The Science of Friendship

A friendship hypothesis—and one failed experiment—leads one girl to investigate the science of middle school friendship makeups and breakups in this hopeful and heartwarming story from Tanita S. Davis, author of Partly Cloudy and Serena Says.

Rylee Swanson is beginning eighth grade with zero friends.

A humiliating moment at the end-of-seventh-grade pool party involving a cannonball, a waterlogged updo, and some disappearing clothes has Rylee halfway convinced she’s better off without any friends—at least friends like those.

The one question Rylee can’t shake is . . . why?

When a group assignment in journalism pairs Rylee with science geek DeNia Alonso, DeNia’s annoyingly know-it-all, nerdy personality is both frustration and fuel to Rylee’s search for answers. Together they conduct research, run surveys, and write their way toward even more questions about what makes friendships—and breaks them. Between her shaky new partnership with DeNia, an annoying brother, and a friend from the past, Rylee’s got a lot to think about. But the more she learns, the more Rylee wonders: Could there be a science to friendship? And can it keep her from losing friends ever again?

With warmth, heart, and resonance, Tanita S. Davis’s deep dive into middle school friendships is perfect for fans of Dear Friends, Let's Pretend We Never Met, and The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl.