Tuesday's Book Talk: Welcome to Camden Falls by Ann Martin

  Welcome to Camden Falls is the first book in the Main Street series by Ann Martin. This book introduces four girls, Flora, Ruby, Nicki and Olivia. Flora and Ruby are two sisters who recently lost both their parents are going to live with their grandmother, Min. Min is a sweet, energetic woman who co-owns a yarn and knitting store with Olivia's grandmother. Flora and Ruby move into Min's townhome. Olivia, Flora and Ruby's new friend, lives in one of the townhouses near Min. Martin introduces all the inhabitants of the townhouses on the block. Among these people, there is a teenager with Down Syndrome, an old lady with Alzheimers and two teenagers who lost their mother. Martin interweaves these neighbors into Flora and Ruby's story. She also introduces a girl, Nicki, from the wrong side of town, who is introduced to Flora, Ruby and Olivia when she goes to the knitting store with a kindly lady who wants her to learn how to knit.

  Initially, the girls do not get along with Nicki, but an incident that involves a case of mistaken identity brings all four girls together.

  Overall, to me, this book seemed to focus too much on the neighbors and not enough on the four girls. Perhaps this will not be the case in later books in the series. I would recommend this book for girls in 4th-6th grade.