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Biography & Autobiography. Juvenile Nonfiction. Sociology. HTML: "Fresh and funny." �??New York Times Book Review Newbery Honor author Shannon Hale and New York Times bestselling illustrator LeUyen Pham join forces in this graphic memoir about how hard it is to find your real friends�??and why it's worth the journey. When best friends are not forever . . . Shannon and Adrienne have been best friends ever since they were little. But one day, Adrienne starts hanging out with Jen, the most popular girl in class and the leader of a circle of friends called The Group. Everyone in The Group wants to be Jen's #1, and some girls would do anything to stay on top . . . even if it means bullying others. Now every day is like a roller coaster for Shannon. Will she and Adrienne stay friends? Can she stand up for herself? And is she in The Group�??or out? Parents Magazine Best Graphic Novel of 2017 A School Library Journal Best Book of 2017 A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2017 A 2017 Booklist Youth Editors' Choice A 2018 YALSA Great Graphic Novel… (more)
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But I would have preferred to see the book focus more heavily on the relationship with her sister or even be about the
REAL FRIENDS is the graphic novel we have been all waiting for. I can see this book being passed around my fifth-grade classroom, just as popular as SMILE and SISTERS by Raina Telgemeier. By the end of the school year, REAL FRIENDS will look worn and well loved. I plan on purchasing multiple copies to keep up with the popularity I know this book will have in my class. I cannot wait for the release of this book. It is a must have for any classroom and school library.
This is a very heartfelt and realistic examination of childhood friendships. A lot of Hale’s experiences were familiar to me, and I bet other readers will feel the same. Recommended to fans of Victoria Jamieson and Raina Telgemeier.
This book is more or less a memoir, although Hale mentions that she changed names and tweaked the timing and other small details of certain events. What's nice about it is that, as Hale readily admits, her early life was not particularly extraordinary or eventful. The things she relays in this book are probably relatable to many, if not all, readers. There are false friends who Shannon has to learn to confront, and there are new friends who Shannon needs to reach out to make. The book is a short and sweet story that kids can relate to and hopefully take away some helpful lessons from.
LeUyen Pham's illustrations fit perfectly with the story being told, helping to convey power plays amongst the popular girls and the emotional effects these have on everyone involved. The visual style is one typical of Pham's works, with wide, expressive faces and bright, lively colors bringing everything to life.
Written by: Shannon Hale
Illustrated by: LeUyen Pham
I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
All i can say, on behalf of middle school parents everywhere, is "thank you" for writing this book! Ms. Hale is an amazing author and I really love all her books. I
Plot:
Shannon is a young girl struggling to find her place in the world. Middle school life exists in a very isolated, small community of people. Adults have the whole world around them but young people are vulnerable to the whims of their extremely hierarchical and segregated society. This is also a time of their life when friendship and fitting in is important. For young people who are a little different or who don't want to follow the leader, fitting in is a constant struggle if not impossible. This book has multiple messages that I love: be yourself and you will find people who like you for you; everyone struggles to find their place in the universe, even the most popular (the popularity game is exhausting); you don't have to be mean and exclusive to be popular, you can be nice popular and make everyone feel welcome; don't be so involved with your own life that you ignore the struggles of others. I know, a lot of good information stuffed into this small book.
Illustrations:
The illustrations in this book are wonderful! Of course, this is a graphic novel and so the pictures are important for moving the story along. I especially loved seeing the characters develop over time and the emotions she captures on their faces and body posture. The fantasy sequences were also so vibrant. For instance, big sister turns into a humongous and ferocious bear. The pictures of these events just make me more immersed and invested in this story.
Conclusion:
I know a young person who is living through a very similar scenario. She feels so alone and isolated. I hope that this book can give her hope for future happiness and to know that life will get better. It is not easy being a young teen.
This story rang absolutely true for me because fourth grade was right when I realized I didn't quite fit in where I thought I did. Although some of the more subtle ideas (the sister and the OCD) might be tricky for readers to understand they will identify with at least one of the girls in the book and will enjoy the fast paced story and wonderful drawings.
A colorful graphic novel about the difficulties in elementary school. Bullying, popular groups and the effect this can have when you're not sure if you fit in or want to fit in. In Shannon's case it becomes so bad she has physical anxiety symptoms. At home her older sister does not help either. Girls could relate to the topic and it being a graphic novel makes it easy accessible for all reading levels.
In addition to the characters, another reason I loved this book was because of the illustrations. Since this book is a graphic novel, the illustrations are the bulk of the story. The combination of the writing and the graphics makes the characters more real, but in the illustrations, the panels play out like scenes in the readers’ imaginations. One technique that I really liked in the illustrations was the fact that when the panels were close up and very narrow, it displayed quick action scenes to get the reader engaged in the action going on in the story. In many scenes with physical action, this graphic novel feature is shown. Also, another technique in this graphic novel is that during large action or transition pages (chapters), the illustration covered the whole page or a couple pages. This technique engaged readers because it emphasized the importance of these scenes and allowed them to have more detail. Each of these graphic novel techniques engaged readers in following through the illustrations in the story. The main message of this story is that it is important to find quality friends who will constantly support you and be by your side.
She's a bit different from the other kids, but finds one good friend: Adrienne. They possess many of the same ways to play pretend. Then, the next year comes and a girl becomes the popular girl.
Real Friends is a graphic novel about making friends and how to deal with being bullied. Shannon is mostly likable, but occasionally becomes annoying when she whines and cries about things. Other characters in the story either become part of "The Group" is almost a character in the story because so much of what is happening is related in some way. Overall, Real Friends is a cute novel that includes several topics of interest to its target audience.