Next Door to Xanadu

Patricia is a lonely, overweight ten-year-old living in a New York City apartment building with her parents and baby sister. When a new girl, Dorothy, moves in next door, Patricia's world opens up. But Dorothy's dad, a college instructor, has a habit of changing jobs with each new academic year. What would happen to Patricia if her new best friend moves away?

When I was about the same age as this gentle story's protagonists, I loved this book and read it multiple times. As an adult, I still found this novel highly readable, and even relatable. The line drawn illustrations are beautiful as well. I'm glad I revisited it.