Middle School Confidential 2: Real Friends vs. the Other Kind
By Leslie Crenna,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Graphic novel-style app shares authentic teen scenes, tools.
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Middle School Confidential 2: Real Friends vs. the Other Kind
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What’s It About?
Through eight, four-page chapters, the gang encounters personal and friend-related challenges followed by morals and three quizzes that teach strategies such as standing your ground or avoiding hurting other people's feelings. Pages are swipe-able and zoom-able, but tapping to advance is still a bit slow and sometimes unresponsive. The information button at the bottom right leads to a main menu page with navigation hints and chapter navigation as well as access to cast profiles, credits, and author and illustrator profiles.
Is It Any Good?
MIDDLE SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL: REAL FRIENDS VS THE OTHER KIND is a great tool to catalyze discussion about tricky topics such as interrupting conversations with texts, bossiness, hurt feelings, using people, crush rejections, popularity, dating, problems at home, and breaking up. Real teen issues are presented with respect and emotional authenticity. Characters are alternately tough yet vulnerable, admirable yet fallible. The addition of quizzes -- a sort of mix between social studies class and a teen mag sidebar -- adds tons of engagement value to the experience. As with so many social-skills teaching tools, teens may feel this one is a bit babyish -- and the watercolor illustrations are a far cry from the more popular manga style -- but tweens looking into the abyss of middle school will eat it up. Audio of teen voices and some comic relief would boost the experience, and more content and slightly less preachy dialogue would pull kids in even more.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can discuss the quiz questions and responses plus the given "right" answers. Your kids might come up with alternate answers that work better for your families or for their individual styles.
Explore the whole series and ask if there are any parallel situations in your kids' lives. Offer up some age-appropriate stories from your own teen years as well (but make sure they're actually interested first!).
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire, Nook HD
- Subjects: Language & Reading: discussion, forming arguments, reading, Social Studies: citizenship
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: asking questions, decision-making, problem solving, Self-Direction: identifying strengths and weaknesses, personal growth, self-reflection, Emotional Development: developing resilience, empathy, handling stress, identifying emotions, labeling feelings, moving beyond obstacles, persevering, perspective taking, self-awareness, Communication: asking questions, conveying messages effectively, friendship building, listening, Collaboration: meeting challenges together, respecting other viewpoints
- Pricing structure: Paid ($2.99)
- Release date: December 4, 2017
- Category: Books
- Topics: Friendship, High School
- Publisher: Electric Eggplant
- Version: 2.0
- Minimum software requirements: Requires iOS 8.0 or later.
- Last updated: July 8, 2020
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