When her best friend Adrienne starts hanging out with the most popular girl in class, Shannon questions with whether she and Adrienne will stay friends, and if she is part of the clique. - (Baker & Taylor)

The Newbery Honor-winning author of Princess Academy traces the roller-coaster challenges of first friendships as demonstrated by her own experiences from kindergarten through fifth grade, years marked by cliques, bullies and her efforts to gain popularity. Illustrated by the best-selling artist of the Princess in Black series. Simultaneous. - (Baker & Taylor)

“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?

Real Friends is an honest and relatable true story about the ups and downs of friendship. It's a great conversation starter for talking about feeling left out, big emotions, and finding your people. It's also uplifting and funny, making this the perfect graphic novel for readers who love the Click series by Kayla Miller, the Nat Enough series by Maria Scrivan, and books by Raina Telgemeier.

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. - (McMillan Palgrave)

Shannon Hale is the bestselling author of many books for children, including the Ever After High series, Princess Academy (Newbery Honor book), and The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl middle grade novel. She co-wrote the graphic novels Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack and the chapter book series The Princess in Black with her husband Dean Hale. They live with their four children near Salt Lake City, Utah.

LeUyen Pham has illustrated more than one hundred books for children, including the Caldecott Honor book Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris and the bestselling Princess in Black series by Shannon and Dean Hale. She is the co-creator, along with Shannon Hale, of the bestselling graphic memoirs Real Friends, Best Friends, and Friends Forever. Her own books include The Bear Who Wasn't There and Big Sister, Little Sister. A graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, LeUyen lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.

Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* At its best, friendship is breezy and affirming, but getting there isn't always so easy. Best-seller Hale knows this firsthand, and in this winsome graphic memoir, dynamically illustrated with Pham's lively artwork, she gives readers insight into her own, sometimes rocky relationships. From early on, young Shannon feels like the odd one out, so when she meets Adrienne in kindergarten, she latches on hard. As they grow older, Adrienne climbs to the top of the popularity heap, and while Shannon is usually included among the popular crowd, she feels more like a hanger-on. As the story progresses and Shannon's anxiety becomes more evident, each chapter focuses on a pivotal relationship and movingly demonstrates the shifting loyalties, petty jealousies, and tiny moments of short-lived triumph common to childhood friendships. Not even Shannon is without fault. Her own tunnel vision occasionally leads her to treat others regrettably, too. Pham's brightly colored panels are the perfect complement to Hale's nuanced story, particularly when she zooms in on reactions, subtle gestures, and facial expressions that add captivating emotional depth. Through the years of bristly bullying, though, Shannon finally finds real friends and gains a better appreciation for her own strengths, such as her imaginative creativity, which Pham illustrates in vivid, comically over-the-top flights of fancy. A wistful, affecting, and utterly charming exploration of the realities of childhood friendship. Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.