Press enter after choosing selection

Friends With Boys

Hicks, Faith Erin. Graphic Novel - 2012 Teen Book / Comics & Graphic Novels / General / Hicks, Faith Erin 2 On Shelf No requests on this item Community Rating: 4.6 out of 5

Cover image for Friends with boys

Sign in to request

Locations
Call Number: Teen Book / Comics & Graphic Novels / General / Hicks, Faith Erin
On Shelf At: Traverwood Branch, Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length Call Number Checkout Length Item Status
Traverwood Teen Books
4-week checkout
Teen Book / Comics & Graphic Novels / General / Hicks, Faith Erin 4-week checkout On Shelf
Westgate Teen Books
4-week checkout
Teen Book / Comics & Graphic Novels / General / Hicks, Faith Erin 4-week checkout On Shelf

After an idyllic childhood of homeschooling with her mother and three older brothers, Maggie enrolls in public high school, where interacting with her peers is complicated by the melancholy ghost that has followed her throughout her entire life.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

School Library Journal Review
Booklist Review
Publishers Weekly Review
Summary / Annotation
Fiction Profile
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Home School to High School submitted by Caser on March 17, 2013, 11:45am It's Maggie's first day at Sandford High School. Until this year, she has been home schooled with her three older brothers. Now she's on her own, navigating crowded hallways and classrooms. She soon meets the mohawked-coiffed Alistair and his bubbly sister Lucy, who befriend Maggie and help her come out from under the shadow of her brothers.

Oh, did I forget to mention that Maggie has been stalked by a ghost in a graveyard for the past seven years? And that her mother recently abandoned their family for reasons unknown? As these developments are gradually (and seamlessly) revealed, readers will find themselves pulled more deeply into the tale, searching for answers along with Maggie and her new friends.

Author and comic artist, Faith Erin Hicks, creates a vivid portrait of Maggie's family as well as their community through black, white, and gray shading. Deep character expressions are effectively portrayed, and Hicks' use of alternating panel sizes carries the narrative along swiftly.

Highly recommended for grades 8 - 12.

Wonderfully written story submitted by andrewjmac on March 17, 2013, 11:19am I liked this book so much after finishing it, I read it again the next day. This is just the kind of graphic novel I like: a small story about people trying to figure out who they are and what their place is in the world. Hicks avoids cliches in her characters, making her most-pierced character her most lovably bouncy and giving us people who don't all look like they came out of a Disney movie. This is a great book for anyone who liked Raina Telgemeier's Smile and Drama.

Recommended for Comic Lovers submitted by Morgsush on June 14, 2013, 5:27pm This is definitely a great book for comic lovers. If you enjoyed going to the Kids Read Comics event, you will surely enjoy this. Filled with jokes, terrific drawings, and a wonderful plot, Friends with Boys will keep you captivated until the very last page. I just love the believable characters and brilliant artwork.

High school, ghosts, and older brothers submitted by wampishing on June 24, 2013, 1:12pm At the center of this tale of new starts and lingering doubts is freshman Maggie McKay. Home-schooled, the youngest of 4 children, and the only girl, Maggie has never had a friend outside of her own family. The silent ghost that's stalked her for the past 7 years doesn't count. But the ghost haunts Maggie less than the changes that have rocked her comfortable life in the past year: her mother's abrupt departure, the dissolution of her twin brothers' once close relationship, and the beginning of her time in public high school. Hicks' masterfully creates emotional and visual depth with atmospheric, expressive black and white illustration, thoughtful use of gray toning and excellent panel design. Though the story's ending may not resolve as much as the reader expects, the open-ended conclusion perfectly reflects the over-arching theme of the work: "Friends With Boys" puts forth the idea that some ghosts, literal or otherwise, can't be laid to rest in one simple stroke, and that moving forward may be painful, but is worth it.

a strong graphic novel offering submitted by LibraryMaven on June 19, 2014, 8:53pm Maggie has been homeschooled her entire life until this year, when she starts ninth grade. To add even more changes, her mother left the family, her father has been promoted to police chief and her three older brothers suddenly don’t get along like they used to. Luckily, she falls in with Lucy and Alistair, and realizes that perhaps she can navigate high school after all, even if she can’t fix everything in her life. Hicks’ graphic novel is a realistic take on the pains (and pleasures) of adolescence, and the ghost story in the narrative accentuates, rather than diminishes, the universality of wanting to make everything better for other people, and sometimes not being able to. Refreshingly, this is a book that is first and foremost about friendship: new, old, good, and gone bad. There is no love interest, and no characters pine for one, which readers fed up with high school drama may appreciate. Not to mention, of course, Hicks' fabulous artwork, which ensures that I am forever on the lookout for her books.

CUTE! submitted by torikaebaya on February 4, 2017, 1:09pm CUTE! But they should have kept the original title, that title is beyond dumb and make zero sense in terms of the story. It's so horribly sad when publishers keep writers from being writers. That always disgusts me, probably because i would/will do the same thing to be profitable. Anyway, the characters are all really good except the jocks, who are at least believable. I can't relate to Maggie, but i can definitely feel what she feels. Faith Erin Hicks is a great writer.

Okay submitted by zora on July 26, 2019, 8:50pm Not the most relatable book in my mind. I think that I would much rather read something like saga or a graphic novel about superheros.

Cover image for Friends with boys


PUBLISHED
New York : First Second, 2012.
Year Published: 2012
Description: 1 v. (unpaged) : chiefly ill. ; 22 cm.
Language: English
Format: Graphic Novel

READING LEVEL
Lexile: 390

ISBN/STANDARD NUMBER
9781596435568
1596435569

SUBJECTS
Ghosts -- Fiction.
Interpersonal relations -- Fiction.
High schools -- Fiction.
Brothers and sisters -- Fiction.
Graphic novels.
Ghost stories.