Elizabeth and Christina in Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn MoriartyRead about the other entries on the list.
Feeling Sorry for Celia is one of the landmark books of my teens and there’s one pretty clear reason why: it was the first teen book I’d ever read where the story was about friendship instead of romance. But it didn’t lose anything for being that – it’s funny and sweet and heart-warming. It’s hilarious and frustrating and sad. Feeling Sorry for Celia, which is set in Australia, tells the story of two girls in separate schools – Elizabeth and Christina – who are brought together by a pen pal scheme dreamed up by their enthusiastic English teachers. The friendship that develops alongside everything else that happens in the book is still one of my favourite across all of YA.
--Marshal Zeringue