3 Books about Friendship for Teen Girls

As she enters her teen years, your girl will build stronger and more meaningful relationships with her closest friends – although some friendships may fade over time as your daughter discovers a stronger sense of who she is and what principles matter most to her.

Either way, the bonds she develops now can help shape and mold her into the young woman she is so quickly becoming. Help her celebrate these beautiful, albeit sometimes painful relationships and perhaps gain better insight into the type of friends she wants to have with some wonderful books.

We’ve selected a few titles that illustrate both with a friendship theme for teens:

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

By Ann Brashares

Lena, Tibby, Bridget, and Carmen have quite literally been friends since they were born (their moms met in a prenatal exercise class). For the first time ever, they will be spending summer break apart. Lena is flying off to the Greek Isle of Santorini to visit her grandparents; Carmen will be in South Carolina to spend time with her father, from whom she has become estranged since her parents’ divorce; Bridget is headed to California for soccer camp; and Tibby will be at home, working at her first job and filming a documentary.

While they are – for the most part – excited about their summer plans, the friends are saddened about being so far apart for such a long time. When Carmen finds the perfect pair of jeans, each girl tries them on. Remarkably, they fit each girl just right, despite the fact that they all have different body types (as real girls do!). The four friends vow to pass the pants around for the summer, sending them across the country and even across the globe as a way to stay connected.

In this moving coming of age novel, the girls face real life challenges and must make difficult decisions and choices for themselves. While the separation helps each one become more aware of her own strengths and shortcomings, it also teaches them how important their unique bond truly is. Teen girls will walk away from this book with a renewed appreciation for their own best friends, and perhaps the motivation to forge new friendships.

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By Lauren Myracle

Angela, Zoe, and Madigan, also known as SnowAngel, Zoegirl and Mad Maddie, are a group of friends referred to as the Winsome Threesome. Even though they are all quite different, the girls are so close that they just know they will be there for each other for everything, forever.

As best friends do, they discuss everything together, and much like many teens, the bulk of those combinations are via their computers or mobile devices. So much so, in fact, that this book is written entirely in message and email formats.

The novel touches on topics many teen girls and their friends will face, from drinking, to having sex, to being wounded by boys and mean girls. Some of their experiences and choices threaten to tear the three friends apart, and it will take some effort to mend fences, but when one of them ends up in a precarious position, the other two rush in to save her.

Easy to read by tech-savvy teens, this book will appeal to girls for its raw and real offerings.

Saving Francesca

By Melina Marchetta

Francesca Spinelli is at a new school… what used to be an all-boys school whose male students aren’t exactly happy about the change. Add to that her mother’s severe depression, and you can see that Francesca’s life is less than ideal.

She’s given in to some mean girls and ditched her best friend, and completely shut down the vivacious, unencumbered girl she used to be. Now, Francesca feels lost and invisible. She has no sense of herself and lives purely to fit in and please others.

Forced to make new friends, she falls in with the unlikely Sebastian Boys and the so-called Psycho Girls. Despite her apparent insecurities, as these friendships bloom and solidify, Francesca begins to learn how to redefine and rediscover her true inner self.

In addition, her relationship with her mother, which has always been difficult, colors her view of her family, her world, and herself. As her mother’s depression continues, Francesca and her family must forge ahead, learning to cope and to find a new normal.

Teens will become caught up in the deep emotional turmoil of this novel’s protagonist, cheering on the inside as she comes to terms with herself and her worth.

Whether your daughter has had her BFF for life, is in a new place and worried about making friends, or anywhere in between, the friendships displayed in these teen girl books will encourage her to strive for and appreciate old friends as well as new, both now, and as she continues to make close, personal connections throughout her life.

What are some of your favorite books for teenage girls about friendship? Share with us!

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