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 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Southern Literature, History: World
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Jason Reynolds’s 2015 young adult realistic contemporary novel, The Boy in the Black Suit, follows main character, Matt Miller, through several months of his senior year after the death of his mother. His grieving process is complicated by his father’s lengthy hospitalization after an accident, which leaves Matt to cope with his sadness alone. Matt discovers unexpected comfort, however, in his new job helping neighbor and funeral home director Mr. Ray. Matt meets Love, who... Read The Boy in the Black Suit Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery
Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Self Help, Philosophy, Animals
Publication year 2009
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship
Tags Science / Nature, Education, Education, Biography
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba is a memoir about the author’s struggle to build a windmill in his village in Malawi. Beyond that, it’s a story about hope and determination. The book opens with a prologue that shows William turning his windmill on for the first time. With this success in mind, the reader is then thrust into a world of superstition and government corruption that creates obstacles to such innovation... Read The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind Summary
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Realistic Fiction, Sports, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy
The Boy Who Saved Baseball is a highly acclaimed middle grade novel by Southern California author John Ritter. Among other recognitions, the book received the 2004 Paterson Prize for Children’s Literature, the Child Magazine Best Book of the Year Award, and the New York Library Best Book for the Teen Age Award. Of his half-dozen middle grade sports novels, this story most closely mirrors Ritter’s upbringing. It is set in a small California town near... Read The Boy Who Saved Baseball Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams, Identity: Disability, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Society: Immigration, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: War, Society: Nation, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Sports, Realistic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Friendship, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Animals, History: World, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Food, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Wendy Mass’s novel The Candymakers is a work of middle-grade fiction that follows four children competing in a national candy making competition. As the children learn more about each other and the Life is Sweet candy factory, they give up their personal ambitions for the common good: to save the factory from a businessman who desires to steal the factory’s secret chocolate ingredient. Brown Books for Young Readers published the novel in 2010.Plot SummaryThe Candymakers... Read The Candymakers Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Children's Literature
Publication year 2018
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, LGBTQ, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: Asian, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1985
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship
Tags LGBTQ, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Disability, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Romance, Humor, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness