The Unofficial Lola Bay Fan Club

Upon entering sixth grade, longtime best friends Iris and Leeza start an unofficial fan club dedicated to 17-year-old Lola Bay, their favorite celebrity actor and singer. The club attracts classmate Melanie, who tries to take over leadership, and seventh grader Dana, who helps to halt Melanie’s quest for power. Iris, who views Dana as a role model, believes all their problems are solved until Leeza, who harbors private jealousy and suspicion about Dana, quits the club. Leeza soon makes new friends on the volleyball team, while Iris spends her days with Dana. But Dana’s idea of time well spent involves pranking Melanie, buying Lola Bay tickets with Iris’s mom’s credit card, and starting a fake fundraiser in Iris’s name. After Dana’s actions come to a head, Iris must face the consequences and attempt to repair her relationship with Leeza. While Dana’s motivations for her manipulations may be murky, Surrisi (the Quinnie Boyd Mysteries series) plainly renders Iris’s vulnerability to Dana’s tactics, her genuine remorse for her actions, and her love for Lola, making for a distinctly real-life portrait of one middle schooler finding her way in a new and ever-changing environment. Ages 10–up. (Apr.)

Correction: A previous version of this review misstated the author's last name.