21st Century Kids: Navigating Friendships for Tweens

Mona Gilbert, Children's Librarian, Northridge Branch Library,
Happy, laughing diverse tweens standing near a school bus
To maintain friendships, it takes effort to avoid some of the pitfalls and troubles that can visit even the best of friends

“Friendships, just like relationships with parents and siblings, are never simple.”—excerpted from: Friends and Frenemies, by Jennifer Castle & Deborah Reber

No one will argue the fact that friendships can make life better. However, with this benefit comes the reality: Navigating friendships is complicated, and at times, fraught with high and low points. To maintain friendships, it takes effort to avoid some of the pitfalls and troubles that can visit even the best of friends.


Navigating Friendships for Tweens


Book cover for Understanding Friendship
Understanding Friendship
Miller, Marie Therese

This guide covers the many dynamics of friendship. Each section offers a short fictional story about a specific aspect of friendship encountered. Readers learn to respond to each scenario by identifying and exploring each friendship issue.


Book cover for Friends And Frenemies
Friends And Frenemies
Jennifer Castle, Deborah Reber

Everything you ever wanted to know about the topic of friendship, but were afraid to ask. Information and advice is provided by experts, but also by tweens themselves and mentor teens (older teens). 


Friendships add joy to our lives. Everything is more fun when shared with friends. However, making friends does not come easy for everyone.


Friendship Joy


Book cover for The Survival Guide For Making And Being Friends
The Survival Guide For Making And Being Friends
Crist, James J.

This book guides kids how to break the ice when meeting new potential friends and offers real-life scenarios that help kids practice friendship skills.


Book cover for Stories Of Friendship
Stories Of Friendship
Colby, Jennifer

An interesting look at real friendships between J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Also the late Kobe Bryant and Lionel Messi and others.


Sometimes even when we put forth our best efforts to hold on to a friendship, things can crop up that puts a friendship in jeopardy.


Friendship Challenges


Book cover for Friends and Foes: Poems About Us All
Friends and Foes: Poems About Us All
Florian, Douglas

In this humorous collection of 23 poems, poet Douglas Florian explores both the ups and downs of friendship.


Book cover for What To Do When Your Friends Are Bullies
What To Do When Your Friends Are Bullies
Ferguson, Addy

Offers guidance how to handle being bullied by a friend or group of friends. 


Both friendship joy and challenges are explored in the following graphic novels.


Both Friendship Joy and Challenges


Book cover for Click
Click
Miller, Kayla

Olive, a fifth grader, is left out of performing in her school variety show. Yet, all of her friends have already formed their performing groups. Find out how Olive resolves her feelings of exclusion.


Book cover for New Kid
New Kid
Craft, Jerry

It's never easy being the new kid in school, but when 12-year-old Jordan Banks transfers to a mostly white prep school instead of the art school he wanted to attend, he encounters a whole host of problems he never experienced in his neighborhood of Washington Heights. New Kid won the John Newberry Medal for children's literature and a Coretta Scott King Award, too, but it has appeal to all ages. Jordan is an engaging, observant, and artistic protagonist. The series is punctuated with gentle humor from his drawings and cartoons. Teens and grown-ups, if you were ever "the only" or one of a few Black kids in your school, I promise, you will feel seen and heard. Jordan Banks is all of us.


Book cover for Real Friends: A True Story About Cool Kids and Crybabies
Real Friends: A True Story About Cool Kids and Crybabies
Hale, Shannon

What happens when your best friend joins a group of popular girls? This is the situation Shannon finds herself in when her friend Adrianne befriends the most popular girl in their class.


Book cover for Stargazing
Stargazing
Wang, Jen

Can two people that are so different get along with each other? Christine and Moon are next-door neighbors who become the best of friends. Not only do they share their interests with each other, but their deepest secrets as well.



 

 

 

Top