My Best Friend

You Should Have a Best Friend Like Mine!

Everyone needs a friend who will stick by them through thick and thin, and in My Best Friend, author- illustrator Lois Kim reminds children that they always have a best friend to cheer them on and help them to be their best. The charmingly illustrated rhymed verse narrative concludes: My best friend is ME and I am my best friend.

My Best Friend was borne of Kim’s desire to encourage her daughter— and herself—during times of self doubt and to give the pre-teen inner strength and confidence as she was bullied in school. “I wanted her to see that loving and relying on herself and being her own best friend will help her through her darkest moments,” Kim says. “For me, as a recovering addict, remembering to love myself can mean the difference between life and death. I have to be my own best friend and treat myself with respect.” This message of self-confidence is especially important today, as increasing bullying and social media pressure can make children feel isolated and outcast.

Lois Kim is a first generation Korean-American who graduated from the University of Hawaii with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance. She currently resides in Honolulu and continues to work toward her goal of rebuilding her family. Lois is a graduate of the YWCA Oahu’s Ka Hale Hoala Hou No Na Wahine (“The House of Reawakening for Women”) program at Fernhurst. Kim has been featured on PBS Hawaii’s Long Story Short and speaks to community groups about her past struggles and her road to a stable and successful life. My Best Friend is her second book.