Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford

First line: Goebbels materialized on the back patio, right before we moved to Baltimore, and started chewing threw the wicker loveseat.

Initial thoughts: Frankly, I’m not sure what to think, all I know is that this book has me immensely curious. It sounds adorable in a strange sort of way—an anti-romance teen novel. I’m looking forward to seeing boys and girls can have a (realistically) close platonic relationship in the literary world.

Of course, since I don’t know what exactly to expect, I’m keeping my mind open.

Book description:

New to town, Bea is expecting her new best friend to be one of the girls she meets on the first day. You know the type: very cheery, very friendly, very average. But instead, the alphabet conspires to seat her next to Jonah, aka Ghost Boy, a quiet observer who hasn’t made a new friend since third grade. He’s not a big fan of people in general…but he’s willing to make an exception for her. Maybe.

Bea and Jonah are not going to have a friendship like other people have a friendship, where it’s all based on gossip and parties and what everybody else thinks.Instead, their friendship comes from truth-bound conversations, shared secrets, daring stunts, and late-night calls to the same old-timer radio show. They help each other and hurt each other, push away and hold close. It’s not romance, exactly–but it’s definitely love. And it means more to them than either one can ever really know…

Book Details: 288 pages; Scholastic Press; Pub. October 1, 2009