Making Friends

The Girls of Canby Hall #18

by Emily Chase

Opposites don't always attract. — Jane Barrett, a proper Bostonian, likes classical music, conservative clothes, and -- most of all -- privacy. She wasn't expecting to share a room this year. Now she's got two roommates! Andy Cord, a black girl from Chicago, is from a big, loving family and is used to having lots of people around. Toby Houston has seldom been outside the Texas ranch where she grew up, and is happier with animals than people. Three girls couldn't be more different if they tried!

There are bound to be big problems in Room 407 this year. Will friendship ever be possible?

Genres: Young Adult

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1986

About the author

"Emily Chase" was the pen-name used by a number of authors who contributed to Scholastic's Girls of Canby Hall series, about a group of girls living at a New England boarding school. Amongst these contributors was romance novelist Julie Garwood.

Reviews

[Michelle Stimpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was obsessed with this series when I was in middle school. Found #18 at a thrift store recently and reread it for old time's sake. I remember enjoying the first 17 more. Number eighteen introduced a new group of main characters that I didn't love quite so much as the original three roommates - it made me want to go back and read the first in the series again . . .

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recycling a storyline from the first set of books, Jane (instead of Shelley) has acquired two boyfriends and has to deal with all the problems that causes.

Jane gets interested in Cary, a boy from Boston, even though she has a boyfriend back home named Neal. All this leads to a lot of arguing between the three girls.

Andy is trying to get a lead road in a musical. Toby, meanwhile, is trying to learn tennis and is not paying attention to her schoolwork. Faith has done well, but Andy thinks there is racism at the school.
Jane's mother gets made at her about her not paying attention to Neal (which she seems to want to pair up with Jane). Faith arrives for a short visit and gives some good advice. It turns out to be a fairly good story.