Alycat and the Friendship Friday

When a new classmate bonds instantly with Alycat's best friend — swapping bracelets, sharing a bus seat — Alycat feels the sting of being left out. It's a scenario practically every child has lived, and Alysson Foti Bourque handles it without shortcuts: the jealousy is real before the resolution is kind. The Mom's Choice Award and a Kirkus mention add credibility, and the social-emotional payoff is genuine. The plot runs predictably and the anthropomorphic cat characters won't win over every reader, but for children four to eight navigating friendship dynamics, this is exactly the kind of book worth reading together and talking about.