The Pages Between Us

The Pages Between Us #1

by Lindsey Leavitt, Robin Mellom (-Author)

Two best friends separated by conflicting middle-school class schedules vow to keep their closeness alive through the pages of a notebook, and its pages become a lifeline, with the power either to bring them together or tear them apart.

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Family, Juvenile, Friendship

272 pages, Unknown Binding

First published February 9, 2016

About the author

Lindsey Leavitt is a Leo sun/Sagittarius rising, which makes her skilled at traveling, studying and sleeping in. She grew up in Las Vegas and now lives in the snowy mountains with her big, blended family. She is the author of over fifteen books for kids and teens. Lindsey had an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Visit her online at https://lindseyleavitt.com

Reviews

[Siyona N · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just read Pages Between Us by Lindsey Leavitt and co written by Robin Mellom. I thought this book was really cute. Olivia Weston and Piper Jorgensen have been best friends since kindergarten. When they enter their middle school year many things change. For instance Olivia starts looking at Jackson Whittaker with a whole new eye, and Bethany(popular girl) wants to become Piper's bestie. Piper and Olivia have always been so different that they were alike, like how Piper was the middle child and was constantly getting dragged this class or that class, while Olivia was only one at home with her brother in college. This year Piper gets to have a real birthday party. Olivia and Piper start trying out after school classes for Olivia to have a better chance with Jackson and Piper to find people to invite to her birthday party. Since Piper is mostly known as the sister or brother of her older siblings because they are good at sports and other stuff, so it's really exciting for Piper to get something for herself. Piper decides to have her birthday on one day she sends out the invites and sees that Olivia can't come. Piper even invited Jackson so Olivia could get to know him better! Will Olivia come to her bestest friend ever's birthday party or go to the chess competition she has to do? Read Pages Between Us by Lindsey Leavitt and Robin Mellom to find out. I really liked this book and thought it was really cute. This book made me feel like this shows the "problems of middle school life" really well!

[Libby May · Rating 4 out of 5]

#READINGREBELLION standards approved!

This was super fun to read! Man, the girls were entertaining. The book super well written in regards to it being a friends journal. The clippings printed in the book that they taped "inside" was so much fun! Colorful characters, a well written plot. Sort of similar to other good friend books, but not so much so that it made the rest of the book boring. Well excicuted to the point where it wasn't really a "climax" there.

Clean for girls to read. XD Made me laugh. Reccomend it to girls 10-15 :)

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so excited to offer my middle grade girls an alternative to Russell’s Dork Diaries, Kinney and his Wimpy Kid, or Tashjian’s My Life As books! Don’t get me wrong. I am thrilled that there are so many epistolary novels for kids to choose from, but the majority of the diary style books are strictly light-hearted, goofy entertainment. Leavitt and Mellom give readers two fully fleshed out characters with some depth in plot while still being grounded completely in the world of “tweenage” angst and struggles. Reading Piper and Olivia’s back and forth notebook filled with their messages to each other made me picture not only my 10-13 year old library patrons and their efforts to find a comfortable niche, but my own social struggles from 6th grade. I laughed out loud, had a few burning eye moments, and almost let a cheer burst out in several places. The positive messages to have confidence in your individual gifts, to stay true to your friends, and to not be afraid to try new things flow seamlessly through the pages as Piper and Olivia try to maintain a strong friendship despite school schedules that keep them apart and changing extra-curricular interests that threaten to separate them further. This book, and its sequel, are strongly recommended for readers in grades 4-7. Parents and librarians can breathe easy with this one as there are zero instances of profanity, sexual innuendo, or violence of any kind... except for just one teeny, tiny mishap at the LEGO club meeting!

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet depiction of a friendship that begins to unravel and comes right again. Told through letters they write in a shared notebook, text messages, emails, blog posts, fliers, etc. I loved the format and the reminders of life in middle school.

[Hallie Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

they were fighting for a really long time!

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. I just thought that every time Piper talked about Love & Deception it got pretty annoying. It just got super annoying when she talked about it every single entry! Other than that, it was pretty good. :)

[Kelly Hager · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is absolutely adorable and also does a really great job of showing exactly how easy it is for friends---even best ones---to start drifting apart.

Piper and Olivia have been best friends for years and they each definitely rely on the other to get through their days. This is made complicated when one year, they only have one class together. But they have a brilliant idea: they can write notes to each other in a notebook and that will keep them as close as they've always been.

And for a long time it works. Until they have another idea: start joining clubs. And it starts out being really good until all of a sudden, they start being interested in different things. And what odes it mean for their friendship when they have a chance to spend time together but they start opting to do different things instead?

I know it seems like a really minor thing, right? Except you remember how important everything feels in middle school---everything seems like an actual life or death situation.

This would be really good for middle school kids, especially kids in sixth grade (that's when middle school starts now, right?) to kind of reassure them that life is hard for everyone.

[Lynda Dickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having just recently started middle school, best friends Piper and Olivia now find that they only have one class together. They don't even get to share lunch! The sparkly blue notebook becomes their lifeline - practically the only way they can communicate with each other. Unfortunately, the notebook ends up documenting the bittersweet breakdown of their best-friendship; we can literally see it imploding before our very eyes. It started out as something that would bring them closer together, but will the notebook end up tearing them apart?

This is an interesting concept for a book, with Lindsey Leavitt writing as Piper and Robin Mellom writing as Olivia. The authors channel their inner 11-year-olds and manage to give each girl a distinctive character and voice. Full of humor, cute notes, photos, school newsletters, blog entries, flyers, drawings, and even pelican poop, this book is absolutely charming.

A must-read for all middle school BFFs.

I received this book in return for an honest review.

Full blog post: https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.co...

[Jeff Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a YA book a while back called Finding Ruby Starling, which was a story about identity told through emails and blog posts. This idea is moved downward toward the middle grade set with The Pages Between Us, which is a story about friends mostly told between their letters in a notebook. Not the most unique way to tell the story, but still an engaging one nonetheless. The two girls, Piper and Olivia, are using the notebook to keep their friendship strong even though middle school is making it harder to be together, and does a realistic job of describing and dealing with the challenges of friendship as life changes around us.

Overall, a book that a lot of young girls will find extremely appealing. It's good, clean fun, and hits all the right notes along the way in what ends up being a solid read overall. Definitely closer to a 4.5, and I'd love to see more from this in a series.

[Kami · Rating 4 out of 5]

- This is a really fun and cute book. It was a bit young for me, but I still enjoyed it.

- I loved the opening. It made me laugh.

- I really liked Piper and Olivia's voices and personalities. They were very believable tween girls. Robin and Lindsey did a great job capturing their younger selves.

- The story is fun, but there really isn't any plot or conflict til the very end. The middle is a little slow.

- The ending is really good. It is full of warm fuzzies and is all about compromising and being a true friend.

- I loved how visual certain parts of the book are. The girls tape things into their "notebook" and it is fun to see that. It is like the reader is actually reading the notebook of these two girls.

- This will be a fun story for my daughter to read when she gets a little older.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pages Between Us is about these two adorable best friends that have different middle school schedules so they share this notebook and write back and forth to each other. It's the loveliest middle grade book. It's so heart-warming and such a quick, enthralling read. I would recommend this to anyone who loves middle grade, any fan of Ally Carter, or anyone who has had a best friend in middle grade.

A must read for all middle grade girls!

[Rachel007 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot, but I think the target audience will LOVE it.

[Raven 🖤 · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE PAGES BETWEEN US is a cute story about two girls in middle school who are experiencing innocent crushes, true friendship, and the heat fitting in. Typical Middle School problems.

The story follows Olivia and Piper who are best friends until the end of time. They're already planning their double wedding. In elementary school, they had many classes together, but now that they're in middle school, they only have one. French class. So, Piper came up with the perfect idea that they could converse through a notebook. They write a note in the book and then pass back and forth whenever they can.

Even though they're best friends, they're both different and enjoy different things. Olivia loves chess, always talks about her crush Jackson, and is nervous around anyone that's not Piper. Piper isn't scared to talk to anyone, has no interest in boys, and loves soap operas. When they start going to clubs to get Olivia to open up and to find people to invite to Piper's party, they start to see how different there interests truly are.


Final Verdict: I really enjoyed this read and finished it in a day. This story is perfect for those children aged 9-13. It'll teach them what true friendship is and to embrace that friendship along with family.

[Maria Antonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic Plot: When two best friends find out that they don’t have any classes together, they decide to share a notebook to communicate with one another. However, their friendship is tested when suddenly when different priorities crop up.

My Thoughts: I loved the dynamic duo of this book… Olivia and Piper are both likeable girls and their devotion to each other is beautiful. I like how they navigate through the different school clubs! From LARPing to Lego Club and Chess Club. It’s fun to go back and forth between their separate viewpoints. (Although, at times I did find it a tiny bit confusing about which girl I was reading at any given point. Since, I’m assuming each author took a particular character as “her” character, it’s not like I can blame this on the author not being able to distinguish between two voices. I’m not sure what would have fixed this.) The lead up to the big “breakup” between the friends worked well, I thought. As did the resolution.

This review was originally published at my blog.

[Ciara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olivia and Piper have been best friends for years, so naturally, they're disappointed when they find out that they now only have one class together. In order to still keep each other updated on what's going on in their lives, they decide to use a notebook. At first it works great... but eventually they start to notice how different they are, which makes them wonder if they can still be friends. But despite their differences and disagreements, they still have a strong friendship that they ultimately choose to hold onto.

This book was SO entertaining to read! The characters were so well developed, and the humor was great! There were times that I felt that the characters were a little annoying, but overall I really liked them. If you're looking for a middle-grade book that showcases a great friendship, The Pages Between Us is perfect.

[Michelle Stimpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My eleven-year-old daughter and her friends keep a notebook with notes back and forth, original screenplays, and ambitious plans for secret projects. If I were allowed to read it (which I am NOT), I imagine it would be much like the notebook that Piper and Olivia share.

This book is charming and funny and wholesome in a realistic way. I'm excited to pass this one on to my daughter. I know she's going to love it with references to all of her favorite things: Gilmore Girls, the Justice store, Target, and pelican poop.

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book!!! Piper and Olivia are really likable characters. The story is so funny, entertaining, and sad at times. I also really like the way it's set up to be a notebook between 6th grade friends. I just really enjoyed reading this book, and I would recommend it for kids ages 9-12.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun, quick read. Loved it! Minus a star because it wasn't super meaty, which is just a personal preference, and aside from traits like one likes chess and the other doesn't, both narrators had the exact same voice in my head.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The style of writing through journal entries was a cute idea! However, I found myself thinking, "Why should I care about these girls?" I didn't really feel compelled to continue reading. I enjoyed the ending, but felt that the majority of the book was mostly rambling.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story about friendship. Perfect for a middle school read (especially for summertime)

[Bre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a lighthearted book compared to all the other teen books out in the world. Was a very easy read and a good book to read in between other books.

[Britt, Book Habitue · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
received for review

[Maelys · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'ai trouvé ce livre assez bien mais c'est compliqué a suivre qui parle.

[Rae Shue · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was cute...but it's not quite 3 stars or 2, so giving it 2.5 stars. Perfect for sixth grade girls...

[Jia ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES YES YES!!!!!!!! SO GOOD! I am so happy that my new library is living up to my "high" standerds! :)

[Suz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story. Will definitely be recommending it to my students- a great alternative to Dork Diaries, Babysitters Club, Dear Dumb Diary...etc....and in my opinion, much better!

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sweet!

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a review of both The BFF Bucket List and The Pages Between Us.

There are many middle grade novels about the changes lifelong friendships can undergo during the turbulent middle school years. Today's review focuses on two that take a slightly different approach. The girls in The BFF Bucket List and The Pages Between Us know their friendships may be endangered, so they take steps to strengthen their bonds and hopefully save their friendships from destruction. In The BFF Bucket List, Ella and Skyler are preparing to enter high school in the Fall. When Skyler starts making new friends, Ella worries that they will drift apart, so she makes a bucket list of fun things she wants the two of them to do together over the summer break. As they begin checking off items, however, both girls begin keeping secrets from each other which threaten the depth of their friendship more than any outside force. In The Pages Between Us, Olivia and Piper find themselves with only one class in common, so they start to keep a notebook, in which they can write notes to be passed back and forth in the halls between classes. When their quest to find the perfect after school activity to do together doesn't end as planned, however, their messages grow tense.

I appreciate the way both of these books shy away from the notion that friends must have an ugly fight and part ways when a major life change occurs. It's nice to have stories that show the power of friendship, and highlight ways that girls can proactively save their friendships from pettiness and cattiness. I am equally pleased that neither book portrays this as an easy thing to do, or even as something that is guaranteed to work. Not everything that happens in these books is 100 percent plausible, but their premises are firmly grounded in reality.

As a storytelling vehicle, the bucket list works slightly better than the notebook. While notebook novels are popular, The Pages Between Us gets off to an awkward start, with code names and a series of notes trying to fool potential prying eyes into thinking they have stumbled upon a French notebook. Kids are familiar enough with the notebook format that all of this seemed unnecessary, and the characters' personalities in those beginning notes seem completely different from what they are in the rest of the book. The other thing that felt inauthentic was the occasional inclusion of text messages and other digital correspondence in the notebook. Are we to assume these were printed out and pasted in? Would real kids do this? I had a notebook like this with a friend in eighth grade, before cell phones were a thing, let alone Smart phones, but I can't imagine that we would have printed out our emails and saved them. It just seemed odd.

The bucket list, on the other hand, includes some great feats, all of which are carried out in funny and touching scenes that are slightly unlikely but not entirely impossible to occur in real life. After a while, the story deviates a bit from simply crossing items off the list, so it doesn't necessarily serve as the framework for the story, but the idea of it will appeal to girls to the point that I could see some trying to make and complete their own lists.

Both books handle the introduction of new friends very well. Because the girls in both stories are indulging in new interests, they meet lots of new people all at once, but the authors of both books do a nice job of introducing these people using specific details that instantly connect the characters to their names and personalities in the mind of the reader. The secondary characters are a bit better developed in The BFF Bucket List, possibly because all of the characters begin spending time together so they all get more time in the spotlight. Both stories make great use of the secondary characters, however, when it comes to highlighting how each girl is changing. There is for the most part no meanness coming from the new friends toward the old ones. Rather, each girl drifts away from the friendship only in pursuit of her own dreams and interests and not because there is pressure from outside forces to ditch her best friend.

The BFF Bucket List is a definite middle school read, including all the concerns of teenage life, from choosing where to attend high school, to having a crush. There is no sexual content or anything like that, so there are no concerns about having a younger child read it, but the readers who will relate to it most are likely to be in seventh or eighth grade. The Pages Between Us is more likely to appeal to girls as young as third or fourth grade, and as old as sixth or seventh grade. Olivia and Piper's social awkwardness and dorkiness will appeal especially to fans of the Popularity Papers series.