Big Dreams (Sleepover BFFs: Book 1)

Big Dreams (Sleepover BFFs: Book 1) by Fiona Harris. Scholastic 2025. Paperback Middle Grade. RRP $12.99. ISBN 9781761642265.

Reviewed by Debra Williams

Twelve-year-old Abbie and her friends Zi, Violet, and Naira love hanging out together and having weekly Saturday night sleepovers. The girls like to create a theme for each sleepover and decorate their houses according to the theme. Each girl takes a turn hosting the sleepover. The four friends also come up with food to match the theme and have a great time planning each one, not to mention the fun afterwards!

When a new girl, Mackenzie, moves into the old, deserted Majestic hotel with her family, Abbie has the perfect welcome plan in the form of a sleepover. Mackenzie is keen to join the group, and it transpires that she previously hasn’t really had any friends. She soon bonds with the others, but something is holding her back from sharing some information about her past and why the family has moved to the small town. Eventually, she tells the others her secret behind her sadness and becomes an integral part of the group.

Abbie and Zi are keen young surfers in their local coastal town of Keegan River. They plan to enter the local surfing competition, as they are now old enough to enter the twelve-to fourteen-year-old age category. Both girls would love to replace their old surfboards, but don’t have enough money. When the group comes up with an idea to set up a sleepover party business, they are excited and hope it will be a huge success. After an epic fail with the first booking, they think it’s the end of the business side of life. But things turn around.

Abbie has to compete against the local bully, Yasmin, in the surf comp. When it appears that Yasmin has won by cheating, Abbie decides to say nothing, thinking she won’t be believed. However, Yasmin is found out, disqualified, and Abbie becomes the age champion.

A middle-grade story for 9-12-year-olds about friendship, the amazing fun of having sleepovers, dreaming big and working together to overcome the odds, it would probably suit those who enjoy slightly easier titles to read.

The book also comes with two BFF necklaces.