A fantastic, real story about the ups and downs of friendship. This is definitely a story I will recommend again and again.

Real Friends--Shannon Hale

I truly enjoyed this book. The story by Shannon Hale and illustrations by LeUyen Pham fit so well together. This graphic novel tells the story of young Shannon during her elementary school years as she tries to make and keep friends. We also find out about Shannon’s family life and conflict with her siblings, especially the tense relationship with her older sister. Reading this story even brought me back to my elementary school years (a long time ago.) I think many readers will relate to this story of Shannon, her friendships and family relationships.
In life, we have all gone through friends moving away, or moving on and leaving us behind. This story touches on this as well as trying to find new friends and new groups to belong to and navigating bullying, cliques, family and typical elementary school girl behavior. The author’s note explaining about the events in the story that Shannon Hale possibly regrets, like not finding out more about the girl in the bushes, is interesting and honest. I would definitely recommend this book and plan on purchasing multiple copies, as I think this book is a winner and will be another graphic novel, like those of Raina Telgemeier that one cannot keep on the shelf.

A must have for elementary school collections! So bummed I have to wait until May!
Great story about growing up and having trouble making friends. Memoir graphic novel about Shannon Hale's elementary years and difficulties at home and with friends. Great authors note at the end.
Perfect illustrations from LeUyen Pham.

On the one hand I loved this book - it depicted really clearly the anxieties and ups and downs of friendship and being "in" and "out" and trying to find out who you are inbetween all the pressures to conform to the group.
On the other, as an educator living and working in an international context I find the overly specific religious references, while probably true to the 'memoir' aspect of the book to be jarring and too one religion (christianity) specific. While the references to 'prayer' and a spiritual figure are fine, the specificity is off-putting and would make it less relevant to my students of other faiths. It also doesn't add that much to the story.

I absolutely loved this book. I am so excited to share it with the middle grade kids at the libraries where I work. The illustrations were so engaging and a perfect fit for Ms. Hale's incredibly touching memoir. Breaking the book up into chapters named after the friends upon which they focused was a very effective manner of organizing the story.

I want every kid I know to read this--especially girls, but the boys too--and hopefully learn something about recognizing their own value and standing up for themselves. It reminds me a great deal of Raina Telgemeier's Smile, but I think I liked it even more because I loved seeing how Ms. Hale was a storyteller, even as a child,

This middle grade graphic novel was an earnest depiction of how frendships change and grow as we get older. Told from the point of view of Shannon, we encounter her friends as she progresses through school. There is bullying and transformation of people throughout this novel and it is very honest.

The story is about friendship but also about learning to adapt and stand up for yourself and do what you think is right for you but also for those around you. It was a realistic account told in wonderful images of Shannon and her life.

I think that this book will be enjoyed by both girls and boys because of how engaging it is, there is something for everyone here. A wonderful read!

I liked a lot of this book. I liked the realness of it. I loved the anxiety/OCD pieces and descriptions. I loved the frienships and that it showed the hard parts of friendship. I loved the illustrations. I did not love the religion aspects. I understand it is a memoir I just wish those aspects were handled differently. Not removed just different.

I have read most of Shannon Hale's books and love them, Real Friends is the exception. Even though I didn't love the book, it did evoke a lot of empathy and sadness in me while I was reading. Unlike Shannon's other graphic novels (Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack) that have such strong characters and high adventure that I wanted to read them again, reading Real Friends once was sufficient for me. Real Friends has fabulous lessons for girls who deal with bullying and sibling rivalry and I would recommend it highly for 3-5 graders. However, the imagery such as young Shannon's envisioning her sister as a bear, may be confusing to younger readers who are attracted to graphic novels. I finished the book feeling a little depressed and wondered if I was the bully in my family (since I'm the oldest sister) so even though I did not walk away wanting to read it again, the book made me reflect on my own childhood and my actions, which to me, is a sign of a good book!

I'm convinced that there is a bit of "Little Shannon" in all of us. Shannon Hale has joined the ranks of Raina Telgemeier as an uniquely, relatable voice in this new graphic memoir. Growing up is hard but Hale shows us that is "real friends" can make all the difference.

This is an excellent book to recommend to students who are fans of Raina Telgemeier's Smile or any students who are experiencing difficulties with friends. I always love Shannon Hale's books and this one wasn't any different. It gave the reader a glimpse into what growing up was like for Shannon and let the reader know that others experience the same problems they are having and it will change and get better!

Real Friends is Shannon Hale's memoir of her elementary school years and struggles to make and keep friends. Young readers will connect with young Shannon and her quest to fit in at school. Hale has a surefire hit on her hands, this book will be flying off the shelves.

Genre: Graphic Novel
AR level: none yet
Grade appropriate: 3rd and up

RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 5/5– this book was fantastic! And I was so thrilled to see it from the acclaimed Shannon Hale! I also appreciated Shannon honestly addressing her faith. And I appreciate publishers allowing her to do so without feeling the need to label this book as “religious.” It was handled in a straightforward manner just as the character felt and what she did to work through it.

Creativity: 5/5– it is the author’s memories of her childhood. I loved seeing it in graphic novel form, similar to Cece Bell’s El Deafo.

Characters: 5/5– I loved little Shannon so much! I also loved so many of the other characters and felt a kindred spirit with them in the awkwardness of trying to find your place.

Engrossing: 5/5– I was anxious to get back to it every time I had to set it down.

Writing: 5/5– Wonderful!

Appeal to kids: 5/5– This niche of graphic novel that are not super detailed and that are about regular kids are very popular. I have a whole group of kids who will be lining up to check this book out and it will stay checked out with holds on it.

Appropriate length to tell the story: 5/5– Being a graphic novel makes it a quick read.

CONTENT:
Language: none

Sexuality: mild- some boys run up and kiss Shannon’s friend.

Violence: none- but there is some painful bullying and meanness from her sister

Drugs/Alcohol: none

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.

A nice story on the struggles of friendship. The book is presented as a graphic novel with great illustrations. Prefect for fans of El Deafo, Roller Girl, and Smile.

What a great read and honest look at the reality for many of trying to find their spot in the family, with friends. and dealing with bullies. This is one of those reads that will spend more time off the shelf than on because of the story so many relate to. Expect waiting lists. Although it is not a biography it would be fun to share this with the author's other books or for students to use if they were doing an author study. The afterword clearly explains the crossover between what really happened and author imagination. Also, a great book to use when talking about bullying. Although I am in a 7-12 school I am rethinking my initial decision not to purchase as I can see so many ways to use this book.

Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier. nd Jennifer L. Holm.

Shannon has a best friend, and life is grand! Then things change, and she finds herself in a group of friends who are kind to her one day, and mean the next day. Join Shannon as she makes her way through elementary school and learns what kind of friend she wants to be with, and what kind of friend she wants to be. This graphic novel is excellent for middle grade readers.

'Real Friends' is a wonderful book. The art and graphic novel format are appealing, and the messages of the story are compellingly real and relatable. Shannon's main character is quirky and flawed, and I quietly cheered for her to find her "real friends" as I turned the pages. I didn't put it down until I reached the end--a thoroughly satisfying and realistic ending. This book is sure to be a hit with my students; I will definitely be purchasing a copy for our library.

An adorable, well-done, graphic novel for elementary school, Real Friends depicts the real experiences of the author. Totally relatable, this book would be great for any little girl in elementary school as they navigate the rough waters of friendship. The hints of OCD in the main character make it interesting for adult readers too. These hints are subtle enough that most youngsters wouldn't pick up on them, but strong enough that some may relate. Overall, a full 5 out of 5 stars!