The Not-So-Friendly Friend
Welcome back to Bibliotherapy Thursday! This week we’re featuring a children’s book that introduces a complex topic that many people struggle with into adulthood: boundary setting. The Not-So-Friendly Friend by Christina Furnival is a fantastic book that teaches the importance of boundary setting while also providing the language and tools to do so.
This beautifully illustrated picture book follows a girl who is just starting at a new school. She works hard to be a good friend to her new classmates by sharing, taking turns, and solving problems using her words. But try as she might, one girl is repeatedly mean to her. After talking with her parents, and when another situation arises in which the girl is hurtful toward her, she kindly but firmly sets a boundary. In this way, she asserts how she deserves to be treated but also leaves the door open for continued friendship if those boundaries are respected.
What makes this book particularly helpful is it’s not centered entirely on bullying. There are many wonderful books about how to handle being bullied by a classmate or peer, but sometimes kids run into situations where their friends who they enjoy playing with sometimes can be hurtful at other times. Not only can this be extremely confusing for a child, it’s a situation that they will continue to encounter throughout their lives. Learning how to handle it early goes a long way toward protecting them from toxic relationships in the future.
You can find The Not-So-Friendly Friend in print and e-book at these retailers:
Morning Light doesn’t receive compensation for sharing book recommendations, nor do we receive a commission if you choose to buy the book. We just love them and think some of our clients may find them useful!