by Joy Vee
Looking for Christian books for tweens about navigating friendships?
When eleven-year-old Sienna plans a special outing with her friends, she’s excited to take her first step into independence. But when things go wrong and she finds herself deliberately excluded, Sienna must navigate one of the hardest friendship challenges of tween life: what do you do when your friends turn against you?
Left Out, Sienna? is one of several superb Christian books for tweens facing the complexities of middle grade friendships. Through Sienna’s story of betrayal, hurt, and ultimately healing, young readers aged 8-12 discover that God’s love remains constant even when friendships falter, and that His opinion matters more than anyone else’s.
Who is Left Out, Sienna? written for?
This book is perfect for tweens (ages 8-12) who are navigating friendships, particularly those experiencing the pain of being excluded, struggling with bossiness, or learning to balance being a leader with being a friend. If your child has faced friendship drama at school, been left out of group plans, or needs reassurance about their worth when relationships shift, Sienna’s story will speak directly to their hearts.
What makes this book special?
We believe that teaching truths through story is powerful, relatable and memorable.
Left out, Sienna? tackles real friendship challenges tweens actually face. From being deliberately excluded to watching friends make poor choices, from struggling with bossiness to learning when to speak up and when to step back, this book doesn’t shy away from the messy reality of navigating friendships in middle grade. Sienna’s experiences feel authentic because they’re based on situations Christian tweens genuinely encounter.
It teaches powerful truths about God’s love when friendships hurt. When Sienna discovers her friends went out without her and lied about why, she’s devastated. But through Kids’ Church teachings on Psalm 139, she learns that God’s thoughts about her outnumber the grains of sand on a beach. This truth anchors her when everything else feels unstable, showing tweens that their worth isn’t determined by who includes or excludes them.
It shows the difference between being bossy and being a leader. Sienna genuinely believes she’s just sharing good ideas, but her mother and brothers see something different. Through honest conversations and watching her younger brother solve problems she would have fixed for him, Sienna learns that sometimes stepping back allows others to shine—a crucial lesson for confident tweens learning to navigate friendships without dominating them.
Can I read a sample first?
Of course! Here’s the heartbreaking moment when Sienna discovers the truth:
Extract from Chapter 12
‘Hi Sienna! I’m surprised you’re here. Are you feeling better?’
‘I’m fine. We decided to come to the park after Kids’ Church today,’ Sienna said, sitting on one of the swings. ‘Did you think I was sick?’
‘Yeah. Emily said you had a virus, or something. That’s why you couldn’t join us yesterday.’
Sienna stopped swinging and turned to Phoebe.
‘No, Emily’s mum was sick, so none of us could go. Isn’t that what you mean?’
Sienna watched her friend’s eyes narrow slightly.
‘No,’ Phoebe said slowly. ‘We went to the pizza place and the cinema. Emily said your mum had called and you were sick.’
Sienna felt dizzy. She leaned her head against the chains holding up the swing. She saw Mum sitting on a bench, talking to Alison and Phoebe’s mum, and the younger ones running up and down on the wooden fort, but everything seemed far away and distant.
‘I really missed you. It wasn’t as much fun without you and your stories of the funny things your brothers do.’ Phoebe was watching her closely.
‘No, Phoebe. You don’t understand. I wasn’t sick yesterday.’ Sienna struggled to get the words out. Her head hurt and there was a big lump in her throat. ‘Emily and Sophia came to my house in the morning and said Emily’s mum had morning sickness and couldn’t drive. But they lied to me.’
Excerpt from Left Out, Sienna? © Joy Vee, 2023
Where Can I Purchase the Book?
You can buy paperbacks & ebooks directly from us here.
Joy is willing to speak to your Schools, Churches and Book Clubs, either in person or over Zoom. Please contact us for these and bulk purchasing options.
If you’d love this book but cannot afford it, we do run a bursary programme. Please contact us to request a book.