so relatable. Over the course of this book, she grows and changes and becomes more of who she really is. I like her so much by the end of the book, and I feel like I'd fit in in one of the lunchtime clubs--or at least just hanging out in the library.
This story made me hold teenagers more tenderly in my heart--they sure do have lots to deal with. It also made me remember the 8th-graders I taught who were a lot like Aaliyah. Here's hoping they changed and grew at some point!
What a great friendship story--one that encourages the reader to think about their own friendships and where they might be able to add a few skills, too :>)
Also, the cover looks kind of tween to me. But the story and characters feel solidly 8th-grade.
Highly recommended.
This story made me hold teenagers more tenderly in my heart--they sure do have lots to deal with. It also made me remember the 8th-graders I taught who were a lot like Aaliyah. Here's hoping they changed and grew at some point!
What a great friendship story--one that encourages the reader to think about their own friendships and where they might be able to add a few skills, too :>)
Also, the cover looks kind of tween to me. But the story and characters feel solidly 8th-grade.
Highly recommended.
August 9, 2024
As she starts 8th grade, Rylee’s changed all her electives so she won’t have classes with her group of former friends who humiliated her at a pool party in the spring. Now taking journalism, she just wants to keep her head down and work on her own, so she’s dismayed to be teamed with outgoing and headstrong DeNia on a project to study and write about middle school friendship. Rylee’s mom, grandparents, and even her annoying younger brother Axel provide support and insight on how to make and keep friends. Teachers and librarians will love DeNia’s insistence on research and footnotes. Everyone will love the multiple choice quizzes Rylee writes to collect her anecdotal data and will want to take those quizzes themselves. Fun and thoughtful! EARC from Edelweiss.
April 6, 2025
3.5 stars for this contemporary fiction for ages 8-12. This was a nice book with scientific research about friendship sprinkled into 8th grade Rylee figuring out friendship for herself. I thought it was unusual to have a book for younger readers be about 8th graders, but it worked. The lessons learned were a sort of prep/advise for the younger readers, I suppose. I didn't like Rylee for the first half of the book, but she grows and changes into a better, nicer person. She has lots of anxiety to get over, too. I love that quilling is in the book, intergenerational characters, and the school newspaper. Diverse cast, LGBTQ+ friendly.
January 28, 2025
The middle grade novel, The Science of Friendship, centers on Rylee Swanson who with her peer DeNia writes a series of articles on friendship. Through flashbacks, readers learn of Rylee's experiences with past friends and how they affected her.
What I appreciate about the novel is that the author Tanita S. Davis guides readers in understanding Ryle's journey towards acceptance, compassion, and empathy for herself, peers, and others. I encourage the youth to read this amazing novel.
What I appreciate about the novel is that the author Tanita S. Davis guides readers in understanding Ryle's journey towards acceptance, compassion, and empathy for herself, peers, and others. I encourage the youth to read this amazing novel.
February 14, 2025
This was excellently written. I like the way the newspaper articles and scientific studies were added to the novel in a way that made sense for the story. It breaks it up but keeps things engaging. This topic is particularly important for middle grade and it’s addressed really well. The growth that we see from Rylee brings things together in a full circle way. This is definitely one I’d add to middle school classrooms.
September 7, 2024
Very good book for middle school readers about what it takes to make and keep a friend, what makes a good and not good friend, the way that girls bully others with their words and exclusion, and the role of bystanders.
October 29, 2024
"This is a beautiful depiction of what it means to be human as a middle school student and how one can learn from one’s own flaws about empathy, while also receiving validation and support." [School Library Journal]
November 11, 2024
I liked this one a lot. The main character is supposed to be in eighth grade. I think the cover makes it seem like she’s younger - and the story feels like that, too. But it’s got great points about friendship and I think a lot of girls will take something away from it.
October 21, 2024
Rylee goes to a pool party where she endures a terrible incident of bullying from people she thought were her friends. It's so bad, she even switches classes to avoid them. She ends up in a journalism class with a girl named DeNia who is very excited to do a science based series of essay with opposing viewpoints about friendship.
The friendship/bullying aspects are very relatable to those in the middle school arena but the addition of the science aspect of it is quite intriguing. An excellent addition for SEL.
The friendship/bullying aspects are very relatable to those in the middle school arena but the addition of the science aspect of it is quite intriguing. An excellent addition for SEL.
October 23, 2024
Good exploration on the themes of friendship. I like how the MC doesn't just focus on how poorly her "friends" treated her, but also examines what kind of friend she is and wants to be.
December 7, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It grabbed my attention from the outset. Friendship breakups can be harder than romantic breakups. Davis handled this topic (and friendship in general) masterfully.
December 31, 2024
Great middle school novel about friendship and what it looks like to different people.
February 12, 2025
I liked the idea of the book more than the actual book and the plot, but it was a decent book.
March 31, 2025
Definitely a must-read for middle schoolers.
July 23, 2025
There were some side stories that seemed unfinished but I liked how it felt like I was really reading from a kid's perspective.
October 25, 2025
This "science" fiction middle grade novel is real and relatable. This is not technically science fiction but it's all about two classmates who decide to study the science of friendship - how people make friends, keep friends, choose friends, etc. The two girls reach out, not only to their classmates, but the generations ahead of them. It's very insightful to the girls yet still friendship is hard. The main character deals with mean girl issues, being dumped as a friend, issues of forgiveness, moving on, making new and unexpected friends.
I think this would be great for any reader who is dealing with friendship issues (can we say every middle school girl) and maybe for some kids on the spectrum. Some how to's are practical and straight forward while others touch base on the nuances of friendship.
Warning/Spoiler:
Some girls steal clothes from a girl who is changing at a swim party. They accuse her of stuffing her bra. I think it's addressed honestly and gently.
I think this would be great for any reader who is dealing with friendship issues (can we say every middle school girl) and maybe for some kids on the spectrum. Some how to's are practical and straight forward while others touch base on the nuances of friendship.
Warning/Spoiler:
Some girls steal clothes from a girl who is changing at a swim party. They accuse her of stuffing her bra. I think it's addressed honestly and gently.
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