You choose the kids.” Response to ‘Real Friends’ When you’re weighing the possibility of offending a handful of adults versus the possibility of helping hundreds of thousands of kids, then the choice becomes easier.

“It’s about the kids today who might need this story. “I keep reminding myself that it’s not about me and it’s not about them,” she said. She had to tune out her worries about the people who would see themselves depicted in these novels or else it would shut her down, she said. In fact, she changed most of the characters’ names in the book to acknowledge that her memory is flawed. She can only remember things from a child’s point of view.

She had to remind herself she’s not a historical scholar piecing together events exactly as they happened. To write both graphic novel memoirs, Hale reread her childhood journals several times, looked through her school papers, read letters and talked to people. I’m a fiction writer mostly, and when a (fiction) story’s not working I can just make stuff up,” she said. If she can string enough of those scenes together, then she has a book. She compared her memories to a box of Polaroids, describing how she has to pull out each snapshot and try to remember what happened right before and right after to create a scene. While there are currently no plans for a third book, Hale said it’s possible there will be more - she just has to find the right story. “It’s a transitional age, so right on the cusp of becoming a teenager, but you’re still kind of a kid and trying to figure out how to be both at the same time.” Writing a memoir “I think it’s a very interesting age,” Hale said.

While “Real Friends” covers Hale’s life from kindergarten through fifth grade, “Best Friends” is exclusively about sixth grade. Shannon struggles to fit in and find out who she wants to become as childhood starts leaving her behind. But the rules for staying popular are always changing, and Shannon struggles to keep up with what’s cool and how she should act - especially now that everyone’s pairing up with boys. In “Best Friends,” Shannon is more than ready for sixth grade with her sure spot in the in-crowd called The Group.

Now Hale has written a sequel, “ Best Friends,” (illustrated by LeUyen Pham, Macmillan, 256 pages, ages 8-11) which hit shelves in August.

Best friends by shannon hale