Elementary girls of all ages need to read this book. It explains in a very personal way the joys and challenges of girl friendships. So much happens during those years and Hale does an excellent job portraying the fear on both sides of the story. This is an excellent novel to follow the Princess series for girls of this age. It can be difficult to find books that are engaging and entertaining for this reader level and Hale nailed it. The illustrations by Pham were spot on and perfectly told the story. I can't wait to share this story with my students.

So if you were never at the top of the popularity echelon in elementary school, you should totally identify with this graphic novel memoir from Shannon Hale. I certainly identified with a lot of what Shannon went through. My home life was not as rocky, but elementary school often felt like a minefield relationship-wise. Sometimes you made it through the day swimmingly, and sometimes kids mocked your looks or left you out of their activities. For kids currently in elementary, they should find in Shannon a very relatable character. Someone who understands their heartaches and triumphs, and who can offer them a bit of hope that even if elementary is hard at times, it is survivable. And let’s face it, many of the kids who struggle the most with navigating relationships are introverts who might not share with any adult about the heartaches they are daily facing. Though the setting is a few decades ago, the basics of her story still resonate powerfully through any age. So Shannon may be the voice of wisdom and hope to these introverts’ unspoken needs. As an adult, I appreciated her message about boundaries in friendship, information about anxiety, and that she eventually realized what was behind her sister’s issues and they became friends. And let’s not forget Pham’s illustrations which are – as always – fantastic. They fit the tone of the book perfectly. I especially loved how Pham depicted Hale’s imaginary games with her friends, hinting at talents that would eventually help Shannon become the amazing author she is today. Overall, highly recommended for elementary libraries – ours will be buying multiple copies to satisfy the demand there will be for this - and I’ll probably also purchase a few copies for middle school too even if the characters are in elementary because it’s a recent shared experience for middle schoolers and they love graphic novels and Shannon Hale. Also, please hand this to any elementary/middle school student you know who struggles with relationship issues at school. Hopefully, they will find solace from it.

I loved this middle grade graphic novel about the joys and tribulations of friendship. Perfect for any girl who's not sure where she belongs (and who is?)

Anything by Shannon Hale is likely to be checked out in my library, so I knew I needed to read this one. I love the real stories about friends of all kinds that many kids will be able to relate to. There is an interesting back story happening with her sister as well that I found super interesting and would want to read more about!

Shannon Hale is well known for her chapter books, and now her collaboration with LeUyen Pham will earn new fans among graphic novel readers. Her memoir of her elementary school years and dealing with bullies at school and an older sister who could be a bully at home will show young readers that they are not alone in their struggles. Many people can empathize with Shannon and remember how it felt to want to make friends and feel that everyone else knew some friendship rules that they were somehow never told. How do you get to be part of the "in" crowd? Why is there always someone in a group that seems to be the least empowered or the last one taken into consideration when plans are made?

I heard LeUyen speak on a panel at ALA Midwinter, and she talked about working on the illustrations for this book. She said there were some scenes that were very difficult to draw and she would have to try them out from several viewpoints before she could capture the emotional tone she was going for. One scene in particular she showed to her own child and was told that it was too scary because of the expression on a character's face, so she had to rethink her approach and switch the perspective to make it easier for young readers to deal with.

The author's note at the end reinforces that this is the story of those year's told from Shannon's memories. Others in the story, classmates and family, may recall some of the same situations differently. That doesn't mean anyone is remembering wrongly, just that they all have their own point of view and how things seemed to them at the time. I love that she included school photos of herself from each of those grades. What a nice touch!

Highly recommended for graphic novel fans, readers of Shannon's other books, and anyone who is feeling left out by friends or even feeling bullied or picked on (but if they are -they should get help from a trusted adult).

This is a must read for all kids, especially the ones trying to navigate the ins and outs of friendship and popularity.

(review scheduled for 4/18/17)
From the publishers:

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?
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.

My thoughts:

The pairing of words by Shannon Hale and illustrations by LeUyen Pham gives this novel that awkward, lonely, confused feeling that dredges up my own tween years when my own friendships started to change and drift away and I was left a little confused by my changing hormones, and the way I was very out of sync with my childhood best friend based on the rate of our maturity. This is a kinder, gentler Mean Girls, but it brings up emotions that all these years later still can come back through this book.

In the Author's Note section Hale says she never thought she would write a memoir, but in some ways it is. The honesty and truth of this and the illustrations that are able to deftly illustrate awkward, confused and unsure states just in the character Shannon's face created an emotional roller coaster of a ride for me.

This book is for those upper elementary girls who feel lost and misunderstood and abandoned and confused. The creators have a message. Things do get better.

Publication Day: May 02, 2017
First Second Books

Shannon and Adrienne have always been best friends but when Adrienne joins the popular group at school Shannon has to decide if she is willing to change to fit in with the cool crowd.

This is a good graphic novel for tweens who are trying to learn about accepting themselves. There are a lot of important issues that are visited including: fitting in, bullying, and sibling rivalry.

I was so anxious to read Real Friends as soon as I saw the description and the author/illustrator combination and it exceeded my expecations. This story about friendship and fitting in will connect with readers of all ages. Shannon tries so hard to be true to herself and navigate the ins and outs of an exclusive group of friends. I had my own version of "The Group" in middle school, named "The Six", and connected immediately with Shannon's struggle of wanting to play dolls and pretend games but knowing that wasn't considered cool anymore. This will be an important book for upper elementary and middle school students who are struggling and need to know that, eventually, your own group of friends will come along. Shannon also writes about her struggle with anxiety and an obsessive compulsive disorder that was dismissed as "worrying too much." Younger readers who are dealing with friendship trouble or other personal problems and are feeling worried and upset may be able to find a commonality here to pinpoint an answer to what they're feeling.

I so enjoyed LeUyen Pham's illustrations and the way she brought Shannon's pretend stories to life. I loved the way that each friend was introduced individually with the full color page (at least in the version I read). This book will be a great choice for group reads and book clubs because there are so many topics for a compassionate discussion. This book will be loved by readers of Smile, Roller Girl, and El Deafo.

Real Friends is Shannon Hale's graphic novel memoir about her time in elementary school and the drama of finding true friends while trying to find her own identity and family drama also. Like Sunny Side Up and Smile & Sisters, many readers will find Shannon's story interesting and relatable, and Pham's illustrations make it even more appealing.

Sorry, I wasn't able to read this as I couldn't download it

This book brought back childhood memories and situations I see happening with my own kids today. I think a lot of elementary girls will relate to this story. I hope the "mean ones" will see how their actions and words affect others and I hope the "nice ones" hang on to the hope that things can get better.

I've always been a fan of Shannon Hale, and after reading her epilogue of her graphic memoir, I have a better appreciation for Real Friends. The essence of the book- that there will always be ups and downs with friendships, there will be those times when cliques act in Survivor mode, and times when they all hold hands and sing Kumbaya. I appreciate, as well, that Shannon Hale does not create herself to be a victim, but to learn as she goes along her mistakes. And the brief mention of OCD is a nice touch. It is not the central issue, but many children may be able to relate to it. While I have a high school library, I think the end of the book is especially poignant as we see that there are unseen reasons lurking in people's actions, as seen with her sister. No age is too old for those lessons.

This is such a sweet story about growing up, making friends, breaking up with mean friends, and getting along with aggressive siblings. Shannon Hale is one of my favorite authors, and I loved hearing about her totally relatable childhood. Plus, this graphic novel is filled with lovely art by LeUyen Pham. Middle grades kids–especially girls–will love this one.

Real Friends is a semi-autobiographical graphic novel about a girl who is trying to find her place at school and at home. Dealing with subjects like bullying, anxiety and OCD, Real Friends is a must read for any child or parent who are going through something similar.

I think that this should be a book that every parent should have their children between 2nd and 5th grade read. Shannon could be any child, in any school with these very real problems and I think it would do a child good to read a graphic novel where the character is going through the same things as they are. That way they can see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that one day, those that were picking on them eventually end up in their shoes.

Shannon did come across as someone who would do anything to stay in “The Group”. Anything and when I was reading those chapters where she was doing that, I wanted to cry for her. She was trying to so hard and they just treated her like she was invisible. But as she got older and more mature, she slowly began to realize that it wasn’t her. I think that when she broke up with “The Group” and started making friends with the older kids in her grade (she was in a 5th grade/6th grade split class), that she realized her worth.

Adrienne and Jen annoyed the ever-living out of me. Adrienne for not being a true friend to Shannon. She allowed those girls, well mainly Jen, to bully Shannon, spread lies about her and just make Shannon’s life miserable. What really got me annoyed with her was when she allowed her brother to scream at Shannon and then agreed with some of what he said.

And don’t get me started on Jen. What a miserable, unhappy girl. She found an easy victim in Shannon and took every opportunity to let her know how unpopular she was or how lucky she was being allowed to hang out with them. I will say that I agreed with Shannon’s decision at the end of the book. I know the author had some reserves about writing that part of the story the way she wrote it and I will say….I agreed with the way it was written.

The drama at home was pretty hard to read too. Shannon’s sister, Wendy, was portrayed as a bear for most of the book and she was so mean to her. I was a little shocked that there was physical violence shown. That being Wendy smacking Shannon around and I started to get angry at Wendy. But, the more the story went on, the more that the author let little things slip about Wendy. About her struggles with bullies and making friends at school. Which made me understand why she acted the way she acted.

The end of the book was very well written and I loved the afterward that the author wrote.

How many stars will I give Real Friends: 4

Why: I enjoyed reading this book and thought that the message that was included in it was one that every child should read. This was the 2nd graphic novel that I have read and I really liked it. The illustrations were fantastic!!

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Child

Why: This is a middle grade book, written for children between 8-12. There is some slight violence in the book but it is going with the storyline about bullying and drama at home.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

This is a great addition to any elementary and middle school library. Perfect book for fans of Raina Telegmeier, Roller Girl, and El Deafo.

Fantastic graphic novel from prolific children's author Shannon Hale. This engaging and emotional graphic novel explores the tricky and sometimes painful experiences in school and with making friends. Topics include bullying, anxiety, being true to yourself, friendships etc. Nothing is heavy handed and this title will fly off the shelves at my library. Fantastic illustrations are done by LeUyen Pham who can draw the realistic girls as well as their imaginative play perfectly.

Real Friends is a comic about, well, friendship. More like the power play between friends, actually. Being a girl seems to be nasty and I've actually experienced something similar to Shannon and her group of friends. There's no plot as such, more like time is passing and friends change, but it's hard to keep track why and what is the time span. There are many shifts in the comic and it's basically a roller coaster. This makes the comic feel sporadic and it's so full of events and those shifts that you end up feeling detached from it all and it's hard to remember who is who. The comic is autobiographical and Hale probably tells the story like it happened, but it would've been better to focus on key elements instead of the whole truth. Also, the whole story seems to circulate around the same things and the most interesting part was left at the end and we did not get to see enough of it; how Shannon's sister had actually experienced the same things and it had changed her so much so that she lashed out at her family constantly.

The art is Hanna-Barbera-like, but it's not a bad thing. The colors are deep and vibrant, which is great combined with the simplistic art. This makes Real Friends easy to approach for kids the same age as the characters. The panels are simple, but perhaps a little boring, since the comic is a cavalcade of talking heads mostly. The panels vary, which is a good thing and Shannon's plays cut the formula making this quite interesting structurally. Real Friends is a good comic for kids, especially for girls, who function the same way and they do. It'd be great if they read this and perhaps learnt something from this.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.
Shannon and Adrienne have been friends forever. Then one day everyone wants to be friends with Adrienne and she soon doesn't have much time for Shannon. This is a book about the perils of growing up, friends, bullying and the difficulties of school. Good message and a great read, any many kids will relate to this book.