This is one of the few young adult novels that discusses a girl's first experience with menstruation. While the protagonist in this novel is only ten she experience this coming of age event and discusses her feelings of uncertainty and fear. Also broached in this novel is how two friends can suddenly grow apart and develop different interests, The main character is fearful of being labeled a "girly girl" by her former best friend and attempts to shed herself of all that is female, i.e. dolls, stuffed animals and her changing body. It's a good novel for mothers and daughter to read together in order to discuss how a female child's body will change as she approaches her adolescence.