The Hard Kind of Promise

by Gina Willner-Pardo

Sarah promised Marjorie when they were five years old that they would be best friends forever. But that was before seventh grade, when everything changed—everything except Marjorie. While Sarah wants to meet new people and try new things, Marjorie still likes doing the same things they always did. It seems the more time the two girls spend together, the more time Sarah wants to spend apart. How did a promise that was so easy to make become so hard to keep? With beautifully drawn characters and vivid details, this incisive novel portrays middle school in all its complexity—both the promise of what is to come and the pain of what must be left behind.

Genres: Fiction, Friendship, Childrens, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, School

200 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Hayden B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very good book but there was a few bad words that was probably the only part I did not like about the book.Also there was a sad part in the end but that was all.

[Courtney R · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hard Kind of Promise by Gina Willner-Pardo, is mainly a book about friendship. Two girls, Sarah and Marjorie, made a promise when they were five, that they would be best friends forever. But, Sarah is not so sure she wants to keep that promise. Now that they are in the 7th grade, Sarah wants to meet new people and do things that she doesn't normally do. On the other hand, Marjorie wants to keep doing the things that they've always done their whole life. Sarah soon joins chorus and makes a new friend - Lizzie, while Marjorie is busy working on making a movie. Now, Sarah and Marjorie start drifting more and more apart. Soon, they pretty much never talk. Sarah and Lizzie go to a chorus competition for a couple days and become really close. When they get back Sarah misses Marjorie a lot but Marjorie doesn't miss Sarah. Will Sarah and Marjorie become friends again, or will they stay separate forever?

[Katherine | readbykatherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hard Kind of Promise by Gina Willner-Pardo is two hundred pages long and was published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Miffin Harcourt Publishing Company, in 2010. The Hard Kind of Promise follows Sarah Franklin, a seventh grader, as she strives to keep a promise she made in kindergarten with her best friend Marjorie. However, as Marjorie clings to her childish interests rather than fitting in with the popular kids, Sarah begins to wonder if she can keep her promise to stay best friends with Marjorie forever.

While Gina Willner-Pardo’s The Hard Kind of Promise focuses on middle schoolers and growing apart as friends, this book’s simple writing style would be great for fifth grade readers and older. I picked this book up on a whim from the library because the book’s synopsis was really appealing to me despite the weird cover choice; a sunflower on a bench. I found The Hard Kind of Promise to be relatable as most kids have different friend groups and differing interests during different periods of their lives. I found Marjorie’s character to be more normal than weird, but that’s probably because I have similar interests. Honestly, the kids in the novel were unnecessarily mean to Marjorie just because she chose to watch old movies rather than talking about boys she thought were cute. The only ridiculous thing that happened was when Marjorie wore an old fashioned Victorian dresses and hats to cotillion practice.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Hard Kind of Promise by Gina Willner-Pardo even though it ended on a bittersweet note with Sarah and Marjorie realizing that part of growing up includes letting go of old friends in order to make new ones with similar interests. The only thing I didn’t necessarily enjoy was Sarah’s mom and dad. Sarah never really got to resolve any of the issues she had with her mom (who constantly critiqued her daughter’s ideal career) or her father (who didn’t understand that his daughter had no interest in sports). I understand that the author chose to include them to show why Sarah remained friends with Marjorie for so long because she, Marjorie, understood how the divorce made Sarah feel. I think that part really took a back seat to the progression of the overall story. That being said, I really did enjoy this book and I would give it 4.5 stars on goodreads.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The summary of the book is two best friends promise each other they would be best friends forever. Ever since they went to junior high they became distance. They became friends with other people and none of them get along with each other. My opinion about this book is that I really liked it. It Had some ups and downs but I really recommend this book if you like drama as a genre. I would rate it a ⅘ becuase i feel like it should have more description on why they never tried harder to keep being friends. The theme of the book is never easy to keep your promises. But try your best.

[Juricsy Garcia]

Have you ever made a promise ans then you want to brake it? The genre of this book is realistic fiction.The main character of the story is Sarah and Marjorie. In my opinion this is a really good book because it explains how many people are different then others and for example like in this book there's a girl that was weird and so the main character was
embarrass because she was different from every one else.

The setting of this story is at school (mainly at lunch time).I know that there at lunch because its discribes as "noisy, she is holding her bread,or ther etalking about boys etc." One of the major effects of the story is when Sarah and Marjorie got into a argument .Another major moment was when Sareh,Marjorie,Carly,and Lizzie laugh at the same time of the same thing because that was the first time they understood. The type of conflict is person vs world because Majorie does not talk to now one because they say she is weird an Sarah because she does want to be with Marjorie but she is scared there going to laugh at her because she has a weird friend. The theme of the story is harsh because Sarah does not want to be with Marjorie because she is weird but inside her heart she does want to be her friend because she noes her seen there where five years old.

The tittle relates to the book by how the promise was kind and easy to carry but as they grew up it got harder and harder because Sarah knew new stuff and Marjorie was still the same.

I liked the way that the author explain how they were all fealling for example when they were dancing it said that sarah's hands were sewding and from what i kow when your hands are sweating it means that you sre nerveous.

From a scale from 1-5 I rated this a % because i liked how it make me know that they were fealing scared,nervous,happy etc. I reccomend this book to people that like reading a little bit and that the books is interesting. Would you ever do a promise that you thing that you could not get it over with?

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Willner-Pardo is really good at describing the earth-shaking-at-the-time yet subtle challenges of middle school friendships. Here, Sarah grows away from her seriously quirky friend, Marjorie. They promised to be best friends forever, in kindergarten, but now Sarah is beginning to feel that it's just too hard--and hurting her chances to make other friends. Before, she never cared about what other people thought, but now she does. She wants to be loyal, and even tries to bring Marjorie into a larger group of girls, but why can't Marjorie try to fit in better, and just be weird at home? When Sarah's mandatory rehearsals for her chorus class's competition conflict with her promise to be in Marjorie's film class project--not really her fault, but still a betrayal of sorts--their friendship is changed for good.

Readers will probably relate to the descriptions of those jokes and memories that old friends share, and how good that feels, as well as the thrill and terror of balancing old friends with new ones, including--gulp--boys. Willner-Pardo shows that such social shake-ups are part of growing up, and that people can still be friends, even if they're not BEST friends anymore. Sarah becomes friends with kids who share the same interests, and so does Marjorie. Some kids are nice, some are silly, some are shallow--the whole gamut.

Also explores the idea that as you grow older, more experiences and memories balance out the really bad ones.

Promises are obviously a running theme--to clean her room, to make the film, to be friends--and Sarah's parents are divorced. Some promises are harder to keep than others.

Really well done.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend anyone that loves teenage drama to read “The Hard Kind Of Promise” by the author Gina Willner. It reminds us how the world used to be when we were younger and how hard it has gotten. That no matter how young or old we are we will have struggles with something or someone. In this case it was between two young girl’s friendship and how one of them deal with change, and the other one staying the same. Change always happens either good or bad but we have to learn how to deal with it. Marjorie and Sarah have been best friends since they were little and promised to be best friends forever. As they got older especially when they reached the seventh grade Sarah wanted to be different do whatever everyone else was doing but still wanting to be friends with Marjorie so that they can do enjoy it together. But Marjorie wants to the same innocent things, however she stays true to herself and does the same things as always. On the other hand, Sarah changes but in the end they both learn that it’s best to move on and go their own way. A true inspiration for friendship that they’re true friends that can still each other without being right next to each other is the perfect friendship.

[Kelly Butcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book for girls in late 5th grade & up. It deals with friendship and popularity issues that would be lost on younger girls. 2 girls entering 7th grade slowly grow apart- even though they have promised to be best friends forever.

The things to look out for when buying and suggesting this book:
1. The main character Sarah refers to a grandmother who asks her questions about "getting her period".
2. The grandpa says damn all of the time- sometimes 5 times on 1 page- completely unnecessary... it could keep some librarians from putting it in an elementary library.
3. One of the popular girls says "Her ass is so big"... I gasped, because it was unexpected. Now- I am not uptight, but I get tired of authors throwing in swears just to throw in swears. Can't kids just be kids?

All in all the theme of the book overrides any swearing. I was full of dread through the entire book because of the tension the main character feels.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sarah and Marjorie have promised to be best friends forever. Only now they are in seventh grade and things are different. Sarah is interested in clothes, boys, and fitting in and Marjorie marches to the beat of her own drum: making a movie, not caring what people think, wearing weird clothes, eating strange food. Sarah loves Marjorie, but she's also embarrassed about how people make fun of them and she isn't sure if Marjorie is still her best friend.

This offers a good look at issues of friendship and popularity, especially as it covers the theme of best friends growing apart from a new angle: a girl who has outgrown her best friend but still cares about her and doesn't want to just ditch her. Sarah really struggles with some tough decisions. She feels like she is betraying Marjorie and the promise they made when they were little, but at the same time she is thrilled when she makes a new friend with the same interests.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE HARD KIND OF PROMISE (Clarion - June 2010) is actually a title that I think fans of my novel THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z. will appreciate quite a bit. It's similar in that it tackles the everyday struggles of middle school life, and I love the way author Gina Willner-Pardo does this -- with characters who are real and flawed and discovering themselves and with dialogue that's so wonderfully authentic it made me laugh out loud in places. At its heart, this is a book about friendship -- about the friend that Sarah had grown up with and finds herself drifting away from as middle school presents new interests and challenges. It's a sweet, funny, heartfelt book -- one that's perfect to hand to students who are tired of big flashy vampire books and just want to read something about regular kids like themselves.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really solid and refreshingly realistic story of two friends (girls) who are growing up and growing apart. It is also a very positive (and, again, realistic) story about becoming more aware of one's self and about not altering one's own personality or interests solely for the sake of pleasing other people. (Spoiler!) I like that it doesn't have a pat ending -- the two girls do NOT patch up their differences, and neither changes to suit the other. Instead, they go their separate ways, friends-wise, each finding a group of pals with the same interests as them, the way kids typically do. While the ending is bittersweet in terms of this specific friendship, it's actually very optimistic in terms of the long-term happiness of these two girls, and their evolving understandings of themselves.

[Bonnie Weglin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about two friends who made an important promise to each other. They promised when they were young to be best friends forever. Now that they have gotten older Sara has noticed that Marjorie is different than everyone else. The way she acts, how she talks, everything about her. When people start to think just because Sara is friends with her that she is different, Sara starts having regrets about making that promise so long ago. I thought this book was mediocre, it was a pretty easy read for me to finish, I thought that the story plot was alright. But, I didnt like how you could kind of predict what was going to happen in some parts of the book. I might recommend this to people if they want a quick read that will still be interesting. All in all I would give this book a 3 out of 5 rating.

[Susan Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another one of those great titles to give to middle school girls who are struggling. It's also a moving read for grownups who have forgotten just how terrible growing apart from a friend felt. Sarah and Marjorie have been best friends since preschool. But now, at the beginning of seventh grade, they are starting to have different interests for the first time. Marjorie isn't at all interested in boys, clothes or popularity. Sarah is starting to be - or at least to worry that she should be, and has made some new friends who don't really care for Marjorie. Torn between old and new loyalties, Sarah's ultimate decision is painful yet realistic. Pair this one with SHUG.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book will appeal to tweens. Sarah and Marjorie have been best friends since Kindergarten. They promised each other that they would always be best friend, but this promise is hard to keep. They are now in the seventh grade where peer pressure begins to affect their friendship. Sarah wants to make new friends and learn new things. Marjorie, who has always been a bit odd, is not easily accepted by new classmates. Sarah is placed in a difficult position of keeping her friendship with Marjorie and making new friendships with others who don't want to include Marjorie. Read this book to learn it this is indeed a hard kind of promise.

[Geebowie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sarah is 12 years old and in middle school. When She and her best friend. Marjorie were very young the promised to be best friends for life. Sarah finds this hard now because she wants to be seen as cool and Marjorie is a bit odd and the other kids laugh at her. The more Sarah hangs out with some other girls the more she is embarrassed by her former best friend. Sarah was a likable enough character however I could not really relate to her and her want to fit in with the in crowd. I felt really bad for Marjorie and related to her much more I wish the book had been for her point of view. however I felt the story was still pretty enjoyable.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a somewhat bittersweet book about two girls who grow apart as they reach junior high. It is told from Sarah's viewpoint - she is the one who seems most to want to try out new friends, and most affected by the peer pressure of junior high. She is also the one who seems most affected by the idea of keeping promises and even with all the changes, she still appears to take her kindergarten promise to Marjorie very seriously. Its difficult to know what Marjorie is thinking. There is an almost autistic quality to her, but she just may be unconcerned about what others think and happy to go her own way.

[Nha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an amazing book for middle school girls who are struggling in my point of view. It deals with friendship and mainly revolves about having to keep a promise and letting go. I really enjoyed reading this book because I was able to relate myself to the main character who had a terrible experience of growing apart from a close friend. This book provides girls like me a realistic look at how friendship transforms when we grow older and eventually start to have different interests. Overall I think this book is worth reading and is suitable for all ages whether you've experienced the sudden loss of close friend(s) or not.

[StorySnoops · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Hard Kind of Promise is a spot-on story about what happens when friends grow apart. Even though the protagonists in this case are in seventh grade, girls in fifth grade and older will recognize Sarah's dilemma. Marjorie is an endearing and loyal friend, but she has off-beat interests and doesn't seem to care what others think of her, unlike Sarah, who...(click here for full review: http://www.storysnoops.com/detail.php...)

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sarah and Marjorie have been best friends since they were five years old, but now they are twelve and in middle school. Marjorie is different. Most of the other girls think she is weird. Marjorie doesn't care, but Sarah does. A very realistic and compassionate story of how kids grow apart and friendships change.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grabbed this book the other day at the library...every now and then we all need to read things for younger readers. This one has to deal with life in middle school in all it's complexity. Learning how to keep promises you made to old friends yet at the same time coping with the promise of new things happening in your life...both painful and exciting.

[Miyoung · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is okay to read. It's definitely not a best book to read, because I think this book kind of has a repertory how the two main characters are friends, then they fight, they become friends again, they fight again. This book is just about the conflict between friends and others just because things you like are different.

[Childrens Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very bittersweet story of friends growing apart in seventh grade as one girl bows to the pressure of the group and the other seems oblivious to the elaborate social cues of middle school. Lovely and sad and a good companion book to Lynn Rae Perkins' All Alone in the Universe. -Maeve

[Kate Hastings]

Looks like this could be a good book for middle school and changing friendships and social challenges. SLJ 4-7

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A realistic look at what happens to girls who become best friends in elementary school and then mature at different rates.

[Nbkyouth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would appeal to girls and tells the story of trying to fit in and make new friends

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Friendships change as girls get older. Accepting the changes, and moving on is the theme of this book.
Well written but not a page turner.

[Elizabeth Vaccaro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two best friends part ways in middle school. One wants to be popular and the other doesn't care that she is seen as weird by the other kids.

[Mercy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2-1/2 stars. Story about changing friendship of two middle schoolers. Dialog is realistic, but resolution between Sarah and Margery seemed pretty rushed at the end.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think it was ok...

[Lorraine Stinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too girlie