- Graphic Novels
- Ages 8–12
- Contemporary
Besties: Crush It!
Book 5 of 5 in BestiesView the full series
Part of the World of Click universeOpen the collection
A forthcoming Trent-and-Sawyer Besties volume about crushes, friendship and winter carnival competitiveness. It should work well for readers ready for very light tween-romance tension inside a friendship-first graphic novel.
- Best for8–12
- FormatGraphic
- Length240 pp
- Read aloud~1 hr55 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Warm
- Heartwarming
- Bittersweet
- Cosy
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Trent and Sawyer have big plans for the winter carnival. They want to crush the games, prove their teamwork and enjoy the kind of best-friend victory that feels simple and fun. But things become less simple when a crush of the heart threatens to interrupt their duo. Suddenly, the boys have to deal not just with games and competition, but with changing feelings, awkwardness and what happens when friendship does not feel quite as straightforward as before. This fifth Besties graphic novel returns to the Trent-and-Sawyer side of the World of Click, with Kayla Miller and Jeffrey Canino writing and Sarah K. Turner illustrating. As a forthcoming title, the exact emotional shape is still mostly based on publisher copy, but it appears to continue the series' strengths: accessible middle-grade friendship, low peril, humour and age-appropriate social questions around growing up.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 8–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 8–12
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- First crush story
- Best friend duo
- Winter carnival story
- Realistic graphic novel
- Reluctant readers
Avoid if
- Not ready for crushes
- Wants action adventure
- Prefers fantasy or sci fi
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Making friends
- Struggling with reading
- Moving to secondary school
- Low self esteem
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A warm, funny friendship-drama comic series — a reluctant-reader favourite that also opens talk about friendships and growing up.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific recognition is your best friend developing a crush — Trent and Sawyer's duo briefly interrupted by feelings neither of them expected to have to handle. The Besties for a tween reader watching their own best friendship navigate that first.
- Friendship and belonging
- Being special or chosen
- Adventure and freedom
Why parents love it
The Besties for a child whose best friend has started noticing other people — first-crush territory handled at very gentle middle-grade pitch. Best for fans of the World of Click; reliable continuation of the Trent-and-Sawyer side.
- Conversation starter
- Quick to read
- Shared humour
- Bedtime appropriate
In the series
Besties.
5 books · open the series →
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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