Books like 'Making Friends'
Readers who enjoyed Making Friends by Kristen Gudsnuk also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary fantasy action / adventure supernatural magic magical-realism friendship children humor bullying
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Everblaze by Shannon Messenger
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 46 ratingsA New York Times bestselling seriesA USA TODAY bestselling seriesA California Young Reader Medal–winning seriesSophie uncovers shocking secrets—and faces treacherous new enemies—in this electrifying third book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series.Sophie Foster is ready to fight back... -
Exile by Shannon Messenger
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsSophie Foster thought she was safe. Settled into her home at Havenfield, surrounded by friends, and using her unique telepathic abilities to train Silveny--the first female alicorn ever seen in the Lost Cities--her life finally seems to be coming together. But Sophie's kidnappers are still out there... -
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 87 ratingsMatilda is a little girl who is far too good to be true. At age five-and-a-half she's knocking off double-digit multiplication problems and blitz-reading Dickens. Even more remarkably, her classmates love her even though she's a super-nerd and the teacher's pet. But everything is not perfect in Matilda's world. For starters she has two of the most idiotic, self-centered parents who ever lived... -
Dark Days by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsMeet Skulduggery Pleasant: detective, sorcerer, warrior.Oh yes. And dead.Skulduggery Pleasant is gone, sucked into a parallel dimension overrun by the Faceless Ones. If his bones haven’t already been turned to dust, chances are he’s insane, driven out of his mind by the horror of the ancient gods. There is no official, Sanctuary-approved rescue mission. There is no official plan to save him...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship humor low-fantasy magic action-adventure audiobook -
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The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 72 ratingsHe's b-a-a-ack! Despite their best efforts, Carter and Sadie Kane can't seem to keep Apophis, the chaos snake, down. Now Apophis is threatening to plunge the world into eternal darkness, and the Kanes are faced with the impossible task of having to destroy him once and for all... -
Resurrection by Derek Landy
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe skeleton detective is coming back to life...again! It's the tenth, triumphant novel in the Skulduggery Pleasant series, and it will rearrange your world.Skulduggery and Valkyrie are back in the tenth instalment in the best-selling Skulduggery Pleasant series - an incredible and unexpected treat for the legions of fans around the world...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship humor low-fantasy magic action-adventure audiobook -
The Last Present by Wendy Mass
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsDon't miss the latest entry in the incredible Willow Falls series by Wendy Mass!Amanda and Leo have a history with birthdays. Now their friend's little sister, Grace, has fallen into a strange frozen state on her birthday, and Amanda and Leo must travel in time in order to fix whatever's wrong. As they journey back to each of Grace's birthdays, they start seeing all sorts of patterns . . -
The Inside Story by Michael Buckley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsAfter the shocking ending of The Everafter War, this book picks up with Sabrina, Daphne, and Puck stuck in the Book of Everafter, where all the fairy tales are stored and enchanted characters can change their destinies. The girls (and Puck) must chase the Master through a series of stories, where they’re willing to change what they need in order to save their baby brother... -
This Book Is Not Good for You by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsBetween the pages of this book lies the secret to the best-tasting chocolate in all the world. I promise, your taste buds will tingle. Your palette will sing! Oh no, have I accidentally tempted you to read this book? I will warn you, however, the most delicious things are never good for you..Categorized as:
children friendship humor low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic action-adventure -
Chew the Bullet by Martha Carr, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIdina Moorfield isn’t the only one on her team with unusual powers.Her buddy, Stop remembers everything he sees, and Cake is a new kind of man of steel.That’s the last two, which means everyone in Idina’s unit has a unique talent.Why would the Army want to bring them all together?Her commander, Hines is still refusing to answer her questions...Categorized as:
coming-of-age humor low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure book contemporary fiction -
This Isn't What It Looks Like by Pseudonymous Bosch, Robert Petkoff
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThe Secret Series continues in this dangerous and daring fourth adventure. Cass finds herself alone and disoriented, a stranger in a dream-like, medieval world. Where is she? Who is she? With the help of a long-lost relative, she begins to uncover clues and secrets--piecing together her family's history as she fights her way back to the present world...Categorized as:
children friendship humor low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic action-adventure -
Awake and Dreaming by Kit Pearson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTheo has always dreamed of belonging to a real family. Her dream seems to come true when she is mysteriously "adopted" by the warm Kaldor clan. For the first time, Theo has brand new clothes, things of her own, security, and good friends. But, as time passes, the magic of Theo's new life begins to fade--really fade. In fact, Theo herself is vanishing...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age drama friendship low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure book -
Eleven Birthdays by Wendy Mass
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsGROUNDHOG DAY meets FLIPPED in this tale of a girl stuck in her birthday.It's Amanda's 11th birthday and she is super excited -- after all, 11 is so different from 10. But from the start, everything goes wrong. The worst part of it all is that she and her best friend, Leo, with whom she's shared every birthday, are on the outs and this will be the first birthday they haven't shared together... -
The Good Troll Detective by Ramy Vance, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHalf-troll. Half-human. All badass.Maine doesn’t like her father. It doesn’t help that he’s a troll. As in a literal, lives-under-a-bridge troll.When her father is killed, Maine returns home to settle his estate and learns that he wasn’t any ordinary troll, but the town hero.Seems trolls can be superheroes, too...Categorized as:
coming-of-age humor low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure book contemporary fiction -
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The Menagerie by Tui T. Sutherland, Kari Sutherland
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling author of the Wings of Fire series, Tui T. Sutherland, and her sister, Kari Sutherland, comes the Menagerie series, perfect for fans of Brandon Mull’s Fablehaven series and The Spiderwick Chronicles.In the small town of Xanadu, Wyoming lies the Menagerie, a top secret facility filled with unicorns, dragons, phoenixes, and other fairy tale creatures...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship humor low-fantasy magic magical-realism action-adventure -
When by Victoria Laurie, Whitney Dykhouse
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsPretty Little Liars meets Medium in this fast-paced thriller and fantastic YA debut from a New York Times bestselling author.Maddie Fynn is a shy high school junior, cursed with an eerie intuitive ability: she sees a series of unique digits hovering above the foreheads of each person she encounters...Categorized as:
bullying coming-of-age drama friendship magical-realism realistic action-adventure audiobook -
Firecracker by A.L. Knorr
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn love with one twin, bonded by fire to the other. Welcome to Arcturus Academy.98% of fire magi who attempt the agonizing forbidden ritual known as The Burning don’t survive. Those who do… level up in ways undreamt of by the Unburned.I survived.Now I've got other problems...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age magic magical-realism action-adventure audiobook book contemporary -
Imagineer by Honor Raconteur
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsImagination has no limit… Our Heroine: Me. And boy, are we all in trouble. A seventeen-year-old with a love of fantasy and unmanageable hair? Hardly anyone’s idea of the knight in shining armor. I went about life with no idea the world around me was not as it seemed, until one dark night I saw glimpses of things I knew shouldn’t exist...Categorized as:
coming-of-age humor low-fantasy magic magical-realism action-adventure book contemporary -
If You're Reading This, It's Too Late by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsBeware!Dangerous secrets lie between the pages of this book.OK, I warned you. But if you think I'll give anything away, or tell you that this is the sequel to my first literary endeavor, The Name of This Book is Secret, you're wrong... -
Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B.B. Alston
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe highly anticipated third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Supernatural Investigations series that began with Amari and the Night Brothers! Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Nevermoor.War has come to the supernatural world, and Amari’s two worst enemies are leading the charge...Categorized as:
magic children friendship coming-of-age magical-realism low-fantasy fantasy middle-grade -
The Copper Gauntlet by Holly Black, Cassandra Clare
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsCallum Hunt’s summer break isn’t like other kids’. His closest companion is a Chaos-ridden wolf, Havoc. His father suspects him of being secretly evil. And, of course, most kids aren’t heading back to the magical world of the Magisterium in the fall. It’s not easy for Call . .Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship humor low-fantasy magic magical-realism action-adventure -
Ready For All by Martha Carr, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDescriptionIdina Moorfield and Hellion Squadron are going on their first mission.Months and months of training is finally paying off.No amount of training could have prepared them for this.A monster unlike anything they have seen before.Idina and her team are going to have to come up with new tactics to capture or kill this monster… if they can.The world is changing. Magic is changing... -
The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA magical adventure for fans of Katherine Applegate and Jennifer Holm about a girl with a mysterious connection to the elephant who saved her life.An elephant never forgets, but Lexington Willow can't remember her past. Swept away by a tornado as a toddler, she was dropped in a nearby Nebraska zoo, where an elephant named Nyah protected her from the storm...Categorized as:
children friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic action-adventure animals -
Dust by Dusti Bowling
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA girl who struggles to breathe befriends a boy who seems shrouded in dust. After Avalyn nearly died from an asthma attack, her parents moved her to the clear, dry air of Clear Canyon City, Arizona. And for the last ten years, she’s been able to breathe. That is, until Adam showed up. Quiet and unkempt, Adam is an instant target for the bullies who have plagued Avalyn and her friends...Categorized as:
magical-realism realistic bullying friendship children magic low-fantasy north-america -
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The Girl Who Could Not Dream by Sarah Beth Durst
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSophie loves the hidden shop below her parents' bookstore, where dreams are secretly bought and sold. When the dream shop is robbed and her parents go missing, Sophie must unravel the truth to save them. Together with her best friend—a wisecracking and fanatically loyal monster named Monster—she must decide whom to trust with her family’s carefully guarded secrets...Categorized as:
children friendship humor low-fantasy magic magical-realism action-adventure animals -
What Not to Do If You Turn Invisible by Ross Welford
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA surprising, stunningly beautiful, and funny novel about a girl who turns invisible and, in the process, discovers who she really is, from the author of TIME TRAVELING WITH A HAMSTER Twelve-year-old Ethel Leatherhead only meant to cure her acne, not turn herself invisible. But that's exactly what happens when she combines herbs bought on the Internet with time spent in a secondhand tanning bed...Categorized as:
bullying children friendship humor low-fantasy magical-realism realistic action-adventure -
A Dash of Magic by Kathryn Littlewood, Sascha Icks
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsRosemary Bliss will do anything to get back her family's magical Cookery Booke.That's why she challenges Aunt Lily to an international baking competition in Paris: If Rose wins, Lily agrees to return the cookery Booke that she stole. If Rose loses...well, the consequences are too ugly to think about.But Lily isn't playing fair--she's using a magical ingredient to cheat...Categorized as:
children friendship humor low-fantasy magic magical-realism action-adventure animals -
The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsEveryone in Emma's family is special. Her ancestors include Revolutionary War spies, brilliant scientists, and famous musicians--every single one of which learned of their extraordinary destiny through a dream. For Emma, her own dream can't come soon enough... -
The Swap by Megan Shull
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratings"You be me . . . And I'll be you."Ellie spent the summer before seventh grade getting dropped by her best friend since forever. Jack spent it training in "The Cage" with his tough-as-nails brothers and hard-to-please dad. By the time middle school starts, they're both ready for a change. And just as Jack's thinking girls have it so easy, Ellie's wishing she could be anyone but herself... -
The Mystwick School of Musicraft by Jessica Khoury, Suzy Jackson
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsLength: 8 hrs and 18 minsHumor, heart, and a symphony of magic take center stage in this middle-grade fantasy, perfect for fans of Nevermoor and The School for Good and Evil series.Amelia Jones has always dreamed of attending the Mystwick School of Musicraft, where the world’s most promising musicians learn to create magic...Categorized as:
bullying children coming-of-age friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism action-adventure -
The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsYou just can't keep a good girl down . . . unless you use the proper methods.Piper McCloud can fly. Just like that. Easy as pie.Sure, she hasn't mastered reverse propulsion and her turns are kind of sloppy, but she's real good at loop-the-loops.Problem is, the good folk of Lowland County are afraid of Piper. And her ma's at her wit's end... -
Scumble by Ingrid Law
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsNine years after Mibs's Savvy journey, her cousin Ledge has just turned thirteen . . . But Ledger Kale's savvy is a total dud-all he does is make little things fall apart. So his parents decide it's safe to head to Wyoming, where it's soon revealed that Ledge's savvy is much more powerful than anyone thought...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship humor magic magical-realism realistic action-adventure -
The Eye of Zoltar by Jasper Fforde
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe Mighty Shandar, the most powerful wizard the world has ever seen, returns to the Ununited Kingdoms. Clearly, he didn't solve the Dragon Problem, and must hand over his fee: eighteen dray-weights of gold...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship humor magic magical-realism 21st-century action-adventure -
The Name of This Book Is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsWarning: this description has not been authorized by Pseudonymous Bosch. As much as he'd love to sing the praises of his book (he is very vain), he wouldn't want you to hear about his brave 11-year old heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest. Or about how a mysterious box of vials, the Symphony of Smells, sends them on the trail of a magician who has vanished under strange (and stinky) circumstances...Categorized as:
children friendship humor low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic action-adventure -
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Ferris: by Kate DiCamillo
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe beloved author of Because of Winn-Dixie has outdone herself with a hilarious and achingly real love story about a girl, a ghost, a grandmother, and growing up.It’s the summer before fifth grade, and for Ferris Wilkey, it is a summer of sheer pandemonium: Her little sister, Pinky, has vowed to become an outlaw...Categorized as:
realistic friendship humor children magical-realism coming-of-age low-fantasy middle-grade -
Illusions by Aprilynne Pike
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 42 ratings"I don't do patrols, I don't go hunting, I just stick close to you. You live your life, I'll keep you safe," Tamani said, sweeping a lock of hair from her face. "Or die trying."Laurel hasn't seen Tamani since she begged him to let her go last year. Though her heart still aches, Laurel is confident that David was the right choice...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama friendship humor low-fantasy magic 21st-century action-adventure -
The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez by Adrianna Cuevas
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA Cuban American boy must use his secret ability to communicate with animals to save the inhabitants of his town.All Nestor Lopez wants is to live in one place for more than a few months and have dinner with his dad.When he and his mother move to a new town to live with his grandmother after his dad’s latest deployment, Nestor plans to lay low... -
Gilda Joyce: The Ghost Sonata by Jennifer Allison
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen her best friend, Wendy Choy, qualifies to compete in an international piano competition in Oxford, England, irrepressible Gilda Joyce finds a way to get an invitation herself—as a page-turner. Wendy settles into an exhausting practice schedule, made worse by strange nightmares, while Gilda finds herself falling in love with a British boy...Categorized as:
children friendship humor low-fantasy magical-realism realistic action-adventure audiobook -
A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLeonora Logroño’s family owns the most beloved bakery in Rose Hill, Texas, spending their days conjuring delicious cookies and cakes for any occasion. And no occasion is more important than the annual Dia de los Muertos festival.Leo hopes that this might be the year that she gets to help prepare for the big celebration—but, once again, she is told she’s too young... -
The Secret Keepers Lib/E by Trenton Lee Stewart
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAcclaimed New York Times bestselling author Trenton Lee Stewart returns with a captivating, heart-stopping adventure about thrilling secrets and dangerous mysteries-and the courage to reveal the most frightening of truths...Categorized as:
children friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic action-adventure audiobook -
The Demigod Diaries by Rick Riordan, Haley Riordan
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 57 ratingsWhat dangers do runaway demigods Luke and Thalia face on their way to Camp Half-Blood? Are Percy and Annabeth up to the task of rescuing stolen goods from a fire-breathing giant who doesn't take kindly to intruders? How exactly are Leo, Piper, and Jason supposed to find a runaway table, dodge a band of party-loving Maenads (who just might be a little psychotic), and stave off a massive explosion.Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship humor low-fantasy magic action-adventure ancient-civilization -
A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsIntroducing an extraordinary new voice---a magical debut that will make your skin tingle, your eyes glisten . . .and your heart sing.Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place, a town where people could sing up thunderstorms and dance up sunflowers. But that was long ago, before a curse drove the magic away... -
Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsDo you believe in magic? Micah Tuttle does.Even though his awful Great-Aunt Gertrudis doesn’t approve, Micah believes in the stories his dying Grandpa Ephraim tells him of the magical Circus Mirandus: the invisible tiger guarding the gates, the beautiful flying birdwoman, and the magician more powerful than any other—the Man Who Bends Light. Finally, Grandpa Ephraim offers proof... -
All the Answers by Kate Messner
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsWhat if your pencil had all the answers? Would you ace every test? Would you know what your teachers were thinking? When Ava Anderson finds a scratched up pencil she doodles like she would with any other pencil. But when she writes a question in the margin of her math quiz, she hears a clear answer in a voice no one else seems to hear... -
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The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsKatie, who has supernatural powers, attempts to start a new life in another town with her mother. The attempt succeeds until Mr. Cooper asks Katie too many questions...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic 20th-century -
Lost and Found by Orson Scott Card
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratings"Are you really a thief?"That's the question that has haunted fourteen-year-old Ezekiel Blast all his life. But he's not a thief, he just has a talent for finding things. Not a superpower--a micropower... -
The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsLong ago, magic began to fade, and the underemployed magicians of Kazam Mystical Arts Management have been forced to take any work their sixteen-year-old acting manager, Jennifer Strange, can scare up. But things are about to change. Magical power is finally on the rise, and King Snodd IV, of the Ununited Kingdoms knows that he who controls magic controls everything...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship humor low-fantasy magic magical-realism 21st-century -
Pears and Perils by Drew Hayes
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMost people would be overjoyed to win $50,000 and the chance to star in a nation-wide commercial, even if it was just for a fast food joint like Camelot Burger. Then again, Clint Tucker has never been like most people. Ushered to the tropical paradise of Kenowai, he and the other winners undertake an island tradition for the cameras, one meant to free a local imprisoned deity...Categorized as:
humor low-fantasy magical-realism action-adventure adult audiobook book contemporary -
School's Out by Jamie Thomson
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter acclimating to the inane customs of the blathering human fools, Dirk Lloyd has managed to make contact with his home in the Darklands. Unfortunately, his powers have betrayed him yet again. His new, and dare he say it, good friend Sooz has been transported to his Iron Tower of Despair, where she awaits what is sure to be a slow and painful end... -
Otherwood by Pete Hautman
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat happened in the woods that day? Pete Hautman’s riveting middle-grade novel touches on secrets and mysteries — and the power of connections with family and friends.“Hatred combined with lies and secrets can break the world.” Grandpa Zach used to say that before he died, but Stuey never really knew what he meant...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship low-fantasy magical-realism realistic action-adventure book
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