Bus Friends Forever

Readers will meet our main characters, fourth grade girls Mena, Alani, and Kara. They'll also be introduced to several characters who fill out the fictional town of Denise, Texas. There are classmates and teachers, parents and siblings, and the energetic rhyming school bus driver, Juan. Readers will also meet one person that even the characters can't see. During a slumber party at Kara's house, the three main characters decide to enter an upcoming dance competition. The girls also make friendship bracelets with beads Kara purchased at a local festival. It isn't long before they notice their beads are powerful. After school when the girls are on the bus home, their bracelets magnetically pull together. During this minute or two, the bus shakes and the clouds turn purple. They pull their wrists apart and quietly wonder if they somehow caused a purple storm. They aren't sure what happened, so they go on as if everything is normal. But everything has changed! They submit their performance for the dance competition. As they wait for results, they distract themselves with everyday fourth grade tasks like homework, getting to know each other better, testing for gifted classes, complaining about their siblings, and joking about soggy cafeteria pizza.