FIERCELY FICTIONAL celebrates fierce, inspiring fictional girls we know you’ll love. To us, “fierce” isn’t just about slaying dragons or solving mysteries. It’s about breaking free from your comfort zone, discovering your confidence, fighting for what you believe in, & discovering your emotional strength. Any girl can shine bright & be fierce, & in this series, we’ll connect you with a new fiercely fictional character every month!
For this FIERCELY FICTIONAL spotlight, we’re doing things a little differently! We’re throwing it back and shining a light on a book you may have missed from 2024: The Best Friend Bracelet by Nicole D. Collier.
Zariah Brown feels like the only kid at Hurston Middle School who doesn’t have a best friend, no matter how much she truly wants one, still feeling the hurt from a previous friend breakup. But despite lacking that one loyal bestie, she’s got a booming friendship bracelet-making business, thriving as an entrepreneur thanks to her analytical mind and creative soul. The entire seventh grade is buzzing with excitement for their big Pajama Jam weekend, and Zariah is feeling the pressure to find a friend to pair with. When she unknowingly makes a bracelet using magical beads, she discovers that anyone who wears it instantly becomes Zariah’s best friend. But even though she’s lonely and looking for her friendship soulmate, she doesn’t want just ANY best friend and puts the analytical, spreadsheet-making skills she’s mastered for her bracelet business to good use as she figures out who should be her BFF. Of course, there’s more to friendship than data and magic, and things spiral quickly, like slipping grades, fake friendships, and other messy middle school moments.
This one is for the lonely girls who haven’t quite found their BFF yet, the overthinkers who need a moment before they share pieces of themselves, readers who wish their lives had just a little more magic, and anyone who loves making friendship bracelets.
The Best Friend Bracelet:
A tender, funny story about making—and keeping—friends, perfect for fans of Sarah Mlynowski.
At Hurston Middle School, best friendship is a big deal. And Zariah Brown makes the best best friendship bracelets in town. Business is booming; Zariah can hardly keep up with orders.
The problem is, Zariah doesn’t have a best friend of her own. As the entire seventh grade gears up for their big Pajama Jam weekend, it seems as if everyone else is paired up except her.
So Zariah pours her heart and soul into making the ultimate friendship bracelet, using a set of beads gifted to her by a mysterious woman. But the bracelet turns out to be a tiny bit . . . magical. In fact, anyone who puts it on instantly becomes Zariah’s best friend. Now all she has to do is find the perfect best friend and get the bracelet on them. Easy, right?
It turns out finding the ideal friend isn’t so simple, and things quickly spin out of control. Will Zariah ever find her true BFF, or is she destined to be alone forever?
The Best Friend Bracelet
AUTHOR: Nicole D. Collier
PUBLISHER: HarperCollins
DATE: October 15, 2024
What makes Zariah fierce? Her business savvy is a standout for sure. She may only be in the seventh grade, but she’s got some serious entrepreneurial skills. But the things we like most about her are the quieter ways she’s fierce. The way she knows herself well enough to know when she needs a breather, alone time, or just a moment to think things through. The way she guards her heart, but learns to open up and share it. And the fact that she’s willing to put so much effort into finding a best friend – even when things get a little out of control – proves that she’s truly deserving of a lasting, loyal friendship.
We’re excited to share that author Nicole D. Collier is here to share a peek between the pages of The Friendship Bracelet and all the reasons Zariah is totally fierce!
Five Reasons Zariah Brown is Totally Fierce:
She’s unafraid to live a truly creative life:
Zariah is the best friendship bracelet maker in her middle school. She’s so good, she’s turned her passion into a business. She loves getting paid for her work because it allows her to take fun risks. Customers answer survey questions to order bracelets. Zariah uses the details to make special creations that go beyond favorite colors and cool words. She incorporates meaningful charms and patterns. She also uses spreadsheets to review trends, using data to fuel her creativity.
When she’s not making bracelets or doing bracelet photo shoots for her social media page, she’s popping popcorn. She loves to perfect unique flavors. From furikake to hot honey, and everything in between, nothing is off-limits. If there’s a way to put her own spin on something, you can bet she will.
She believes friendship is a serious matter:
When it comes to friendship, Zariah doesn’t play around. She even creates a friendship scale to study the difference between friends and best friends. When she discovers a classmate is having a birthday that may not be very happy, Zariah plans something special to lift her spirits.
Make no mistake, she’s far from perfect! But when she realizes that she may have stolen someone else’s friend, she owns up to her mistake and works to make things right. Ultimately, she tries to balance being a good friend to others, and being a good friend to herself. That means saying no when something feels wrong, and saying yes when her heart tells her it’s the right thing to do.
She knows slow and steady wins the race:
Rather than rush right in, Zariah likes to observe her surroundings and notice what people are saying and doing first. When one of her bracelets turns out to be magical, automatically turning the wearer into her best friend, she takes her time getting to know them.
After texting and doing activities with them, she then decides whether or not they’re good for each other. Even though she’s desperate for a best friend (and I do mean desperate), she still takes it slow and thinks about what’s really going on.
She’s in tune with her needs:
Let’s face it. Middle school can be stressful. And if you’re clumsy or the kind of person whose words get mixed up, things can get awkward quickly! Zariah helps herself by getting to school early when she has something important to bring, or by arriving at class first to avoid being overwhelmed.
Sometimes she sits with friends in the cafeteria, but other times she sits alone so she can relax and daydream about her art. Perhaps she’s not as graceful as she’d like, but she’s savvy and does what she needs to give herself the best chance of success.
She’s confident enough to ask for help:
Zariah is fiercely independent and happily spends time by herself as she ignores her annoying brother. She loves to weigh her options and plan her next moves. But even capable people can use good advice.
If she’s not quite sure which path to take, she will ask a trusted adult. Most of the time, that’s Daddy, who always encourages her with jokes and loving guidance. He instills within her the courage to go after her goals and trust herself along the way.
📚Need another fierce read to add to your shelf after The Best Friend Bracelet? Catch up on our FIERCELY FICTIONAL series!
