Click

Olive has lots of friends—but she doesn’t have a best friend. And it seems like all her friends like someone else better. When their school decides to hold a variety show with acts from all the Grade 5 students, everyone chooses their groups straight away—and Olive isn’t in any of them! Her mum says she’ll call her friends’ mums or the school and get Olive into a group, but Olive doesn’t want her to do that—it’s embarrassing! And the most hurtful part isn’t that she doesn’t have a group, but that no-one wanted her to be in their group. 

Olive talks to her Aunt Molly, who tends to march to the beat of her own drum. Molly’s green streaks and ear piercings make her stand out. Molly has a different take to Olive’s mum—she points out that friendship is a two-way street, and Molly doesn’t have a particular group or act that she would like to join more than the others. Molly’s ability to maintain friendships with lots of people is a strength, and there’s no need to feel sad that no-one picked her when she couldn’t choose either. 

Molly suggests that if Olive is worried about the variety show, they should watch some recorded variety shows she found at the library. Watching the old shows, Olive is struck by a brilliant idea—instead of joining a clique or coming up with a one-man show, she’ll be the host! 

Her teacher is supportive, and her friends are all encouraging. Olive gets lots of requests for how to introduce her friends, and soon she’s back to moving seamlessly between groups once more. On the night of the show, she’s calm and collected because she knows that she’s doing something she’s really suited to, and she’s helping all her friends while she’s at it! 

A sweet, warm-hearted, and humorous story about the changing nature of friendships. Olive’s insecurity about her friendships disappears when she realises that she really wouldn’t change anything. The different kinds of support she receives from her mother and aunt make all the difference in this crucial moment! the brightly coloured illustrations add another layer of interest in Olive's dreams of being surrounded by "clicking" noises, representing the fear of being stuck in a clique or never being welcome in one. Overall, an enjoyable read! 

friendship, talent show, cliques and groups, public speaking, graphic novel, individuality, identity

Not applicable.