The solace and comfort of true friendship — and the pain of its loss — can rival any romantic or familial relationship. In this collection, we present texts that examine the unique qualities and costs of deep friendships.
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Society: Community
Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Humor, Historical Fiction, Great Depression
Jennifer L. Holm’s Full of Beans is a 2016 middle-grade historical novel set in 1934. Main character and first-person protagonist Beans Curry is a 10-year-old boy born and raised in Key West, Florida. The Great Depression causes difficulties for the locals of the dilapidated town, including Beans’s family. “New Dealer” Mr. Julius Stone, Jr. arrives with the plan to boost Key West’s failing economy by recreating it as a tourist destination, but Beans decides that... Read Full of Beans Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Education, Society: Globalization, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Self Discovery, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Survival Fiction, Natural Disaster, Science / Nature, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction
In Newbery medalist Louis Sachar’s sci-fi thriller Fuzzy Mud (2015), Tamaya and Marshall cut through the restricted woods behind their school to avoid a bully—but encounter a strange mud that has the potential to destroy nearly all life on Earth. While Marshall struggles with the emotional effects of being bullied, Tamaya develops an unusually aggressive rash from the mud and worries that in protecting Marshall she has gravely injured Chad. Each character faces difficult ethical... Read Fuzzy Mud Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Family
Tags Sports, Realistic Fiction, Disability, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Narrative / Epic Poem
Steven Erikson’s Garden of the Moon is an epic fantasy novel and the first installment in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. Published in 1999, the novel follows a large cast of characters as they contend with the threat of an ever-expanding empire and grapple with ancient magical forces. Erikson, an anthropologist and archeologist by training, sets the novel in a fictional world peopled by human and non-human races, magic users, and a pantheon... Read Gardens of the Moon Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Romance, Humor, Health / Medicine, British Literature, Disability, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2001
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: War, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Military / War, WWII / World War II, History: World, History: U.S., Biography
Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II’s Greatest Rescue Mission by American journalist and historian Hampton Sides tells the story of a daring rescue raid on the Japanese-controlled Cabanatuan Allied prisoner-of-war camp in the Philippines at the end of World War II. 121 US Rangers, Alamo Scouts, and hundreds of armed and unarmed Filipino guerillas successfully rescued over 500 remaining POWs on January 30, 1945. The book details the stories of the American POWs... Read Ghost Soldiers Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Relationships: Grandparents
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1979
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship
Tags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World, Historical Fiction
Monica Hesse’s 2016 novel Girl in the Blue Coat was the winner of the Edgar Award for Best YA Mystery. Its events take place over two weeks in January 1943 during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. The narrator, Hanneke Bakker, is an 18-year-old girl who lost her boyfriend, Sebastian “Bas” Van de Kamp, two years before the events of the novel. As far as her parents know, Hanneke works as a receptionist for an undertaker... Read Girl in the Blue Coat Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Fantasy, Children's Literature, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Fantasy, Romance, New Adult, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1971
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Depression / Suicide, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Classic Fiction
Initially advertised as an anonymous, true story of a teenage girl, Go Ask Alice (1971) by Beatrice Sparks is an epistolary novel, or a fictional work structured as a diary. The diary entries chronicle two years of a teen girl’s experience with social acceptance, family relationships, and drugs—primarily marijuana, LSD, and amphetamines. Although Beatrice Sparks initially claimed to be the diary’s editor, considerable evidence suggests that she’s the sole author of the fictional work. Nevertheless... Read Go Ask Alice Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, New Adult
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War, Society: Class
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Femininity
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Military / War, French Literature, History: World
Publication year 1981
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, WWII / World War II
Goodnight Mister Tom is a work of historical fiction written by Michelle Magorian and published in 1981. The novel is aimed at an audience of middle grade readers. It tells the story of eight-year-old William Beech, who, at the start of WWII, has to move with his abusive mother from an impoverished suburb of London to the countryside, where they are in the care of an elderly recluse, Thomas Oakley. The novel explores the impact... Read Goodnight Mister Tom Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Race / Racism, Politics / Government, September 11 Attacks, Relationships, LGBTQ, Grief / Death, Parenting, Social Justice, Immigration / Refugee, Biography