Jessica Speer is the award-winning author of BFF or NRF (Not Really Friends)? A Girls Guide to Happy Friendships. Her books engage and entertain readers by combining the stories of preteens and teens with fun activities and practical insights. Her second book, Middle School – Safety Goggles Advised (August 2022) unpacks the weird stuff that peaks in middle school. She has a master’s degree in social sciences and explores tricky topics in ways that connect with kids.
“BFF or NRF (Not Really Friends): A Girl’s Guide to Happy Friendships takes a thoughtful and joyful approach that appeals to young teens and tweens but also to parents, grandparents, educators, and others interested in the well-being of young people. The advice in this delightful book is practical but also fun, written in a conversational style, and is a great resource to have around the house. It contains real-life situations, vignettes, scenarios, advice from other kids, practicing techniques, and fun quizzes to help readers remember the most important lessons. In other words, this isn’t another preachy tell-you-what-to-do book. It’s a friendly, interactive guidebook that shares how young people can learn about friendship and connection.”
-Libby Kiszner, Columnist, Educator, and Author of Dear Libby – Will You Answer My Questions About Friendship? and other books
“Many girls struggle with friendship issues in elementary and middle school. This book provides a clear roadmap for girls to successfully navigate difficult friendships while helping them gain social awareness, skills and confidence in the process.”
Dr. Cherylee E. Hirsch, Psy.D., School Psychologist