It's clear from the first few pages of this that the new author doesn't know a thing about these characters and their backgrounds. Take this exchange, for instance: Her friends laughed. "That's true," Keisha said..."Ali is the only one of us who wasn't afraid to jump off the high board at the swim...
I understand why the girls like these: recurring characters, real-life problems, friendship, dressing up, exciting adventures, and plots that they don't yet realize are formulaic. But I will be grateful with the PandaBat moves on. I hate these books, but not with the burning intensity of a million ...