Books like 'That’s What Friends Do'
Readers who enjoyed That’s What Friends Do by Cathleen Barnhart also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance realistic coming-of-age sports friendship children
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Saving Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe kids and their favorite teacher from Because of Mr. Terupt and Mr. Terupt Falls Again return for a third book in the funny, warmhearted series for fans of Wonder. Seventh grade was going to be awesome. The only thing missing was Mr. Terupt.The kids from Mr. Terupt’s fifth- and sixth-grade classes are entering their first year of junior high school... -
![November Blues by Sharon M. Draper]()
November Blues by Sharon M. Draper
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen November Nelson loses her boyfriend, Josh, to a pledge stunt gone horribly wrong, she thinks her life can't possibly get any worse. But Josh left something behind that will change November's life forever, and now she's faced with the biggest decision she could ever imagine. How in the world will she tell her mom? And how will Josh's parents take the news? She's never needed a friend more... -
![You're Bacon Me Crazy by Suzanne Nelson]()
You're Bacon Me Crazy by Suzanne Nelson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTessa loves working at the trendy food truck her aunt runs in their native San Francisco. Whipping up creative treats, serving yummy BLTs to her classmates after school… Tessa feels like she’s living the dream. Then the dream turns into a nightmare. Popular, arrogant Asher starts working at the truck! He can’t make a sandwich to save his life, and on top of it all, he’s frustratingly cute... -
![The Day After Forever by Erin Skiffington]()
The Day After Forever by Erin Skiffington
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Day After Forever is an emotional story centering around four teenagers who discover and demostrate the true meaning of friendship. It illustrates the agony surroundingf horrific events and how friendship will always stand strong against the circumstances. Jeff has leukemia... -
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![My Girl by Patricia Hermes]()
My Girl by Patricia Hermes
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen your Dad's an undertaker, your Mom's in heaven, and your Grandma's got a screw loose... it's good to have a friend who understands you. Even if he is a boy. Thomas J. is Vada's best friend. They live near enough to each other to bike ride over and play, or even just hang out. The two are always together, sharing their afternoons, their adventures in the lake, and all of their secrets...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship book contemporary female-author fiction middle-grade -
![Save the Cupcake! by Lisa Papademetriou]()
Save the Cupcake! by Lisa Papademetriou
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis delicious new series from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Papademetriou is a real treat -- full of humor and heart and cupcakes!Confession: My life is soooo not sprinkles and sunshine . . . Hayley's world is far from perfect: her parents have divorced, her mom has lost her job, and she and her sister Chloe are stuck sharing a bedroom in their grandmother's apartment... -
![The Sister Switch by Jane B. Mason, Sarah Hines Stephens]()
The Sister Switch by Jane B. Mason, Sarah Hines Stephens
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAndie and Caitlin are identical twins who couldn't be less alike. Fed up with being lumped together, the girls can't wait to start junior high. There, they'll finally be able to pave their own way. But it turns out that being mistaken for each other might work in their favor... -
![Accidentally Famous by Lisa Papademetriou]()
Accidentally Famous by Lisa Papademetriou
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMeet Amy Flowers, a seventh grader who marches to her own beat: Being the new girl at exclusive Allington Academy doesn't break her stride! Meet the League: They rule the school, and their queen is oh-so-mean Fiona, who doesn't exactly appreciate Amy's individuality. This time, Amy is helping League lieutenant Jenelle with a charity fashion show... -
![Reach for Tomorrow by Lurlene McDaniel]()
Reach for Tomorrow by Lurlene McDaniel
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsKatie O'Roark is thrilled to learn that Jenny House is being rebuilt. After the fire last year, Katie thought she could never return to the camp, where she spent the summers with teens like her who faced medical odds stacked against them. But thanks to Richard Holloway's efforts, Katie and her longtime friends Lacey and Chelsea will work as counselors once again... -
![Accidentally Friends by Lisa Papademetriou]()
Accidentally Friends by Lisa Papademetriou
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe fourth book in our first Candy Apple mini-series from New York Times-bestselling author Lisa Papademetriou! Seventh grader Amy Flowers is at it again in her fourth fish-out-of-water adventure at super-snooty Allington Academy... -
![Making Waves by Randi Reisfeld, H.B. Gilmour]()
Making Waves by Randi Reisfeld, H.B. Gilmour
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCandy Apple is a fresh, fun take on fiction for girls: a new line of single titles with pep and pizzazz targeted at the solid middle-grade reader. This summer super special includes a sparkly add-on!Emily, Jenna, and LJ have been a trio forever... -
![Accidentally Fabulous by Lisa Papademetriou]()
Accidentally Fabulous by Lisa Papademetriou
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsUgly Betty meets The Clique in this middle-grade series about a fish-out-of-water navigating the piranha-infested halls of upper-crusty Allington Academy.Meet Amy Flowers: She’s a seventh grader who marches to her own beat... -
![The Boy Next Door by Laura Dower]()
The Boy Next Door by Laura Dower
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA sassy twist on the evolving middle-school friendship between Taryn and Jeff, the boy next door, told from their alternating points of view. One of the first titles in the new CANDY APPLE line! Taryn and Jeff have lived next door to each other their whole lives. It never really seemed to matter that they were a girl and a boy -- they were just friends... -
![Times Squared by Julia DeVillers, Jennifer Roy]()
Times Squared by Julia DeVillers, Jennifer Roy
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIdentical twin sisters Payton and Emma Mills have “traded faces” and created “twin-dentical chaos” at school and at home. But you haven’t seen anything yet. Payton and Emma are off to “twin-vade” New York City! Payton’s drama club plans a field trip to see an off-Broadway show, and Emma’s mathletes team will compete in an elite competition... -
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![The Year I Almost Drowned by Shannon McCrimmon]()
The Year I Almost Drowned by Shannon McCrimmon
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn this continuation of The Summer I Learned to Dive, nineteen-year old Finley “Finn” Hemmings is living in Graceville, South Carolina with her grandparents. She's getting to know the family that she was separated from for the last sixteen years. Finn and Jesse's relationship seems to be going strong until they're forced to deal with obstacles that throw them off-track...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship realistic book contemporary fiction new-adult womens-fiction -
![Everybody Bugs Out by Leslie Margolis]()
Everybody Bugs Out by Leslie Margolis
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAnnabelle has tamed the wild boys and catty girls of middle school. Now it's time for her first school dance! A couple of Annabelle's friends already have dates and she would like one, too. Better yet, she finally has a crush on someone-Oliver. The problem? Claire also likes him, and she's called dibs... -
![End Zone by Cheryl Douglas]()
End Zone by Cheryl Douglas
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHigh Rollers marketing director, Matt Hudson, has had a thing for Kristen Beck for as long as he can remember. She was the untouchable prom queen who was out of his league back in high school, but the tables have turned. Since Matt was named one of cities most eligible bachelors, he can have his pick of beautiful women... -
![Rough Waters by Nikki Chartier]()
Rough Waters by Nikki Chartier
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHaley's future has been waiting on the west coast for the past year, but she isn't the only new face in Crescent Cove this summer. When Colby Taylor's parents locate him and interrupt his surf competition, the surf star spirals out of control, dragging Drenaline Surf's reputation through the mud and into the ground with him... -
![A Flirtationship by love-o-holic12babe, Shreya Pandey]()
A Flirtationship by love-o-holic12babe, Shreya Pandey
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“God, I like him. I like my best friend. Oh, and he has a girlfriend.” Scarlett has been best friends with Aiden for a very long time. She's almost like a sister to him. Problem is, Scarlett does not see him as a brother at all; far from it, in fact. Her traitor of a heart loves him--yes, as more than a friend. They are polar opposites... -
![Afterglow by Phil Stamper]()
Afterglow by Phil Stamper
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter a summer of life-changing, these four friends are finally ready for senior year.Gabriel is thrilled to create his school's first LGBTQ+ advocacy group, but his long-distance relationship is fading from summer love to something else... Heath feels secure for the first time in years, but with his future riding on a baseball scholarship, each pitch triggers his anxiety.. -
![Carter's Unfocused, One-Track Mind by Brent Crawford]()
Carter's Unfocused, One-Track Mind by Brent Crawford
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter an eventful freshman year and disastrous summer, fifteen-year-old Will Carter returns to Merrian High none the wiser. His sophomore year will present a host of new problems: the return of Scary Terry from juvie, the pregnant presence of Amber Lee, friends-with-benefits negotiations with Abby, prom night expectations, and the ever-constant harassment from his boys... -
![Finding You by Elizabeth Lee]()
Finding You by Elizabeth Lee
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeing the wild child has worked for Mallory Vandaveer for most of her life. She’s the good time girl, up for anything–and everyone in her small town knows it. But when her sister came home after years of being away, long hidden secrets came out. Turns out, Mallory isn’t who she thought she was. And now everything starts to feel like a lie... -
![Accidentally Fooled by Lisa Papademetriou]()
Accidentally Fooled by Lisa Papademetriou
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSeventh grader Amy Flowers is finally making her mark at ultra-exclusive Allington Academy, but there's always one thing standing in her way: the League. They rule the school, and their queen is oh-so-mean Fiona, who doesn't exactly appreciate a new girl invading her turf. This time, Amy's stuck working on a service project with Fiona and preppie know-it-all Preston... -
![Four Truths and a Lie by Lauren Barnholdt]()
Four Truths and a Lie by Lauren Barnholdt
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEighth grader Scarlett is boy crazy -- and not just a little boy crazy. We're talking seriously, utterly, completely, 100-percent boy crazy! So much so that her mother, in an effort to curb Scarlett's enthusiasm, ships her off to a prestigious all-girls charter school. Scarlett thinks her life is absolutely over... -
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![Ethan Between Us by Anna Myers, Julia Laserna]()
Ethan Between Us by Anna Myers, Julia Laserna
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEthan is different. He is gorgeous, easy to talk to, and a uniquely gifted pianist. But his musical talent is both a gift and a curse. The doctors label him a schizophrenic, as he claims to have been taught by a long-dead, 19th-century composer... -
![My Favorite Mistake by Georgina Bloomberg, Catherine Hapka]()
My Favorite Mistake by Georgina Bloomberg, Catherine Hapka
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTommi, Zara, and Kate are all elite riders on the A Circuit. Tommi, the billionaire heiress, is training a young horse to prove she can make horses a real career. But when her new beau, Alex, convinces her to skip a horse show to party in the Hamptons, the results could be disastrous. Zara, the celebutante wild child, is finally taking her riding seriously... -
![Now I'll Tell You Everything by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
Now I'll Tell You Everything by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt's Alice—for the rest of her life! Yes, the very last Alice book, and it reveals every last bit you'd want to know about Alice, including whether she spends the rest of her life with Patrick! "This is the book where Alice, every girl’s girl, turns into every lady’s lady" (VOYA).Alice McKinley is going to college! And everything, from her room to her classes to her friends, is about to change... -
![Hendrix: A Second Chance Romance by Kelsey Clayton]()
Hendrix: A Second Chance Romance by Kelsey Clayton
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratings"It's like I was chasing a feeling in all the wrong directions... -
![Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy]()
Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsScarlett's in trouble at school. Again. With black fingernails and dyed ketchup-red hair, she's not your average twelve-year-old Londoner. So her mum sick of trying to get her into "another" school ships Scarlett to her father's cottage in Ireland. Having to learn Gaelic in a one-room schoolhouse and enduring a new stepmum and younger stepsister is just too much... -
![Ça déménage ! by India Desjardins]()
Ça déménage ! by India Desjardins
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAvant de célébrer son seizième anniversaire, Aurélie Laflamme a plusieurs choses à faire: terminer sa quatrième secondaire (obligatoire selon la loi), se trouver un travail (obligatoire selon sa mère), faire des boîtes (obligatoire selon les déménageurs) et, surtout, rester zen...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship children romance contemporary young-adult fiction middle-grade -
![Plein de secrets by India Desjardins]()
Plein de secrets by India Desjardins
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAurélie entame sa dernière année au secondaire.Puisque tout va très bien dans sa vie personelle, elle a envie, plus que jamais, de se consacrer à ses études...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship children romance contemporary young-adult fiction middle-grade -
![Painting the Corners by Tina Gallagher]()
Painting the Corners by Tina Gallagher
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe pushes people away. But she’s not the type to let anyone push her around…TreyI screwed up. I let my issues affect my pro baseball career and nearly lost everything. Getting called up to pitch for the Waves is the ultimate second chance. And I can finally focus on becoming a better…me. Romance is nowhere on my agenda... -
![Ginger Snaps by Cathy Cassidy]()
Ginger Snaps by Cathy Cassidy
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsGone are the days when Ginger was an outsider, always on the fringes of friendship. She's swapped puppy fat and pigtails for make-up and hair straighteners and never looked back - until now. Ginger and Shannon are best mates, but when they befriend lonely Emily, everything changes. Even the saxophone-playing boy in the trilby hat can't help - he's part of the problem.. -
![True Letters from a Fictional Life by Kenneth Logan]()
True Letters from a Fictional Life by Kenneth Logan
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsIf you asked anyone in his small Vermont town, they'd tell you the facts: James Liddell, star athlete, decent student and sort-of boyfriend to cute, peppy Theresa, is a happy, funny, carefree guy.But whenever James sits down at his desk to write, he tells a different story... -
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![How to Be a Girly Girl in Just Ten Days by Lisa Papademetriou]()
How to Be a Girly Girl in Just Ten Days by Lisa Papademetriou
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA magazine-article makeover gives middle-school tomboy Nick a brand new look. But can she be a "girly-girl" and still be true to herself?Nicolette Spicer ("Nick" to her friends) is a tomboy through and through. While her friends focus on shopping and lip gloss, Nick would rather buy new basketball shoes and practice her free throw... -
![The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney by Lauren Barnholdt]()
The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney by Lauren Barnholdt
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMom says karma always comes around to get you, and I guess it's true. Because last summer I was a total liar, and now, right in the middle of Mr. Pritchard's third-period math class, my whole world is about to come crashing down... -
![Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer, Karissa Vacker]()
Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer, Karissa Vacker
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratings"Heartbreaking, painfully romantic, and deeply human." --Stephanie Garber, #1 bestselling author of CaravalFrom bestselling authors to booksellers and librarians, early readers are obsessed with this debut YA romance pitched as Sarah Dessen meets Adam Silvera, told in alternate timelines and perfect for fans of messy, complicated relationships...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship realistic book contemporary family fiction friends-to-lovers -
![Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden]()
Anything But Fine by Tobias Madden
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAll it takes is one missed step for your life to change forever.Luca Mason knows exactly who he is and what he In six months, he’s going to be accepted into the Australian Ballet School, leave his fancy private high school, and live his life as a star of the stage―at least that’s the plan until he falls down a flight of stairs and breaks his foot in a way he can never recover from... -
![My Summer of Pink & Green by Lisa Greenwald]()
My Summer of Pink & Green by Lisa Greenwald
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAt the end of My Life in Pink & Green , Lucy Desberg had just won the grant that would save her family’s pharmacy—and turn it into a modern eco-spa. Now it’s summer, and the work has begun in earnest. Lucy figures that with the spa opening and her sister, Claudia, home, she’ll have a great summer... -
![Un été chez ma grand-mère by India Desjardins]()
Un été chez ma grand-mère by India Desjardins
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsÀ l'aube de ses quinze ans, Aurélie Laflamme a pris une décision: celle de devenir plus mature...Categorized as:
coming-of-age friendship children romance contemporary young-adult fiction middle-grade -
![One on One by Tabitha King, Stephen King]()
One on One by Tabitha King, Stephen King
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA high school basketball star and a defiant outcast discover a profound love that sustains them through a triumphant but painful year... -
![The Swift Boys & Me by Kody Keplinger]()
The Swift Boys & Me by Kody Keplinger
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNola Sutton has been best friends and neighbors with the Swift boys for practically her whole life. There’s the youngest, Kevin, who never stops talking; the oldest, Brian, who’s always kind and calm; and then there’s Canaan, the ringleader and Nola’s best-best friend. Nola can’t imagine her life without the Swift boys — they’ll always be like this, always be friends... -
![Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison]()
Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsGeorgia Nicolson's in turmoil. Her cat, Angus (the size of a small labrador), is terrorizing the neighborhood. She went to a party dressed as a stuffed olive. And she's madly in love with Robbie the Sex God, who (sometimes) thinks she's too young for him... -
![Intensely Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor]()
Intensely Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWouldn't it be great to go back to the time before Pam got pregnant, before Patrick left for the University of Chicago, before anyone was making any big decisions about sex or college or life in general? Wouldn't it be great to get the whole gang together again, just once? What it takes for this to happen will change Alice (and the whole gang) forever. A funeral is not a happy reunion... -
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![Pulled Under by Michelle Dalton]()
Pulled Under by Michelle Dalton
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA shy teen befriends an attractive beach town tourist in this refreshing summertime romance, in the tradition of Sixteenth Summer and Seventeenth Summer . In the small town of Pearl Beach, Florida, Izzy Lucas needs only her surfboard and the water to be completely happy. She wants nothing to do with parties, popularity contests, or showing her face around the clichéd touristy hangouts... -
![Whisper by Chrissie Perry]()
Whisper by Chrissie Perry
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI'm always trying to figure out what's really going on. Always having to fill in the gaps, but never getting all the details. It's like trying to do a jigsaw when I don't even know what the picture is, and I'm missing one of the vital middle pieces... -
![Guys Do Not Do Secret Santa by Miranda Kenneally]()
Guys Do Not Do Secret Santa by Miranda Kenneally
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA Catching Jordan short story (9 months before Catching Jordan... -
![Up for Air by Laurie Morrison]()
Up for Air by Laurie Morrison
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThirteen-year-old Annabelle struggles in school, no matter how hard she tries. But as soon as she dives into the pool, she’s unstoppable. She’s the fastest girl on the middle school swim team, and when she’s asked to join the high school team over the summer, everything changes... -
![Formerly Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham]()
Formerly Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJane Arrowood, otherwise known as Shark Girl, has been living with just one arm for over a year. Now she’s searching for a new normal. It’s been a year since the shark attack that took Jane’s arm, and with it, everything she used to take for granted. Her dream of becoming an artist is on the line, and everything now seems out of reach, including her gorgeous, kind tutor, Max Shannon... -
![Sophomores and Other Oxymorons by David Lubar]()
Sophomores and Other Oxymorons by David Lubar
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsScott Hudson has somehow managed to survive Freshman year. But with a new baby brother in the house and a whole host of adventures awaiting him at school, Sophomore year promises to be anything but boring...
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