Celebrating best friends, both real and fictional

Emily Morrow  //  Jun 8, 2017

Celebrating best friends, both real and fictional

Today is National Best Friends Day, which has me thinking about what it means, exactly, to be a best friend. Among my closest friends, I know that I can count on them to be there for me no matter what. We laugh together until we cry, and we sometimes cry together until we're laughing again. No matter how far away from each other we live or how long it's been since we've talked, I know that we can pick back up like nothing's changed whenever we want to. And we all know each other's favorite ice cream. 

Looking at those descriptions of friendship — well, except for the ice cream part — made me realize that books can be best friends, too. My tattered copies of Betsy and Tacy and Sabriel will always be right where I last left them, ready to welcome me back, to make me laugh (or cry), and to feel like home.

And I think part of what makes those books feel like friends is the relationships the characters themselves form. 

Who could resist the undying loyalty of Katniss and Gale, the tough love of Sabriel and Mogget, or the sweetness of Wilbur and Charlotte.

I knew I couldn't be the only book lover among our bloggers who felt this way, so I asked around! I wanted to know what literary friendships our bloggers would want to be a part of:

Julia G. said for her, it would be Anne Shirley and her "bosom friend" Diana Barry. She says:

It's from Anne and Diana that I learned the expression "kindred spirit," which I love and use in conversation all the time. 

For Morgan B. (our resident #1 Baby-sitters Club fan), Mary Anne and Dawn are the duo she loves the most! 

And no list of fictional BFFs would be complete without Hermione and Ron! Blogger Mike B. says he fell in love with their banter and would love to be a part of their spirited conversations.

What literary friendship is your favorite? And what book would you consider your BFF? I'd love to hear from you — tweet us your answer @scholastic!