Real Friends vs. the Other Kind (Middle School Confidential)
Grade 5–8—Jack, Abby, Mateo, Jen, Chris, and Michelle are the middle school students of various ethnicities who take readers through this slim, interactive guide. Chapters cover such topics as friendship dilemmas, so-called friends, when friendships aren't working, crushes, and making new friends. Each chapter opens with a scene played out by the students in cartoon panels. Next, bits of text, along with a multitude of side boxes, address the topic at hand. Sidebars of different "FILES" ("Real Friend," "Labeled and Judged," "Quit Pressuring Me") quote actual tweens and teens. "Need to Know?" bytes recommend relevant books and Web sites. Lists of questions are offered, along with the answers. There's a lot packed into this colorful title that falls somewhere between self-help and peer advice.—Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.