Real Friends

This book is honest. It’s a series of vignettes about friendship during the upper elementary school years. Resilience, tenderness, rejection, forgiveness… It’s the kind of story that’s ideal for middle schoolers. Because it’s so honest, parents may want to read it first — or they may just want to read it because it’s so good. This book was recommended to me by an elementary school librarian. It’s written by graphic novel master, Raina Telgemeier who also wrote some other books I highly recommended: Drama, Ghosts, Smile, and the graphic novel versions of The Babysitters Club stories.

Roller Girl

I loved this story. It’s about a girl who joins a roller derby team. Like Real Friends, it’s about resilience. As a Pac NW resident, I love the fact that it takes place in Portland, Oregon. No need to have a prior interest in roller derby, this story is about universal experiences. Kudos to Victoria Jamieson for creating such an authentic tale.

Just Jaime

Just Jaime is not just about Jaime! It’s told in two points of view, by two middle school girls This book is sort of a hybrid graphic novel. Onegirl’s chapters are in graphic novel format, whereas the other’s story is in more of a traditional paragraph style. This makes Just Jaime by Terri Liebenson an ideal choice for readers who are ready to move to longer middle-grade novels, but lack the experience and confidence. The story is honest and endearing about how friendships change over time, and the ways girls adapt.