• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

Best friends Dana and Janelle had big plans for grade six. Run on the cross-country team together. Try out for volleyball. They’d even planned to be partners for the class geography project. Neither girl could have known that a biking accident would land Janelle in the hospital all summer long. Dana is convinced that everything will go back to normal once school starts. But Queen Bee Julia has co-opted her friend, and Janelle’s crutches make running or playing volleyball impossible. Over time, the girls begin to act more and more like strangers. As Dana struggles to come to terms with her feelings of guilt, anger and loneliness, she wonders if there’s anything left of her old friendship that’s salvageable. Can she find her way back to her best friend?

Way back when she was in grade school, Sylvia Taekema was asked to write about what she would like to do when she grew up. She wrote that she didn't know exactly, but that it would probably have something to do with children. She was right. In addition to all the fun she and her husband have with their own children, Sylvia enjoys working as a supply teacher and as a volunteer in programs for children at school, church and in the community. She loves to read, bake cookies and go on camping adventures with her family. She lives in Chatham, Ontario.

Sylvia Taekema's profile page

• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens

"A good book that will appeal to middle school girls. This books deals with issues surrounding friendship, what it means to be a good friend and growing up. This book also deals with emotions such as jealousy, and abandonment. This book provides curricular applications for introspection regarding feelings, and friendship."

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"The theme is timeless, even if the situation is somewhat novel. A secondary plot—that Dana has fallen for Jason, who may or may not feel the same way—adds a bit of spice...Illuminating and genial."

Kirkus Reviews

"[Taekema brings] a realistic and believable voice to a six grader’s perception of events. She also does a great job of tackling issues that many kids that age face, including friendships that grow apart, first crushes and beginning to find the places where you fit in...I strongly recommend Ripple Effect for kids in the 9-12 age group, and for classroom, school and public libraries. The messages of perseverance and looking for ways to reconnect with lost friends are both important themes in adolescence. This relatable story will appeal to this age group and is both entertaining and thought-provoking. Highly Recommended."

CM Magazine