When Friendship Followed Me Home by Paul Griffin

She always has a welcoming plate of Chips Ahoy cookies at the library desk. Lorentz, looks out for Ben, letting him prop the fire escape door open on his bad asthma days, and recommending books for him. He doesn’t carry books around, however, because he knows he would be the target of bullies who would happily damage the books or give him a wedgie. He loves nothing better than hanging out in the local library and reading. Ben disagrees, quoting Yoda: “’A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack.’” Ben is a grade ahead of his age: a sci-fi reading, asthmatic bibliophile. Ben’s friend, Star Wars fanatic Chucky Mull (who goes by the nickname Chunky Mold) says Ben should have stood up for himself. The second week of school, bully Damon Rayburn steals Ben’s pizza money. Ben narrates the story, and immediately shares that his seventh-grade year is off to a rough start. When Friendship Followed Me Home was a Junior Library Guild selection for fall 2016, and was featured on both Amazon’s Best Children’s Books list and Publisher’s Weekly Best Summer Books list for that year. The book explores powerful themes of grief, family, and love. Twelve-year-old Ben Coffin faces a lot of hardships in his life, but the love of a small, scruffy dog and the bright friendship of a courageous girl help him to overcome devastating loss, and to open his heart. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House.When Friendship Followed Me Home is a novel for middle grade and young adult readers, written by Paul Griffin and published in 2016. Ben wrestles with big questions in relatable, realistic ways, and his huge heart and optimism will win over even the most hardened skeptics. As in his young adult books, Griffin ( Adrift) handles hard topics with penetrating insight and honesty, while balancing painful moments (and there are many) with levity, such as Flip’s need to lick everyone on the mouth. But Ben has learned that good things don’t tend to last, and when his mother dies, and Halley’s treatments begin to fail, he has to dig deep to find faith in people, the world, and himself. Soon Ben and Halley are best friends, collaborating on a fantasy story and hanging out all the time, even as she undergoes chemotherapy. When he meets her daughter, Halley, there is an instant connection, fueled in part by Flip, a dog Ben rescues from the street. Ben adores the beach, the boardwalk, and the local librarian, Mrs. After growing up in foster care, 12-year-old Ben Coffin is just happy to have a home and a loving mother living in Coney Island is icing on the cake.

When Friendship Followed Me Home by Paul Griffin