Yehoshua Bomberg
Friendship has, and always will, define a person’s life. Friendship is the basis of relationships, marriage, mentorship, and society. And how we maintain these friendships, is evolving around us. Connections that we have on people now are completely different than the interactions we had with people 10 years ago. We prefer to text instead of call. We instant message instead of email. And we wish friends that we haven’t seen in 15 years but still think about-happy birthday, because Facebook told us to. Here are 9 amazing books about friendship that will make just about anyone’s day a little bit brighter.
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#1 Melissa and Kasho by Camilla Chance
Melissa, a shy teenage girl, feels lost in a transnational high society world that drives her to the depths of despair. But her attraction to the very human Kasho, who has snippets of philosophy to impart, eventually enables her to develop her own strengths. But Kasho doesn't dwell physically on Earth. Melissa's realistic story traverses class, gender, and power dynamics. She is expected to walk, or is bullied into walking, a certain path required of her class, including marrying a certain man. It's only when she connects with Kasho, a native man whose values are in-line with hers, that she finds a kindred spirit who truly sees her.
In an age of bullying and teen suicide, the resonating lesson throughout the story is There is always a way of making your life better. But how will she and her best friend, Daisy, find it?
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Contributor: Cassidy Colarik from Austin Macauley
#2 The Fang and the Feather by Sabina Spencer
The story follows the tale of two best friends Zara and Zak, who find themselves immersed in a virtual reality game, while on a quest to discover what happened to Zara's grandma. On hearing that her Grandma Elizabeth is presumed drowned, Zara finds it impossible to accept that she's dead. Instead, she is convinced that her grandmother has been kidnapped by some dark force.
At the wake, Zara and Zak, discover a portal in Elizabeth's thatched cottage. Before they know it, they are engaged in a virtual reality game, that turns out to be a real-time adventure in another galaxy. In the galaxy known as Quomos, an exotic purple planet, they discover they are eXtraordinary Inter-dimensional Travelers or X-ITs, with special powers. As they acclimate themselves to their new interactive world and budding special powers, Zara and Zak find themselves becoming more confident in their self-worth, as they join a family of beings called The Nuffs, who are engaged in a desperate quest to save their world from destruction.
The underlying message developing self-confidence is what inspired Spencer to write the trilogy series. To all those who have ever questioned if they were good enough, smart enough, strong enough, and every kind of enough you can think of - this story is for you, says Spencer.
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Contributor: Cassidy Colarik from Austin Macauley
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This is a journey and a wild one at that of two best friends. A story of deep friendship, light and dark, good and evil and characters you won’t easily forget. Is it virtual reality or real life….this story is exciting and full of adventure.
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The Fang and the Feather is captivating. I couldn’t put it down! The compelling story of Zak and Zara’s quest to save Grandma Elizabeth that so brilliantly helps readers explore their sense of self-worth and being ‘enough’ is a must read.
#3 The Boy Without a Friend by Bruce Jassett
Cleveland is an eight-year-old boy with autism who often lived a sheltered life. He rode the bus to school and often isolated himself from the other kids. He looked at the world differently. One day, the teacher asks Cleveland's class to write about their best friends. What is Cleveland to do?
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Contributor: Cassidy Colarik from Austin Macauley
#4 The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
This book by Shel Silverstein is a classic for a reason. It tells the story of an apple tree and a boy who form a bond, detailing the progression of the friendship over the years. Specifically, the boy starts off by playing with the tree, but as the boy grows into a man he takes more and more from the tree each time he visits it. The tree is happy to give of itself to make the boy happy, but eventually, almost everything is taken away from her. However, the boy still comes to visit the tree as an old man, and the tree still gains happiness from giving what it can to the boy.
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Contributor: Caleb Backe from Maple Holistics
#5 The Rainbow Fish Hardcover by Marcus Pfister
This book by Marcus Pfister is a child favorite. It tells the story of Rainbow Fish, a beautiful fish with some pretty silver scales. When a friend asks Rainbow Fish for one of these scales, Rainbow Fish answers rudely. This causes the other fish to stop being friends with Rainbow Fish, so he goes to an octopus for advice. Taking this advice, Rainbow Fish shares his scales with others and realizes that making others happy and having friends is more important than being selfish and vain.
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Contributor: Caleb Backe from Maple Holistics
#6 Manners That Matter Most by June Eding
Etiquette is one of the most valuable assets a person can have and adopting proper skills will be to your benefit this holiday season. Knowing how best to present yourself, and how to deal with others in a direct, effective manner, is paramount in all personal, professional, and social relationships..
In Manners That Matter Most - the Easy Guide to Etiquette at Home and in the World - published by Hatherleigh Press, researched and written by June Eding, with a special foreword by Norah Lawlor - covers topics from introductions, greetings and thank-you's, to the etiquette of modern technology. This book is a valuable resource and much-needed guide for the fast-paced digital world.
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Contributor: Norah Lawlor from Lawlor Media Group
#7 Mary & Me by Mary Potter Kenyon
This book I authored explores a thirty-year friendship between two women: one who had never learned to cultivate female friendships, and the other who had managed to gather and maintain a large group of friends throughout her adult life. The fact that thousands of handwritten letters between them tethered these two together is just part of the intriguing story. Me and Mary Jedlicka Humston share an unforgettable friendship that will inspire you to pick up your pen and begin writing Dear . . . Book clubs and other organizations will enjoy the companion discussion questions at the end of the book.
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Contributor: MaryPotter Kenyon
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I really liked this book. It’s filled with a lot of hope and struggle and is a lot like life.
This book tackles some of the most controversial and daunting times in a young woman’s life. Not everything ends well but it leaves the door open for choices we can all make to move past them.
An absolute joy for young girls seeking their places and looking for their paths.