The Friendship Matchmaker — Randa Abdel-Fattah

Lara Zany is known throughout the school yard as the Friendship Matchmaker-kids call on her expertise and follow her hard-and-fast rules to find best friendships. Lara's documented everything from friendship categories (the BOBF, or Bus Only Best Friend; the TL, or Total Loner; the LBC, or Loner By Choice) to strategies (BJF, or the Bungee Jump Friend; FTFP, or Field Trip Faux Pas). But when new kid in school Emily Wong questions Lara's methods, the two decide to compete by each finding a TL a best friend. But Lara, an LBC, doesn't bank on finding her own best friendship in the most unlikely of places. . . .

In the tradition of Clueless, this reimagining of Jane Austen's Emma for middle school readers is a funny and heartwarming story of celebrating individuality and finding acceptance.