Real Friends

About this book

“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.

Censorship history

Real Friends was banned or restricted in United States in 2024 for reasons documented in the ban records below. This case illustrates how censorship authorities regularly reach for novel justifications when standard categories do not apply.

Bans

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