Lombard, Jenny.
DRITA, MY HOMEGIRL
New York : Putnam's Sons, 2006
IL 5-8, RL 4.4
ISBN 0399243801

Maxie, is spoiled and spunky, hates Monday, but loves double dutch and her friends, what she calls her homeys—you know, the people that feel like home to you. Your best friends. But she gets in trouble a lot at school for the things she says, and well, for things that she just can't help at times, like being late.
Drita, can barely speak English, and is looking forward to her new home in America, and her new school. But she finds she's alone at recess, has no new friends, and her mother, is depressed and so sick most of the time, she doesn't leave her bed.  Their new apartment in New York is smaller than the home they had in Prishtina, Kosovo, but that is all over now.  Kosovo is a war-torn city with many homeless and people living on the side of the road.

Making fun of Drita in class has gotten Maxie a few laughs lately, but in trouble again with her teacher. Her teacher says she must research Kosovo, Drita's home country, and present it to the class. But how can Maxie communicate with Drita if Drita can' speak English? Her grandmother says she's got to be nice to people but how can she do that?  She's even on probation for flooding the girls' bathroom one day. She knows she has to change her ways, and even meet her dad's new girlfriend one day.  Maybe, she can even find something in Drita she likes, a new basketball teammate or a new homey after all. ( L.M.)