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Main Street #4
Best Friends
Friendship is forever in the fourth book of Ann M. Martin's heartwarming new series, Main Street
Spring has arrived in Camden Falls, and with it have come many joys and challenges. As Flora and Ruby near the first anniversary of their arrival in town, Flora prepares for a visit from her old best friend. She's excited . . . but her new best friend, Olivia, isn't. Olivia's afraid she won't measure up, and that Flora will regret ever coming to Camden Falls. It's a very big reunion set for a very big day -- Camden Falls's 350th birthday celebration. Does one best friend truly have to be the best . . . or can they find a way to get along?
Spring has arrived in Camden Falls, and with it have come many joys and challenges. As Flora and Ruby near the first anniversary of their arrival in town, Flora prepares for a visit from her old best friend. She's excited . . . but her new best friend, Olivia, isn't. Olivia's afraid she won't measure up, and that Flora will regret ever coming to Camden Falls. It's a very big reunion set for a very big day -- Camden Falls's 350th birthday celebration. Does one best friend truly have to be the best . . . or can they find a way to get along?
195 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
27 people are currently reading
412 people want to read
About the author
Ann M. Martin
1,102 books3,046 followersAnn Matthews Martin was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane. After graduating from Smith College, Ann became a teacher and then an editor of children's books. She's now a full-time writer.
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
May 19, 2020
one of my favourite series!!
April 5, 2018
I love books by Mrs. Martin. Hence why I selected this title. It is a sweet read with lovely characters, a heartfelt message, and enjoyable scenes. Everyone is realistic, which makes reading this all the better.
The one aspect I found lacking is that the story introduces a visiting friend -- and that plot line is so interesting! The girls all react in various ways. I wish that got lots more attention. There were many different things going on at once, and I wish there'd been less - and more on the visiting friend.
I'll be reading the rest of her books.
The one aspect I found lacking is that the story introduces a visiting friend -- and that plot line is so interesting! The girls all react in various ways. I wish that got lots more attention. There were many different things going on at once, and I wish there'd been less - and more on the visiting friend.
I'll be reading the rest of her books.
May 27, 2018
I love how well Martin shows the girls' different personalities and that each girl has a very different voice. I also like that Martin tells the story through multiple points of view. The characters feel real.
May 20, 2020
Another Main Street triumph. Great book. Can’t wait to keep reading this series!
November 30, 2020
These books are good. I am reading the whole series. They have a fairly simple storyline, but there are also a few things that you might not expect.
March 3, 2021
3.5
another fun and adorable read!! i did feel some parts were rushed and glossed over, but this still made me smile a lot as i read and it was very very wholesome
another fun and adorable read!! i did feel some parts were rushed and glossed over, but this still made me smile a lot as i read and it was very very wholesome
January 7, 2022
i ❤️ ann m martin
November 1, 2023
Can be read as a standalone.
November 9, 2019
A great series of 4 books which covers the first year the girls are in Camden Falls. I would recommend all four books if you want to know how things resolve over the course of the first year.
February 22, 2017
Read with my girls and had fun.
January 14, 2014
I didn't realise quite how long it had been since I read the last book in this series, but GoodReads informs me that it was November 2012, so this book has been waiting very patiently on my shelf for over a year now. I've been a committed fan of Ann M. Martin ever since I first picked up one of her Baby-Sitters Club books in the late 90s. This series has some big differences, but still contains some of the things I love so much about Martin's children's books--close-knit communities and families, a focus on friendship above all and an encouragement to preteen girls to enjoy whatever hobby takes their fancy (acting, science, drawing, sewing, etc).
I do wonder if this book might be a bit too slow moving for some readers, but I probably would have enjoyed it when I was younger. I remember being a big fan of continuing series when I was a child, so I would have loved the way this town and its inhabitants changed over the course of the books (the Fongs have a baby, Aunt Allie moves to town, Olivia's parents open a shop, etc). The continuity is excellent, but that does make this the kind of series you probably need to read in order. A lot is summed up, but this book so clearly follows on from the last one and leads into the next that I think it would be better appreciated in order.
Although I can see some kids wanting a book that's faster-paced or filled with more action, for kids who are a bit more shy and are interested in arts and crafts and long to live in the kind of town where you know all your neighbours, this is perfect. It reminds me a little bit of a children's version of Robyn Carr's Virgin River series. Although I know that the perfectness of the close-knit community in Virgin River is unrealistic, I still love it all the same, and keep coming back to find out what's happened to each family in the next book. The Main Street series has the same appeal.
I do wonder if this book might be a bit too slow moving for some readers, but I probably would have enjoyed it when I was younger. I remember being a big fan of continuing series when I was a child, so I would have loved the way this town and its inhabitants changed over the course of the books (the Fongs have a baby, Aunt Allie moves to town, Olivia's parents open a shop, etc). The continuity is excellent, but that does make this the kind of series you probably need to read in order. A lot is summed up, but this book so clearly follows on from the last one and leads into the next that I think it would be better appreciated in order.
Although I can see some kids wanting a book that's faster-paced or filled with more action, for kids who are a bit more shy and are interested in arts and crafts and long to live in the kind of town where you know all your neighbours, this is perfect. It reminds me a little bit of a children's version of Robyn Carr's Virgin River series. Although I know that the perfectness of the close-knit community in Virgin River is unrealistic, I still love it all the same, and keep coming back to find out what's happened to each family in the next book. The Main Street series has the same appeal.
August 30, 2015
For the kids and I this is a very difficult book to review. I have to say first up that there were some aspects I personally enjoyed. The local town "fly through town while peeking in people's windows" thing was pretty cool. And the story wasn't unpleasant. But that's sadly where the positives ended for us. I don't know whether it was because we've had a track record of exciting and well-involved stories, or maybe today's generation just need more out of things nowadays, but reading this was on a par with counting sheep for all of us. Granted having a 3 boy 1 girl audience, this book was probably never going to be an all round winner. But by halfway through even my very well-read 8yr old daughter was asking me to put it away and find another book. The "ands" drove us mad, (Nikki AND Olivia AND Flora AND Ruby AND Min... Commas are a powerful thing!) as well as the patches where every sentence in a paragragh starts with the same word: eg, "Passed the house... Passed the trees... Passed the shop... Passed, passed, passed passed. Some of the dialogue from the young characters seemed very advanced for their estimated ages, giving it a somewhat disjointed child/adult/child voice at times. Giving mediocre reviews like this is not my favourite thing, and I apologise to the author. I'm not saying it's badly written or in general a bad book. It's just my kids didn't like it; it was a struggle every night to make them listen to another chapter. I have no doubt there would be plenty of young girls that would enjoy it; ones into gentle, soft and relaxing storylines. But if they're coming down from exciting, seat-of-your-pants type books, this might not be the best option.
March 13, 2008
Book 4 picks up right where book 3, 'Tis the Season, left off, with the residents of Camden Falls gearing up for the town's 350th Birthday Celebration. It's an easy, entertaining read.
One of my favorite parts was Min's use of colorful phrases I have used for years but seldom hear anyone else use, like "Heavens to Murgatroyd," and, "Lord love a duck." I have no idea where that came from, but my dad said it sometimes and it's stuck with me. Every time Min says something like that it makes me laugh. And feel old.
I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as I did the first three in the series, but I still enjoyed reading it a lot. I think maybe part of my problem was because the book's cover and the blurb made it sound as though a conflict between old and new friends is the central focus of the story. That plotline didn't even really enter the picture until about 3/4 of the way through, and even though it was important, I wish they'd chosen a different scene for the cover.
Still, Ann Martin draws characters and situations realistically, if the teeniest bit sugar-coated. (Just the teeniest, though.) This is a solid, quality, uplifting and entertaining series for elementary girls.
One of my favorite parts was Min's use of colorful phrases I have used for years but seldom hear anyone else use, like "Heavens to Murgatroyd," and, "Lord love a duck." I have no idea where that came from, but my dad said it sometimes and it's stuck with me. Every time Min says something like that it makes me laugh. And feel old.
I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as I did the first three in the series, but I still enjoyed reading it a lot. I think maybe part of my problem was because the book's cover and the blurb made it sound as though a conflict between old and new friends is the central focus of the story. That plotline didn't even really enter the picture until about 3/4 of the way through, and even though it was important, I wish they'd chosen a different scene for the cover.
Still, Ann Martin draws characters and situations realistically, if the teeniest bit sugar-coated. (Just the teeniest, though.) This is a solid, quality, uplifting and entertaining series for elementary girls.
December 14, 2012
This book in many respects is excellent, but there are several things that are left to be desired. It has characters that I will remember and a story I believe the intended audience will enjoy. It addresses many of the issues that girls in 5th and 6th grade face in their friendships and other relationships. Working at an international school where students are constantly faced with transition I believe that my students will relate to having to make new friends in a new situation.
I found the over all flow of the book confusing in regards to the interviews that Flora did with her neighbors. At first I wasn't sure why she was doing them; once I did find out why she was doing them I wished there had been a little bit more of mystery. They could have been integrated into the story better or left out all together. This is why I am rating the book a 4 instead of a 5.
I found the over all flow of the book confusing in regards to the interviews that Flora did with her neighbors. At first I wasn't sure why she was doing them; once I did find out why she was doing them I wished there had been a little bit more of mystery. They could have been integrated into the story better or left out all together. This is why I am rating the book a 4 instead of a 5.
September 19, 2014
This is a fun series for young girls. There are a lot of characters with interesting backgrounds and stories that are constantly evolving.
Ann M. Martin is wonderful at writing books that match seasons. These books are great at making the reader get the feeling of the season that the book is taking place in. She weaves in descriptions of change that make you long for that time of year.
This book seemed to flounder a little. It seemed like Martin had other plans for this series and had to drag it out and add additional books to the series. Not much happens in this one, but it is still a good read for young girls.
Ann M. Martin is wonderful at writing books that match seasons. These books are great at making the reader get the feeling of the season that the book is taking place in. She weaves in descriptions of change that make you long for that time of year.
This book seemed to flounder a little. It seemed like Martin had other plans for this series and had to drag it out and add additional books to the series. Not much happens in this one, but it is still a good read for young girls.
May 2, 2009
I really do love this series - it's the type of series I would love for my daughter to read when she gets older. The girls in this book remind me of what 6th graders were like when I was this age - kind, innocent, sensitive, a little insecure and unsure - not like the girls in The Clique books that make me want to vomit! I continue to love the diversity of the characters and the charm of Camden Falls. I'm putting off reading the next books in the series, because I don't want to get to the end of the series!
June 23, 2015
I loved this book in the series too. I got this book at my local library since I didn't buy it. Just going through these books now just bring back memories of when I was an early teen with really no worries or anything else in the world. I just related to this series as an early teenager. I just truly love this whole book series! And I still read these books to get my mind off of the troubles that I have today instead of reading about the one character with Alzheimer's since both of my mom's side have it now.
June 8, 2010
The Main Street series by Ann M. Martin is a series I would recomend to anyone! It is one of my most favorite series that I have ever read! It is a story of 2 girls journey as they begin to live with their Grandma in Camden Falls. They meet new friends, work at their grandmas store and help others in need as they go to their first year of school in Camden Falls and fun summers!!! I give this book, author, and series 5 stars!
January 20, 2009
What's not to love about this wonderful series by Ann M. Martin?
If you're daughter wants "modern, realistic fiction with the characters dealing with real problems" but you want her to read a book that has the feel of the old classics (Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, etc). Then introduce yourselves to Flora, Ruby, Nikki, Olivia and the rest of the Camden Falls gang.
If you're daughter wants "modern, realistic fiction with the characters dealing with real problems" but you want her to read a book that has the feel of the old classics (Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, etc). Then introduce yourselves to Flora, Ruby, Nikki, Olivia and the rest of the Camden Falls gang.
October 10, 2008
The Baby Sitters were decent and I read them all, but I can tell that Martin has really grown as an author in this series. I am really enjoying them. Martin addresses tough topics for kids with sensitivity.
February 3, 2010
I like this series for its setting and characters. Light, friendly reading--usually. This one felt slow and the characters almost annoying at times. Hoping the next book in the series resumes the quality of the previous few.
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October 24, 2015Hey everyone! Please reply this review... Actually, you may find it to be very stupid.. But I really don't have any idea... How to read the desired book.. And I expect you all to help me.. Please the one reading this, if you know.. Please tell me.. Please!!
December 14, 2012
OMG!!!
I sooo love this book!!!
I sooo love this book!!!
July 27, 2008
This book is really good. Not the best in the series, but still good.
January 3, 2009
Friends in a fight whats better then that???
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April 13, 2009This book is really good, it's about a girl and her new friends meeting her old friend.
I recommend that you read the 1st book Before you read this one.
I recommend that you read the 1st book Before you read this one.
October 12, 2009
Loved it.
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January 11, 2010This book is about when spring has arrived in Canden Falls and with it have come many joys and chanllenges.As Flora and Ruby near the first anniversary of their arrival in town.
February 24, 2010
A really good one on friendship.
May 16, 2011
Pretty good. Ahah I read the first three books like two years ago.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews