Meet Anna and her beloved wiener dog, Banana, in this start to a charming illustrated chapter book series about the joys and challenges of elementary school friendships. Anna has been best friends with Sadie for as long as she can remember. So Anna is utterly perplexed when, on Anna’s birthday, Sadie unceremoniously stakes claim to Anna’s new pony necklace, then suddenly stops speaking to Anna altogether. Did Anna do something wrong? With a little help from her wiener dog, Banana, as well as some sage advice from her family, Anna makes some important discoveries about what it means to stand up for herself, and how to be a true friend. "Rissi's new chapter-book series will appeal to fans of Clementine, Ivy and Bean, or dachshunds." ( Atlanta Journal-Constitution ) "Anna is a likable protagonist....The familiar trials of middle-grade friendship are likely to appeal to same-aged readers looking for a new chapter-book heroine." ( The Bulletin ) "Fast-paced, fun, and funny." --Megan McDonald, bestselling author of Judy Moody "I've drawn rainbow sparkle hearts on every page of this book, because I love it that much. A perfect friendship story!" --Lauren Myracle, bestselling author of the Winnie Years "Fans of Sara Pennypacker's Clementine, Hilary McKay's Lulu, and Anna Branford's Violet Mackerel will enjoy meeting Anna and her friends." ( School Library Journal) "There's a surprising amount of tension as Anna struggles with her bafflement, narrated in an emotionally sensitive first-person voice....A realistic story for sensitive kids." ( Kirkus) I watched in horror as Sadie leaned over her desk and whispered something to Amanda. Amanda glanced at me, then whispered back to Sadie. Sadie giggled softly. I couldn't believe it. Sadie never whispered with Amanda. Sadie hardly ever even talked to Amanda. Amanda sometimes picked her nose in public! My best friend was whispering with a known nose-picker and she refused to even look at me. It felt like I'd swallowed a bucket of rocks. I had to do something. Anna has two favorite things: her best friend, Sadie, and her dog, Banana. She can't wait to celebrate her birthday with both of them. But Anna's birthday party turns into a birthday disaster when Sadie starts a terrible fight that Anna never saw coming. Anna doesn't know why her best friend is suddenly acting like her worst enemy, but she knows she'd do anything to fix it. She and Banana just need to come up with a plan.Only, what if Sadie doesn't want their friendship to be fixed? Anica Mrose Rissi grew up on an island off the coast of Maine, where she read a lot of books and loved a lot of pets. She now tells and collects stories, makes up songs on her violin, and eats lots of cheese with her friends in Princeton, New Jersey, where she lives with her dog, Arugula. Find out more at anicarissi.com and follow @anicarissi on Twitter. Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split Chapter One Make a Wish Sadie says the best thing about birthdays is getting presents, but my favorite part is the birthday wish. I’ve read all the fairy tales—I know you have to be careful what you wish for—so this year, I planned my wish out weeks in advance. I was ready. Everyone sang as Dad brought out the cake and placed it on the picnic blanket spread across our living room floor. It was chocolate cake with pink vanilla frosting: Sadie’s and my favorite. Nine yellow candles flickered on top. I opened my mouth to suck in a huge breath, when Mom startled me. “Banana!” she said. “Get your nose out of there! Cake is not for dogs.” Banana backed away from the birthday cake, making guilty eyes. She wagged her whole backside to tell Mom sorry and turned to sniff my best friend, Sadie, instead. Sadie giggled and pulled Banana onto her lap. “Come on, Anna,” she said to me. “Make a wish!” I closed my eyes for just a second and pictured what I wanted: a trip to Water World. I could almost feel myself racing down a tall, twisty waterslide, zipping around the curves with Sadie right behind me, and splash-landing together in the giant wave pool below. The commercials made it look like the funnest place on Earth, and I’d been wanting to go since forever. Chuck had said our parents would never take us there, but I knew if I used my birthday wish on it, it would have to come true. Birthday wishes have extra magic. That’s how I got Banana. I leaned toward the candles, ready to blow. But before I could let out my breath, Sadie whispered, “Wish for a pony.” I froze. Where would we keep a pony? “Any day now, monkey face,” Chuck said, sticking his finger in the frosting. Ugh. For a second I considered using my wish to ask for a less-annoying older brother, but even birthday-wish magic probably couldn’t fix Chuck. Sadie nudged me. She snorted and flared her nostrils like the horses we’d seen at the park, and gave a little whinny of encouragement. She sounded just like a real stallion. I grinned at her and Banana and turned back