When I read FRIENDS ARE LIKE THAT in middle school, it quickly became my favorite book. It’s about these two friends who’ve been friends up until middle school, and then one gets a chance at being popular. But she feels conflicted because her longtime friend isn’t so hip or cool; in fact, in most cultures she’s deemed as nerdy or geeky—and this was before it was awesome to be these things. So as this other friend starts to feel alienated, she resorts to creative writing—creating her own worlds where there is no such thing as popularity contests or cliques. Since I was a nerdy kid in school, this is what I took away from the experience of reading this book: I, too, can create my own world through words. While I consider myself a music lover, pop culture junkie, nerd, I think of myself as a writer first and foremost—and I have Patricia Hermes’ relatable book to thank for it.