The tween years are fraught with ups and downs, and to me the juncture seems a vital time during which strong character and values are forged--or kids tend to get lost in the shuffle. Just as many tweens do, Fiona discovers that true friendship can be a huge responsibility as well as a joyous gift. She also begins to discern that there's a difference between deep, abiding friendship and what I think of as the "allure of personality." Is there an adult on the planet who hasn't wrestled with similar issues in sorting out his or her friendships? Or who hasn't had to make the hard choice to let go of a friend or two while wishing that person well?

Because I have been blessed with so many steadfast friends--from every phase of my life, every school I've attended (yes, all the way back to elementary school!), every job I've held, every neighborhood I've called home, and many places I've visited--I was determined to have Fiona explore the thrills and spills of friendship in her second journal. The book is my small bouquet to friendship, and to all the amazing, interesting people I am lucky to count among my own dear friends.

THE STORY BEHIND
FIONA'S PRIVATE PAGES

By the time Fiona Claire Jardin returns in the second installment of her journals, she's beginning to come to terms with her parents' divorce and a family life that's different than the one she had known. If there's a little less upheaval in her home life, that's not the case when it comes to Fiona's roller-coaster ride with her friends.