Making Friends: A Graphic Novel (Making Friends #1)

Description: From the creator of the Henchgirl comic series comes a new middle-grade graphic novel. Danielle needs a perfect friend, but learns that sometimes making (or creating) one is a lot easier than keeping one.

Brief description: Kristen Gudsnuk is the creator of Making Friends, an IndieBound bestseller and YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens selection. The sequel, Making Friends: Back to the Drawing Board, was included in the 2020 ILA Children's Choices reading list. She's also the writer and artist of the Minecraft comic series Wither Without You, and her Henchgirl comic series is being developed into a TV show. Kristen was born in suburbia, didn't go to art school, and now lives in Queens, New York. Learn more about Kristen and her comics at kristengudsnuk.com.

Review Quotes:

★ "Making Friends is the Scott Pilgrim for the tweenage set, perfect for any younger readers' graphic novel collection." -- School Library Journal, starred review

"Gudsnuk's powers of imagination will make her plenty of friends." -- Publishers Weekly

"This charming graphic novel features full-color, manga-inspired illustrations and a breezy plot that blends wish fulfillment and fantasy with an approachable and contemporary storyline. With a broad brush, Gudsnuk hits many of the angst-y issues of middle school, including popularity, bullying, family relationships, body image, and fandom, creating appeal for a large swath of readers... A nifty pastiche of middle school matters." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Middle-schoolers, meanwhile, will appreciate Gudsnuk's light touch in bringing an empathetic, joyful, and judicious treatment to those tough in-between years." -- Booklist

Praise for Making Friends: Back to the Drawing Board:

"Gudsnuk's bubbly, playful artwork, in a warm palette dominated by pink and purple and dense with detail and expressive, goggle-eyed faces, is a pleasure to look at." -- Booklist