Too Many Friends by Katryn Apel Book Review

Can you remember how many friends you had at primary school? Was navigating friendships always smooth sailing? If not, then you have probably had a similar experience to Tahnee, the main character in Katryn Apel’s Too Many Friends. Too Many Friends tackles the common issue for school aged children: friendships. It is a story about a friendly girl call Tahnee who strives to be nice to everyone, and by doing so, she makes many friends. But she is only one person, and Tahnee discovers she can’t please all her friends at the same time. 

I read widely and have read most of the books in my house. One afternoon, I noticed this new book on the table, and had nothing else to read at the time so gave it a go. I thought at first the story may be juvenile, and even slightly boring as it it targeted for primary age children. However, once I began reading, I found myself sympathising with the main character. Tahnee’s friends don’t get along all the time, and I can say the same was true when I was younger. Navigating friendships can be tricky! I also found myself empathising with Lucy, a new girl at Tahnee’s school, because I have attended nine different schools, and being the new girl can be tough. 

I also enjoyed how the story is cleverly

                                                                    W

                                                                            R

                                                                       I

                                                                              T

                                                                       T

                                                                    E

                                                                           N.

The book is composed in short stanzas that makes the story easy to follow and fun to read. Plus there are a few surprises on the way in the form of swirly, curly writing. A delightful book to both read aloud to children and to encourage independence reading, the style of writing coupled with easy-to-understand-words emphasise the context of the subject and relevance of the book for kids. 

Too Many Friends is the type of book that is as enjoyable for children as it is for the parents (or older siblings!).  I would recommend this book to anyone looking to have a walk down memory lane, and especially for children because it’s an extremely relatable and fun read. Too Many Friends is a story about managing relationships, accepting new people, and kindness; these are relevant topics for everyone.

Category: Younger Reader, Poetry

Pages: 208

ISBN: 978 0 7022 5976 0

Buy here: Too Many Friends by Katryn Apel 

About the Reviewer

Dell is currently in grade 11 and you’ll often find her nose in a book. She enjoys studying science, doing martial arts and learning more about geography and our world.

About the Author

KATHRYN APEL is a born-and-bred farm girl who’s scared of cows. She lives with her husband and two sons among the gum trees, cattle and kangaroos on a Queensland grazing property. Too Many Friends is Kathryn’s fifth book and third verse novel, following the release of On Track (2015) and Bully on the Bus (2014) to much acclaim. Kathryn loves pumping poetry because she can flex her muscles across other genres, to bend (and break) writing rules. Kathryn teaches part-time and shares her passion for words at schools and festivals.
www.katswhiskers.wordpress.com