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 Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Humor, Fantasy, Animals
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Animals
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Religion / Spirituality
Doll Bones (2013) is a middle grade novel written by Holly Black and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. It blends gothic, horror, and fantasy elements. The novel follows three friends, Zach, Poppy, and Alice, as their make-believe games take a turn for the supernatural, sending them on an eerie quest to return a haunted doll to a gravesite before it wreaks havoc on their lives. The novel explores the challenges of growing up and the strain... Read Doll Bones Summary
Publication year 1605
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Class, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Renaissance, Religion / Spirituality, Satire
Don Quixote is a novel in two parts by Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes published between 1605 and 1615. The novel portrays the life of a middle-aged Spanish man who decides to become a knight, just like the characters in the works of fiction he loves. Considered to be a foundational work of Western literature and one of the first modern novels, Don Quixote is one of the most translated books of all time. It... Read Don Quixote Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery
Tags Humor, Realistic Fiction
Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not-So-Fabulous Life by Rachel Renée Russell (Simon & Schuster, 2009) is a young adult graphic novel told in diary entries about a 14-year-old girl’s journey through her first month at a new school. The book was both a New York Times and USA Today best seller. It also won the Children’s Choice Book of the Year Award for the fifth/sixth grade division (2010) and was nominated for Book of the... Read Dork Diaries Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Fame, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family
Tags Humor, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction
In Dreamland, a young adult novel by Sarah Dessen, a teenage girl named Caitlin O’Koren reacts to the disappearance of her sister by breaking away from the path that was set out for her. The novel is broken into three parts that focus on the core of the conflicts in each section. Part I, “Cass,” traces the O’Koren family after Cass, the eldest of two daughters, runs away instead of attending Yale. Part II, entitled... Read Dreamland Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Family, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Realistic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: Economics, Natural World: Environment, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Biography
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 1961
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1874
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Disability
Tags Humor, Disability, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Biography
El Deafo is a 2014 semi-autobiographical, graphic novel by American author and illustrator Cece Bell. Bell, who was born deaf, recounts her childhood in the format of a guide starring an anthropomorphic rabbit, “Cece.” The book endeavors to undermine negative representations of deafness by representing Cece’s difference as valid, even empowering, with the assistance of modern technology. Throughout the book, Cece occasionally assumes a superhero persona, “El Deafo.” El Deafo challenges common misconceptions about disabilities... Read El Deafo Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 1987
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction, Southern Literature, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism
Ellen Foster is a work of adult fiction by US novelist Kaye Gibbons, first published by Algonquin Books in 1987. The novel was Gibbons’s debut, and it won the Sue Kaufman Prize for literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a notable citation from the Ernest Hemingway Foundation. Critics praised the novel for its unsentimental outlook and the wry, distinct voice of its protagonist. Ellen, a young girl living in the American... Read Ellen Foster Summary
Publication year 1923
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Asian Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Indian Literature
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: War, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Natural World: Food, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, WWII / World War II, Military / War, Italian Literature, History: World