Friend Me

By: Sheila M. Averbuch

Narrated by: Katy Davis

Roisin hasn't made a single friend since moving from Ireland to Massachusetts. In fact, she is falling apart under constant abuse from a school bully, Zara.

Zara torments Roisin in person and on social media. She makes Roisin the laughingstock of the whole school. Roisin feels utterly alone...until she bonds with Haley online. Finally there's someone who gets her. Haley is smart, strong, and shares anti-mean-girl memes that make Roisin laugh. Together, they are able to imagine what life could look like without Zara. Haley quickly becomes Roisin's lifeline.

Then Zara has a painful accident, police investigate, and Roisin panics. Could her chats with Haley look incriminating? Roisin wants Haley to delete her copies of their messages, but when she tries to meet Haley in person, she can't find her anywhere. What's going on?

Her best friend would never have lied to her, right? Or is Haley not who she says she is?

With twists, turns, and lightning-fast pacing, this is a middle-grade thriller about bullying, revenge, and tech that young listeners won't be able to put down.

©2020 Sheila Averbuch (P)2020 Scholastic Inc.

The impact

I liked how you made it a better way for the younger kids to understand that bullying is wrong.