Real Friends

This graphic novel will make you laugh and cry. The main character, Shannon, didn’t use to worry about having friends, as she had her mom, but then she goes to school and starts to have friend problems. I think that lots of kids will be able to relate to Shannon when she is being bullied because I’ve definitely felt that way. I’ve been in a situation when only a small group of people got to make the rules, which left me feeling excluded, angry, and sad.

My advance copy didn’t have the final colors, but there were so many great details that I even really enjoyed the black and white pictures. I also liked the facial expressions. I know it’s hard to put all the emotions you want in a book because it’s not a movie, but I thought the illustrator LeUyen Pham did a great job showing how the characters were feeling.

I actually read this book several times over because I was interested to know how Shannon handled things, and it made me feel good to know that I’m not alone in my tough situations. This book is unique because it shows lots of different ways kids get bullied or pushed around, and the author didn’t make everyone be friends in the end. It’s a great book from one of my favorite authors!