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Twig and Turtle #4
Twig and Turtle 4: Make New Friends, But Keep the Old
Friendship woes and a visit from Grandma push Twig to find her voice in the fourth book in the Twig and Turtle chapter book series, perfect for fans of Ivy and Bean and Judy Moody.
Speaking up can be super hard.
Just when Twig thinks she's finally found a new best friend, Angela's former BFF, Effie, comes back to town. And to Twig, Effie is anything but friendly. With Effie hogging the spotlight and Angela's time, Twig has never felt so alone. And while Twig's little sister, Turtle, can be a lot of fun to hang out with, she doesn't replace a best friend.
Then Grandma comes to visit, bringing with too much clutter and too many strong opinions for the tiny house, and it all becomes too much. Will Twig be able to find her voice without hurting anyone's feelings?
The fourth book in the Twig and Turtle chapter book series, Make New Friends, But Keep the Old weaves themes of friendship and finding your voice in a sweet package that fans of Ivy and Bean and Judy Moody will find hard to resist.
Speaking up can be super hard.
Just when Twig thinks she's finally found a new best friend, Angela's former BFF, Effie, comes back to town. And to Twig, Effie is anything but friendly. With Effie hogging the spotlight and Angela's time, Twig has never felt so alone. And while Twig's little sister, Turtle, can be a lot of fun to hang out with, she doesn't replace a best friend.
Then Grandma comes to visit, bringing with too much clutter and too many strong opinions for the tiny house, and it all becomes too much. Will Twig be able to find her voice without hurting anyone's feelings?
The fourth book in the Twig and Turtle chapter book series, Make New Friends, But Keep the Old weaves themes of friendship and finding your voice in a sweet package that fans of Ivy and Bean and Judy Moody will find hard to resist.
112 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 18, 2021
3 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Richard Jacobson
44 books183 followersJennifer has spent three decades writing award-winning fiction and nonfiction for children. Amongst her titles are picture books: THIS IS MY ROOM (NO TIGERS ALLOWED) and OH, CHICKADEE!; chapter books: Andy Shane series and Twig and Turtle series; middle grade novels: SMALL AS AN ELEPHANT, PAPER THINGS, THE DOLLAR KIDS, CRASHING IN LOVE; and young adult novels: THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF WHY I HATE HER and STAINED. Her awards and honors include ALA Best Books For Young Adults, Publishers Weekly Best Books, NYPL Best Books for Teens, Parents Choice Gold Award, IRA Young Adult’s Choice, ILA Social Justice Award, NTCE Charlotte Huck Honorable Mention, Bank Street Best Books of the Year, and Junior Library Guild Selections as well as many state awards. She lives in mid-coast Maine with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 6, 2023
I love the Twig and Turtle series for the gentle way in which it teaches young readers socio-emotional skills. In Make New Friends, But Keep the Old, Twig has to deal with competition for her best friend Angela, when Effie, Angela's bestie who left for Denver a year ago returns to Happy Trails. The big skill she has to learn here is how to be brave and speak up for herself and trust that the person she is speaking to cares about her feelings.
The series teaches kids how to read social cues and to unpack their emotions. Like when Twig is upset that her best friend Angela wants to include Effie, her bff before she met Twig, in the Harvest Party Planning Committee:
"Here's what happens when you wish you were brave enough to share your thoughts but you're not:
- Your throat feels like you've just swallowed a rock
- One part of your brain practices what to say, 'It wouldn't be fair to the other kids who put their name in the hat.' The other part tells you all the reasons that you should stay quiet: Don't be mean. Don't make Angela mad. Don't make Effie an enemy.
- Talking feels as scary and embarrassing as coming to school in your pyjamas."
Or when Twig and Turtle have to tell their Grandma that they donated all the books she had bought them when they downsized into their tiny house:
"Here's how you can tell that you haven't convinced someone:
- Their eyelids droop a little, making their eyes harder to read
- They pull their mouths over to one side
- Their face slowly turns red"
Inspiring idea for parents: Giving the kids an Inspiration Journal and recording things that they've never noticed before while on a walk.
The series teaches kids how to read social cues and to unpack their emotions. Like when Twig is upset that her best friend Angela wants to include Effie, her bff before she met Twig, in the Harvest Party Planning Committee:
"Here's what happens when you wish you were brave enough to share your thoughts but you're not:
- Your throat feels like you've just swallowed a rock
- One part of your brain practices what to say, 'It wouldn't be fair to the other kids who put their name in the hat.' The other part tells you all the reasons that you should stay quiet: Don't be mean. Don't make Angela mad. Don't make Effie an enemy.
- Talking feels as scary and embarrassing as coming to school in your pyjamas."
Or when Twig and Turtle have to tell their Grandma that they donated all the books she had bought them when they downsized into their tiny house:
"Here's how you can tell that you haven't convinced someone:
- Their eyelids droop a little, making their eyes harder to read
- They pull their mouths over to one side
- Their face slowly turns red"
Inspiring idea for parents: Giving the kids an Inspiration Journal and recording things that they've never noticed before while on a walk.
September 4, 2025
I loved this! Loved. It. I think readers will be able to relate so strongly to Twig not wanting to speak up. I love that grandma was able to provide context for that fear: "keeping your thoughts to yourself might mean that you don't trust the other person to care about your feelings." Even as an adult I needed to hear that, so imagine what a helpful message this is for young readers. I also love that we get to see Twig practice that skill even though it's scary, and we get to see how caring friends and family respond. I'm obsessed. And the characters and storylines are so rich and interesting without being overdone. I'll definitely recommend this series!
May 17, 2023
I love it because it entails with friendship but the end is not working for me
July 20, 2022
Another solid installment in this cute series. I really liked how it deals with friendship and the angst that can come when you feel like a third wheel.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews