Your Guide to Making and Being a Good Friend

An accessible and transformative pocket guide for preteens and teens who are looking to make more real-life connections and maximize their friend potential!

Your Guide to Making and Being a Good Friend is a fresh, updated version of A Good Friend, the award-winning title that taught a generation of young people how to build, strengthen, and grow friendships through kindness, respect, humor, and confidence.

Written in a tone that is encouraging, not preachy, light, yet empowering, readers can tap into the same wisdom, insights, and strategies that made the original so popular. Each chapter now features special bonus material, including self-reflection questions, to help the reader think more intentionally about what it means to be a friend and find the courage to cultivate new and more rewarding relationships.

The book begins by challenging young people to self-limit their use of digital devices and social media so they can be more present, approachable, and connected to those around them. Each fast-paced chapter builds on the next, revealing what young and old alike can do to forge more and better friendships: learning the hidden rules that shape relationships, harnessing the power of laughter, mastering small talk and the art of conversation, embracing positivity, and shaking off shyness.

This is a must-read for anyone who wants to beat back loneliness, broaden their social circles, improve their people skills, and build a life with more joy, purpose, and friendship. 

Stan Graeve, MA, is a writer and editor with a background in marketing and communications. His work includes No Room for Bullies, Safe and Healthy Secondary Schools, and Owning My Space.