#26--Friends with Boys

Bibliographic Information

Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks. First Second. (2012).

Price: $15.99 for paperback

Pages: 224 in paperback

Plot Summary

Enter Maggie: Nervous freshman in high school who is about to start her first day in school. If this isn’t nerve wracking enough, Maggie has been home schooled her whole life making this her first day of school ever.

Enter Maggie’s Brothers: All older than her, they are a diverse bunch. Oldest brother Daniel is a popular drama student who acts in the school plays, Lloyd enjoys set design while his twin brother Zander is still figuring out his own interests. Her three brothers are the only friends Maggie has ever had so who will she spend time with when they are all too busy for her?

Enter Lucy and Alastair: Both sport mohawks and befriend Maggie. But while Lucy is outgoing Alastair is not. And what is going on with him and popular, pretty boy Matt?

Enter the Ghost: A woman from the 1800s who insists on constantly haunting Maggie while refusing to speak to her when Maggie asks what she wants.

Will Maggie be able to survive high school, fix her twin brothers’ relationship, find out why Alastair is being so mysterious, and figure out why the ghost insists on haunting her?

Critical Evaluation

Friends with Boys is a wonderful book filled with quirky characters and compelling plot points. Author Faith Erin Hicks makes sure to include many mysteries within the pages of her novel including why Maggie’s mother left the family, why Maggie is haunted by a ghost, and why Alastair cannot seem to get along with Matt. Hicks’ drawings are equally wonderful, consisting of sharp angles and detailed settings. In fact, readers may want to read through the book once for the plot and again to better appreciate the illustrations. While all of Hicks’ drawings are well-done readers will be sure to delight in Hicks’ portrayal of Lucy and the ghost. Lucy is constantly wearing new and unusual pieces of clothing while the ghost alternates between spooky and sad in her billowing dress. Overall, Friends with Boys is a fun graphic novel to read although the author leaves many of the book’s mysteries unsolved. 

Image is from here.

Reader’s Annotation

Maggie must figure out how to navigate school for the first time as she has been previously home schooled a task made more difficult as she tries to discover why a ghost is haunting her.

About the Author

Freelance cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks was, like her main character in Friends with Boys, home schooled and has three brothers. Her latest book is Friends with Boys although she has published three more besides it.

To learn more about Faith Erin Hicks and her work visit her website here.

Genre

Graphic novel; Paranormal fiction; School story

Readalikes

Explorer: The Mystery Boxes edited by Kazu Kibuishi

·         More tales with supernatural elements

Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol

·         Also about a girl, a ghost, and fitting in at school

Brain Camp by Susan Kim, Laurence Klavan & Faith Erin Hicks

·         Another paranormal graphic novel illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks

Tags

Absent mother, Cliques, Drama, Graphic novel, Ghosts, Graveyards, Home schooling, Local fables, Museums, Older brothers, Police, Single father, Twins, Zombies

Awards Won/Lists On

2012 Junior Library Guild Recommended Reading

2012 YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens

Professional Reviews

Booklist

Horn Book Magazine

 Kirkus Reviews
Publishers' Weekly
 School Library Journal

Booktalk Ideas

Note: Pages numbers are not included partly because the book is not paginated.

Introduce the Characters:

·         Maggie

·         Maggie’s brothers

·         Lucy & Alastair

·         The Ghost

Mysteries:

·         Why did Maggie’s mom leave?

·         Why does Alastair not get along with Matt or Daniel?

·         Why is a ghost following Maggie?

Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness

This book could be used for those who are making the transition from homeschooling to public/private schooling. It could also benefit teens who have an absent parent and/or a multitude of older siblings.

Reading Level/Interest Level

Reading Level: 2^nd grade

Interest Level: 9^th-12^th grade

These levels are according to AR Bookfinder

Challenge Issues

This book includes the following potentially controversial elements:

·         Absent mother

·         Bullying

·         Fake swear words

·         Ghosts

·         Hitchhiking

·         Physical violence

·         Public displays of affection

·         Scary movies

·         Theft

·         Zombies

Librarians can point out that this book is a relatively realistic portrayal of social cliques and the pressures one faces in high school. It also contains many positive elements such as the importance of family, not judging others based on their appearance, and that closure is not always possible.

Why Was This Included?

*Includes Spoilers*

I wanted to add more graphic novels to my database and included this one because it was about ghosts. I also really wanted to learn why Maggie was being haunted by a ghost. I must admit that the ending really bothered me as she never discovers the answer to this question! The author even wrote that while many people were upset about the open-ended ending she liked it. She also plans to never write a sequel so readers will never know why Maggie’s mother left nor what the deal is with the ghost!