Books like Friends first by Christine McDonnell

Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novel follows middle‑school theater enthusiast Callie as she designs a blue‑grass‑tired set for a school play, grappling with teamwork, budgets, and the drama of friendship and family.

Thirteen‑year‑old Lakshmi leaves her impoverished Himalayan home for India, only to discover she has been sold into prostitution. With fierce resilience and new friendships, she fights her captivity and seeks a way back to freedom.

Maya's summer is shaped by her cousin's arrival and the clash of personalities in a small Alabama town, as Maya navigates the complexities of family, friendship, and adolescence in the 1980s through the eyes of a young, African American girl with a bright future ahead of her.

After her new stepfather limits her freedom and her best friend plans a move, Natalie fights back to keep her world steady, exploring friendship, adolescence, and the challenges of blended family life.

Shep Templeton was alive! The award-winning journalist, the only man Emily Templeton had ever loved, hadn't died in the Pataguam jungle, but was coming home - only to learn his wife had divorced him. Eight months before, after a night of reckless passion, he had left for his next dangerous assignment. She'd vowed then it was the last time Shep would leave her. Love for Emily was all that had kept Shep going, had made him want to live through months of pain and recovery. Now he had to fight for a new start, had to prove he'd changed, but would Emily beleive he wanted a family and a future together more than he needed his freedom? She was seared by his kisses and ached to be cherished, but how could she trust a man who broke promises as easily as he made them? Sharing secrets and spending time with Shep filled Emily with hope, but so many doubts remained. Could he convince her that he'd always be her best friend, that he was home to stay?

A collection of thirteen stories from award-winning authors that explore how things are lost and found during a teenager's high school years, focusing on friendship and the transition to adulthood.

A teenage girl's journey through the small, picturesque Massachusetts village where she meets a wealthy boy who helps her understand life after her father's death.

Five short stories featuring young people discovering self-identity and confidence.

Pa Lia Vang starts second grade at a new school and learns that the challenges she feared aren’t as daunting as she imagined, discovering friendship and community along the way.