There are a few things / about your best friend
that you can only learn / when you see where he's from.
Minn knew / that Jake was from the city.
But she didn't know / that his grandmother was Korean.
That he liked taking bubble baths. / That his brother, Soup,
might be an eating champion. / That Jake was a cheater,
and that he had a . . . / girlfriend?!
There are some things / about your best friend
that it's better not / to know.
Bouncing free verse and playful black-and-white illustrations combine to make this a charming follow-up to Minn and Jake.
Minn and Jake's Almost Terrible Summer is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Janet S. Wong's profile page

Enfant, Geneviève Côté adorait dessiner. Elle s'inventait des histoires simplement pour le plaisir de les illustrer. Au fil des ans, elle a continué à nourrir sa passion pour le dessin et les arts, si bien qu'elle a décidé d'en faire une carrière. Après avoir étudié les arts et la communication au Cégep, elle a terminé, en 1987, un baccalauréat en infographie à l'Université Concordia, à Montréal. Geneviève a illustré plus de 25 livres pour enfants. Comme auteure-illustratrice, elle a publié chez Scholastic Quel éléphant? et Je suis là, Petit Lundi. Elle a reçu le Prix du Gouverneur général pour ses illustrations en 2007. Geneviève vit à Montréal et travaille dans un atelier du centre-ville.

Geneviève Côté
studied art and graphic design at Concordia University in Montreal. She has
illustrated numerous books for children. She also enjoys writing her own
stories: Quel éléphant? (What Elephant?) and Je suis là, petit Lundi (With You Always, Little Monday)
were the first books that she both wrote and illustrated. Côté's editorial
art has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe and other
publications. Her books have received three nominations for the Governor
General's Award for Illustration, one of which she went on to win. She has
also won the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award.

Geneviève Côté's profile page

• Long-listed, Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
• Long-listed, Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year

“This is a gentle, resonant story that explores the ways we struggle to learn about one another, and discover ourselves in the process.” —Booklist
“Côté's black-and-white cartoons nicely highlight the action and, together with the text, capture the very essence of childhood summers. Good fun.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Whimsical ink sketches enhance the storytelling in this creative early chapter book that features smart, endearing characters and humorous antics.” —School Library Journal
“Wong is still a keen interpreter of the preteen psyche, deftly exploring such issues as the perceived exoticness of ethnic identities, the ethics of line-cutting, and the almost insurmountable odds against nurturing friendship between a very tall girl and a very short boy.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“A truly enjoyable read filling a very real and undeniable need.” —Elizabeth Bird, A Fuse #8 Production