Who Will Be My Friends?

by Syd Hoff

He likes his new room and his new street. The policeman and the mailman are very nice. But what Freddy really needs are friends -- and he looks everywhere until he finds them!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Friendship, Faith, 1st Grade

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Whether you’re seven or seventy, the chances are you’ve probably come in contact with one of his many books (150 plus), or cartoons that have appeared in over 200 magazines in the course of his lifetime, including Laugh it Off which was syndicated for 20 years. His comic strip Tuffy, about a little girl who did funny things, was declared essential for national morale during WWII by William Randolph Hearst.

Syd has worked in diverse genres. He had the distinct honor of working with Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen as a contributor of short fiction writing. He was awarded national advertising commissions for large companies such as Chevrolet, Maxwell House Coffee and others. He had his own TV show (Tales of Hoff on CBS), traveled the world as entertainment on cruise ships and entertained children and teachers in schools and libraries across the country.

Reviews

[Josiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of all the cherished easy readers Syd Hoff wrote and illustrated over his five decades in children's literature, I'm not sure he ever made a better book than Who Will Be My Friends?. The story affords no shortcuts through the inevitable awkwardness for a new boy in town who's dying to make friends, but feels as though the barrier of unfamiliarity with the other neighborhood kids is too tough to break through. He has a nice bedroom in a comfortable house on a pleasant block, but who will befriend him in this town he's just moved to? After settling into his new home, it's time to take a walk and see what can be done about meeting some kids. Connections rarely happen immediately, but the bravery to put yourself out there to people you don't know can result in success quicker than you imagined.

Freddy likes his new place, and the only thing left to make the move a good one is to find a few friends among the neighborhood kids. A dog and cat strolling through the backyard aren't fun playmates; they sit and stare when Freddy tosses his baseball to them. They don't want to play catch. The town policeman, mailman, and street cleaner tell Freddy they're his friends, but they aren't friends in the way Freddy hopes for. They have a beat to walk, letters to deliver, streets to wash. They can't stick around and play baseball with a kid. So Freddy's search continues.

A group of boys Freddy's age are in the middle of a baseball game at the playground, but they have no particular eagerness to add a kid they don't know into the lineup. They go on tossing the ball among themselves, leaving Freddy to play catch by himself. But what a deft catcher Freddy is! By casually demonstrating his proficiency near enough for the boys to observe what he can do, a minor miracle may occur for Freddy, and his hope of finding a brand-new crew of friends to ease his transition into a new home and neighborhood may be fulfilled. The anxiety of leaving the home you know to live somewhere unfamiliar is alleviated considerably when you have a goodnatured lot of pals to help you adjust. It can make you glad you had to move.

Freddy's hunt for suitable friends resonates deeply for such a brief story, and that's a tribute to the earnest genius of Syd Hoff. In only two hundred five total words, he relates a more insightful narrative than most five-hundred-page novels, presenting a situation and characters that anyone who has fruitlessly searched for friends can identify with. People will say you're their friend if you seem sad to be alone, but they're usually not the kind of friend you need. They're unable or unwilling to stay and play with you, because they have other commitments or interests that come first. They may be fine acquaintances who wish you well and will be there to help if you need them, but they're not really friends if you don't spend time together. Friendship is companionship, the desire to spend time in each other's company and have fun or just hang out and do nothing, but whatever you choose to do, it's better because you're with that person. Anything short of that won't sate your appetite for friendship, though the people who say they're your friends undoubtedly mean well. But when you do happen upon a promising batch of buddies who share your interests and you can imagine getting along with swimmingly, breaking the ice isn't so easy. They're going to be more comfortable with kids they've hung around for years than one they're meeting for the first time today. You might start feeling as frustrated as before you found them, on the outside looking in at what could be your new cast of friends. It's a helpless, sad feeling. But there are ways to capture the attention of prospective friends, to show rather than tell them you're worth getting to know. That's almost always the way to ease yourself into a new set of relationships, and requires minimal introductory awkwardness. With the magic of shared passion and pastime, you're talking shop and joining the game before any of you have had a chance to think about the fact that you weren't friends five minutes ago. Friendship is a priceless gift. Enjoy it for all it's worth.

I do love Who Will Be My Friends?. I already was a Syd Hoff fan after reading his endearing Danny and the Dinosaur trilogy, but this book is something more: sweeter, more poignant, and ideal for teaching kids how to read at the same time they're learning truths about friendship that will uphold them for a lifetime. This is the book I was waiting for from Syd Hoff, convincing evidence that he deserves mention in the same breath with favorite easy reader author-illustrators such as Arnold Lobel and Lillian Hoban. If the best easy readers reinforce timeless life truths with characters and scenarios that cast fresh light on those ideas, then Who Will Be My Friends? is one of the best. I'm grateful for this wonderful addition to the variegated landscape of children's lit, as I appreciate Syd Hoff's overall contributions to that landscape. You're in for a satisfying treat when you pick up Who Will Be My Friends?. Happy reading, everyone.

[fiona · Rating 1 out of 5]

literally what the hell are the kids supposed to take away from this book?

that if you can’t offer anything you won’t have friends?

[Tym · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moving to a new place can be scary, who will be your friends?

[Kris Dersch · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oof. I vaguely remember this one from my childhood but here's a tip: it does not hold up well. I doubt it was ever good. Basic synopsis: little boy moves to a new place, wants to make friends. The adults like him but can't play with him because they are adults and busy. The kids ignore him until they learn he's good at catching and then they love him. And...that's it. So, yeah. Ick.

[Zipora Zipora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freddy moved into a new house. He liked his room. He liked the street. “Who will be my friends?” he asked. He rolled his ball to a little dog. He rolled his ball to a cat. They did not roll it back. “I am your friend,” said the policeman. “I am your friend,” said the mailman. “I am your friend,” said the street cleaner. “Let’s play ball, “ said Freddy. “I have to walk my beat,” said the policeman. “I have to bring the mail,” said the mailman. “I have to clean the street,” said the street cleaner. “Who will be my friends?” asked Freddy. He went to the playground. Boys were playing ball. “Who will be my friends?” he asked.
The boys went right on playing. “I guess I will have to play by myself,” said Freddy. He threw his ball up in the air and caught it. He threw his ball up in the air and caught it! He threw it still higher and caught it! “Who will be my friends?” he asked. “We will,” said the boys. “We need someone who can throw and catch like that.”
“Let’s shake on it,” said Freddy. And the did.

[Matthew · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very odd and sad and short and kind of strange story about a boy who moves into a new neighborhood and is begging anybody to be his friend. Sort of a pathetic plotline. And again, way too quick of a conclusion. My rating - 1/5

[Alissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not my favorite. Freddy is trying to make friends and although he has friends, the adults are busy sometimes. He tries to make friends with children but they only want to be friends with him after they see he has skills. It isn’t very kind of educational.

[Danette · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/25/18 Read with Julia & Simon

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that it had a happy ending.

[Cora Dorsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not really like that the boys were mean initially, I would rather the book be an example of kindness.

[Kymberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Syd Hoff books is a comfortable, childhood memory.

[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay book.

[Kelly Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book

[காரைமாரி காரைமாரி]

Superb

[Checkthebook · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic from 1960 by Syd Hoff. A simple story from another era.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I remembered this book fondly from childhood, but if it was a favorite back then, it doesn't hold up so well! I'm thankful that my early reader is zipping through Syd Hoff's books because I'm not sure how many more I can stand to read.

[Vamp 🧛🏻‍♀️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written good but was to short.I liked how the kid was new and wanted friends and the policeman was like “hey I’m your friend” same with the street cleaner and the mailman.But the kids never said anything when he asked who wants to be his friend.They could’ve been polite and said something.And when they saw him throw the ball they basically wanted to use him.

They legit said and I quote,”We need someone who can throw and catch like that.”

Granted it wasn’t supposed to come out that way they basically just wanted to be friends with him so he could help them.Not because they WANTED to be friends.So yeah,This book was cute and all I just didn’t like the way the younger boys came off.I did enjoy the amount of words for the younger kids,the pictures,and the first 3 people who said “were your friends!”Like kids should know,police and anybody that helps is your friend,not you enemy.

XX that’s all for this book and I don’t really think you should get it just because yeah there are defiantly better books out there and I hope you can find one. XX

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[Cornelia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Who Will Be My Friends? is a book about a boy, Freddy, who is new to town and wonders who will be his friends. After a search that leads him past a policeman, mailman and street cleaner, he finds friends in a park. This book tells a cute story and uses some of the fundamentals of the whole word approach by repeating the key phrases many times throughout the story. It is a book that would be enjoyed by many early readers, but particularly those who have an interest in balls, playing catch and even baseball.

[J9 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book my 6 yr old loved, a little old for my preschoolers. A solid reading level 1 book, this reader has a good amount of advanced vocabulary words, but not so long that it discourages a new reader. Used it for his read out loud book, which was perfect. It took about 15 mins for him to read and had just enough new vocabulary words to make it challenging. Also, it was a fun and interesting story he could get into. He liked it so much, he asked for more by this author. Great reading book!

[Rosa Cline · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a VERY BASIC book for very beginning readers. It's a perfect book for them, as it only has a few words per page and many of the page are repetitive. I read it to my 2 year old granddaughter and although we enjoy Syd Hoff's books this one was kind of boring to us. But to a beginning reader they probably would be VERY proud of themselves if they completed this book.

[Anthony Pate]

This is a book that can have a very special meaning for certain students. If there are students in the class who have moved away from home before, then they would know how it feels to search for new friends in an unfamiliar place.

[Partridge Public]

Hoff, Syd K-1st

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

good early reader

[Teri · Rating 2 out of 5]

usually I love this author--but this stinks. My four year old said, "He didn't even tell them his name. He was not polite." Like no duh--you can't make friends if you don't put forth some effort.

[Elizabeth S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, solid, basic, simple. Of course the wonderful Syd Hoff pictures. Not a very involved story, however.

[BeastBoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A kid with no social graces moves to a new town and demands that people befriend him.

Probably the weakest Syd Hoff book I've ever read to my son.

[Yasuko · Rating 2 out of 5]

2013.4.25 205words

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, the illustrations are enchanting -- as are all Syd Hoff's illustrations. The story itself, however, is pretty basic and not terribly interesting.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfectly paced.

[Lillie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Favorite part: When the children want to play with each other on the last page.