THE FRIENDSHIP EXPERIMENT by Erin Teagan takes a clever approach to the issues of middle school friendships.

Madeline is a young scientist who takes a “step-by-step” approach to everything including finding a new best friend. When her peers read her notebook, she realizes that maybe a scientific approach can’t solve her friendship dilemma. Intermediate level readers will empathize with Madeline’s personal and school experiences.

Librarians will find this humorous work of realistic fiction to be popular among young scientists and youth who enjoy stories about friendship.

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group on November 1, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

A super cute MG novel about friendship and family. One I will definitely have to remember when it comes to recommending books!

This is a very sweet friendship story for the middle grades. There isn’t a whole lot of tween angst or drama so it did feel very realistic. Maddie sounded authentic and it was enjoyable to see things through her point of view. She also had very supportive, although at times, over protective parents. No divorce or absent parents either which was kind of a nice change from the last few tween books I’ve read.

Maddie is anxious about starting middle school with out her best friend. She struggles with making new one because she is a little bit quirky, but in a nice way. She is alway writing these Standard Operating Procedures, or SOP’s for everything as a way to cope. Maddie wants to be a scientist just like her father and grandfather, but I’m not sure that is her true calling. Writing the SOPs helps her to cope, but it is what ends up causing a lot of the friendship problems in the end.

The added issue of Von Willebrand Disease, adds an interesting layer to the story. It’s a hereditary disease that doesn’t allow your blood to clot. So nose bleeds, cuts and bruises can be life threatening to both Maddie and her sister. It is handled nicely in the book, with just the right touch of drama to the story and how hard life can be for people with this disability.

Overall a very nice middle great read about friendship and the strength of family.

My name is Maddie, and I don't have any friends. My "best friend" said I'm sometimes hard to get along with and later showed up with another girl from her new school. I kind of got mad and told her we should forget we were ever friends. Grandpa was a great scientist, and it looks like science is the only thing I'm good at. Why am I so mean when he was so nice? I still can't believe he died, and my parents want to give his things to a thrift store! I keep a notebook of SOP's (standard operating procedures) like he did, but mine has subjects like how to survive lunch with misfit know-it-alls and how to spot a liar. I accidentally left the notebook at the liar's house, but I don't think she'll read the mean things in it, right? I think my sister's bleeding disorder is getting more serious, but she's lying to our parents. What if she dies like our grandmother?


Much of the plot was kind of depressing, as Maddie struggled with her issues. She wasn't dealing well with no friends at a new school, she was missing her grandfather terribly, and symptoms of the family illness were getting worse for the two girls. Maddie isolated herself for most of the book, and she screwed things up when she finally took a chance on a new friend. The second half of the book was much more compelling, as she finally started to face her problems. Middle grade students often feel a loneliness, as they become very self-conscious,so they may be able to identify with Maddie's struggles in handling the world. While probably not as popular with young readers, I liked Maddie's obsession with science too. Overall, Teagan wrote an engaging story of a young girl battling with the complications of life. The real issues of death, friendship, and illness formed the basis of it. I can recommend this book as a good read!

This book gives a realistic view of being a young girl with a different family and an interesting way of operating in her daily world. Starting at a new school without your best friend, or even with, can be tough. Her experiences and how she copes keep you reading.

This is a great book to share with anyone going into middle school or having challenges with their BFF. I loved how the girl drama was written but also how resolutions where shared in a way that tweens can relate to. I really loved the introduction and explanation of blood disorders and how they can be challenging but they can also be managed in a way that everyday life is not really changed. What an awesome story! Can't wait to share with my customers...I put this terrific book on the summer reading list!

A real voice for real people. It's not always easy being a teenager...