The second popular book about Nikki and Deja, two third-grade girls who are best friends.

Deja's birthday is coming up, and she's been talking about it for weeks. But just before the big day, Auntie Dee gets called away on a business trip and Deja must stay with an elderly neighbor . . . who cooks turnips for dinner and doesn't even have a color TV!

Worse, the machinations of spoiled Antonia, Deja's new nemesis, threaten to ruin Deja's birthday party plans.

Like the first book, this story captures with subtlety and humor all the small betrayals and triumphs of young girls' relationships. Readers will get a wider view of the girls' diverse neighborhood and will recognize themselves and their classmates in the colorful, deftly drawn school scenes. A more serious theme is also introduced (with a light touch) in a subplot concerning Deja's absent father.

Karen English is a Coretta Scott King Honor Award-winner and the author of It All Comes Down to This, a Kirkus Prize Finalist, as well as the Nikki and Deja and The Carver Chronicles series. Her novels have been praised for their accessible writing, authentic characters, and satisfying storylines. She is a former elementary school teacher and lives in Los Angeles, California.