From School Library Journal
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Gr 5–8—Twelve-year-old Ben, a science fiction fan
with low self-esteem after years of foster care, meets a stray
dog outside the Coney Island Public Library. Flip, with his big
eyes and propensity to lick everyone's mouth, in turn helps Ben
get to know a girl who is fighting cancer, and her family. When
Ben's life gets turned upside down again, Flip remains. This is a
"kitchen sink" book; it has bullying, adoption, homelessness,
death, abuse, and cancer. However, the optimism of the
protagonist combined with the positivity lent by the presence of
this loving canine makes this book somehow less hard-hitting than
the author's usual YA dramas. Griffin never throws too much at
readers at once, taking his protagonist through each successive
challenge, and the dialogue remains consistently light and free
of overt emotion. References to science fiction and middle grade
literature abound, and there's some serious admiration for dogs,
librarians, and Jacqueline Woodson's Feathers. The weakest part
of this novel is the convoluted science fiction story Ben and the
aforementioned girl unspool throughout. The plot-within-a-plot is
written by these two imaginative kids with unfettered fancy, with
the same quality of a child's writing. If readers can get past
those sections, however, the relentless pull of Ben's slow
character growth through his drama and the big loving doggy
presence will pull misty-eyed readers to the very end. VERDICT If
you have middle schoolers who are too young to fully grasp John
Green's The Fault in Our Stars and love dogs, give them this
sweet tearjerker.—Rhona Campbell, Georgetown Day School,
Washington, DC
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Review
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A New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice
A People magazine Popular Pick
A Summer 2016 Kids’ Indie Next Pick
A Publishers Weekly Best of Summer Pick
Working Mother magazine's #1 Best Book of the Year So Far
A 2016 Nerdy Book Club Award winner
"[T]his bittersweet, well-paced book…left me with faith that
people can feel dided, as though everything they love will be
taken from them, and still end up whole, if they are touched by
love of friendship." — The New York Times Book Review
* "Entrancing, magical, tragic, and uplifting." — Kirkus Reviews,
starred review
* "As in his young adult books, Griffin (Adrift) handles hard
topics with penetrating in and honesty, while balancing
painful moments (and there are many) with levity." — Publishers
Weekly, starred review
* "As funny and heartwarming as it is gut-punching...thoroughly
engaging." —Shelf Awareness, starred review
* "Although this middle grade book covers some tough topics...it
never loses hope." —School Library Connection, starred review
"If you have middle schoolers who are too young to fully grasp
John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars and love dogs, give them this
sweet tearjerker." — School Library Journal
"This is a multi-tissue read...Griffin’s characters are unique
and charmingly multidimensional. Readerslooking for a deep read
will take to this story as quickly as Flip takes to Ben." —
Booklist
"When Friendship Followed Me Home was written for middle-grade
readers, yet it will find readership among all ages." —VOYA
"A new classic of young people’s literature.” —workingmother.com
"The story is gripping, the ending bittersweet, and the writing
amazing.” —Imagination Soup
"At its core, this book posits a refreshing, if not new,
definition of familly.... WHEN FRIENDSHIP FOLLOWED ME HOME is
terse and gripping, sad and hilarious, emotional and very, very
real.” — Joel Shoemaker, The News-Gazette
"Full of pace and laughter, s and heart. Paul Griffin is
the sort of writer you're torn between telling the whole world
about and keeping all to yourself."—Markus Zusak, author of
Printz Honor Winner The Book Thief
“‘Friendship’ is an absolutely beautiful, heart-expanding book.
I cried, but more than that I felt this giant balloon of love for
everyone. This story convinced me all over again that love and
imagination are life’s biggest magic. It’ll make you want to grab
hold of everyone important to you and lick them on the
nose.” —Rebecca Stead, author of Newbery Award winner When You
Reach Me
"Some books change the way you see the world. Some change the way
you breathe. This book will leave you breathless. This is Paul
Griffin's best book yet—and that's really saying something."
—Patricia McCormick, author of National Book Award Finalist Sold
"When Friendship Followed Me Home is both a beautiful book, and
an honest book; it is, in fact, beautiful because it is honest.
We see the pain of loss, and the glory of community. We see love
in its many forms, and we witness the truth that love goes on
despite all barriers. Cheer for Ben and Halley: it is kids like
these who are our hope.” —Gary D. Schmidt, author of Okay for
Now
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