The cover has been unveiled for Real Friends: A True Story About Cool Kids and Crybabies. This graphic novel features a story by Shannon Hale and illustrations by LeUyen Pham. In the past, the two creatives collaborated on the Princess in Black series.
We’ve embedded the full image for the jacket art above—what do you think? For Hale, this middle grade book serves as a pseudo-memoir. First Second Books, a Macmillan imprint, has scheduled the release date for May 2, 2017.
In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, Hale discussed the writing process behind this project: “In terms of the writing itself, writing real life and fantasy isn’t much different. Any story, no matter the genre, builds on realistic characters and their relatable hopes, flaws, feelings, and struggles. Any story takes place in its own world. The setting of this book is 1979-1985 Salt Lake City, Utah, and specifically as I perceived it as a 5-11 year old. For some readers, that setting may feel as fantastical as Narnia! And for others, it may feel a lot like their own home.” (via Shannon Hale’s Twitter page)