A heartfelt chapter book about friendships and relationships
Kloe’s New Friendship, written by K.M. Selvidge and illustrated by Kateryna Meleshchuk explores growing pains and everyday social challenges in a charming anthropomorphic animal world.
The story follows Kloe, a kind and thoughtful middle schooler who has to navigate friendship issues, the arrival of a new student, and the daily strain of living with a difficult sibling. Through Kloe’s story, Selvidge combines humor, tension, and emotive moments to create a relatable and meaningful story for young readers.
Kloe arrives at Main Street Junior High feeling optimistic about the start of the new semester. She excitedly exclaims, “I’m ready to kick start this second half of the year into high gear.” Her enthusiasm triggers an immediate negative response from her brother Wreny (“Yep, here we go again,”) whose unhappy attitude casts a shadow over her excitement.
This attitudinal difference between the siblings reveals a recurring tension in the book: Kloe is constantly trying to maintain her own positivity while contending with Wreny’s unpredictable behavior and the emotional burden he places on her. It’s a situation that will feel very real for many youngsters.
Wreny isn’t the only one feeling trepidation about returning to school: new student Jilly feels the same. Kloe’s instinctive empathy is clear when she notices Jilly sitting alone and quickly invites her to join their lunch table. Jilly admits, “It’s strange to be starting a new school in the middle of the year,” a sentiment that forms a connection between the two girls.
Their friendship grows naturally, and one of the most touching aspects of their early connection is the discovery that they both struggle with challenging siblings. These shared experiences allow Kloe and Jilly to trust each other quickly, and Selvidge uses these moments to highlight the importance of noticing and supporting those who feel out of place.
Also facing challenges, albeit of a very different kind, is Kloe’s best friend Terry, who is trying to keep a crush on Greg, one of the school’s star basketball players, a secret from her friends. Of course, she’s doing an even worse job of it than she thinks, which prompts some good-natured teasing from the gang.
Terry’s eventual confession of her feelings is both endearing and comedic. She sighs with exaggerated admiration—“He’s so tall!”—before explaining how Greg invited her to the freshman dance. Selvidge captures the awkward excitement of middle school infatuation with both humor and tenderness, allowing readers to root for Terry while relating to her nerves.
Unfortunately, the emotional stakes rise dramatically when Wreny learns about Terry’s crush and blurts it out in the cafeteria. Terry’s feeling of betrayal is obvious. “She ran out of the cafeteria before anyone could say anything else.” Kloe realizes with dread that Wreny has once again used a confidence against her.
This moment serves as a turning point, forcing Kloe to confront not only the consequences of trusting her brother with some else’s secret but also the difficulty of repairing a friendship that has been harmed by misinformation and impulsive behavior. Will she be able to rebuild an established friendship while nurturing a new one?
Selvidge’s portrayal of sibling relationships—particularly strained ones—is layered and realistic. Kloe’s mother dismisses her concerns, chalking Wreny’s actions up to immaturity: “Boys can take longer than girls to mature […] He’ll get there in his own time.” This intensifies Kloe’s frustration and sense of loneliness.
Luckily, other adults are less dismissive. When Kloe discusses the situation with her teacher, Mrs. Adams, she listens carefully and says, “Remind yourself that his actions don’t reflect who you are. You are two completely different people.” This conversation is gentle, validating, and empowering, illustrating how supportive adults can help young people.
Kloe’s attempts to reconcile with Terry are equally well written. Terry explains, “It just really hurt me that you broke my confidence […] I trusted you.” Kloe responds with sincerity and remorse. Their open, thoughtful conversation models how friendships can be mended through honesty, accountability, and patience.
Kateryna Meleshchuk’s illustrations elevate such moments with expressive, textured artwork that enriches the storytelling. The colorful images not only accompany the text but also expand its emotional landscape, adding detail to events and offering subtle clues to how matters will develop.
For instance, the initial images showing Kloe’s enthusiastic energy, Sir Petey’s gentle encouragement, and Wreny’s slouched posture help establish their personalities before they emerge in the narrative. The art also includes rich environmental details—animal characters of all species chatting, eating, or hurrying through—bringing the school setting to life.
Meleshchuk’s art especially shines in moments of emotional significance. The image of Kloe and Mrs. Adams in the office is tender and empathetic, with gentle lighting and warm tones that reflect the comfort provided. By contrast, the dance sequence is vibrant and magical, featuring twinkling lights, glittering snowflakes, and a festive winter theme.
While Kloe’s New Friendship is certainly a book with a moral message, the themes of friendship, trust, empathy, emotional intelligence, and the complexity of sibling dynamics are woven into the plot in a natural and thoughtful way. Youngsters should hopefully learn important lessons without feeling like they are being lectured.
The story emphasizes how friendships can be tested but also maintained, how difficult siblings can shape your life but do not define your identity, and how emotional resilience grows from honest communication and supportive relationships. In this way, it treats young readers with respect by acknowledging that their feelings are real and important.
Kloe’s New Friendship is a heartfelt and relatable novel that portrays middle school life with comedy, warmth, and sincerity. K.M. Selvidge writes with genuine compassion for her characters, while Kateryna Meleshchuk enhances every scene with expressive illustrations full of detail and emotion. An overall great pick for kids between eight and eleven.
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