Ernesto Cisneros, Pura Belpré Award-winning author of Efrén Divided, is back with a new novel about friendship, middle school, and masculinity! Isaac and Marco already know sixth grade is going to change their lives. But it won’t change things at home—not without each other’s help. This year, star basketball player Isaac plans on finally keeping up with his schoolwork. Better grades will surely stop Isaac’s parents from arguing all the time. Meanwhile, straight-A Marco vows on finally winning his father’s approval by earning a spot on the school’s basketball team. Can the two boys keep each other from falling short? This isn’t to say they don’t exist, because they do. However, the brutal truth is that they’re few and far between. I’m not sure why this is, since it’s not like boys do not have friendships like girls do. They often have friendships that last just as long as girls and form at a young age. One would think that this wasn’t the case, though, based on the available literature out there. As with most everything in my life, I do have thoughts and opinions on why this is the case. A lot of this mindset is due to the erroneous idea that boy friendships are not as complex as girls. The often heard joke is that girls’ fights are more emotional, manipulative, and insert random unkind word here. On the other hand, boys just “fight it out” and then they’re fine. But that’s not true. Contrary to popular belief, boys are also tiny human beings. This means that their friendships can be just as complex as any other type of relationship. Boys have just as many feelings as girls, though our society may discourage boys from showing emotions. Admittedly, this isn’t as true now as it was in yesteryears, but the thought pattern is still out there. Friendships between boys can be just as varied, complex, and heartbreaking as those between girls. It’s important to highlight these types of friendship, now and in the future, to combat thought patterns rooted in toxic masculinity. With that in mind, here are some recommended books that highlight friendship between boys. And that is all I have for y’all today. Hopefully you found some books to peak the interest of you and/or the young reader in your life. Let us know over on social media which favorite of yours that we may have missed.
