What grade level is Real Friends?

Real Friends is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 2–8. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.

How long does it take to read Real Friends?

It takes about 4h 5m to read Real Friends (224 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 245 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign Real Friends?

Real Friends appears on reading lists for Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Real Friends banned in schools?

Real Friends does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.

What themes does Real Friends explore?

Central themes in Real Friends include schools, best friends, graphic novels, friendship. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Real Friends

Name: Real Friends
Availability: InStock
Author: Shannon Hale
ISBN: 9788376867656

by Shannon Hale

Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state

On reading-award lists:Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association)

Real Friends by Shannon Hale is assigned in US schools at grades 2–8. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Real Friends is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

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Grade range: Grades 2–8
Age range: Ages 7–13
Pages: 224
Reading time: about 4h 5m (est.)
First published: 2017
Genre: Graphic Novel
ISBN-13: 9788376867656

More formats & details

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About this book

Newbery Honor author Shannon Hale and New York Times bestselling illustrator LeUyen Pham join forces in this graphic memoir about how hard it is to find your real friends―and why it's worth the journey. Shannon and Adrienne have been best friends ever since they were little. But one day, Adrienne starts hanging out with Jen, the most popular girl in class and the leader of a circle of friends called The Group. Everyone in The Group wants to be Jen's #1, and some girls would do anything to stay on top . . . even if it means bullying others. Now every day is like a roller coaster for Shannon.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Real Friends→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Graphic Novel title, typically at grades 2–8. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on schools and best friends; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

schools · best friends · graphic novels · friendship

Where this book is assigned

Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association)

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Common questions

What grade level is Real Friends?: Real Friends is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 2–8. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
How long does it take to read Real Friends?: It takes about 4h 5m to read Real Friends (224 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 245 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Real Friends?: Real Friends appears on reading lists for Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Real Friends banned in schools?: Real Friends does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
What themes does Real Friends explore?: Central themes in Real Friends include schools, best friends, graphic novels, friendship. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure: Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band: Grades 2–8 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment: Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence: Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records: No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags: Tagged for: book-club.