Family
Leo Tolstoy famously begins the novel Anna Karenina with the sentence: "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." In this thematic collection, we have gathered noteworthy texts that navigate the joyous and sorrowful emotional terrain of the family unit.
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Friendship, Conflict, Perseverance, Loneliness, Fear, Guilt, Hope, Joy, Love, Memory, Gratitude, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Climate, Environment, Food, Family, Grandparents, Mothers, Literature, Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction
... Read Bob Summary
Publication year 1991
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Religion & Spirituality, Good & Evil, Family
Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature, Action & Adventure, Humor
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction
Kwame Alexander’s Booked is a young adult novel in verse about the life of Nick Hall, an eighth-grader and soccer aficionado who struggles to meet his parents’ expectations and honor his own self-identity in the wake of his parents’ separation. The book is both a sports novel and a reflection on Nick’s experiences struggling with an injury and major changes in his home life. The book is geared toward 10- to 12-year-old readers and includes... Read Booked Summary
Publication year 1993
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Race, Colonialism, Nation, Family
Tags Satirical Literature, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Nation, Social Class, Politics & Government, Community, Friendship, Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Love, Hope
Tags Realistic Fiction, Social Justice, Poverty, Indian Literature, Social Class, Politics & Government, Incarceration, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2006
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Disability, Family, Friendship
Tags Disability, Psychology, LGBTQ+, Science & Nature, Psychology, Mental Illness, Biography
Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant is Daniel Tammet’s memoir and his first published book. In it, he recalls his childhood, adolescence, and adulthood leading up to the point in his life when he became independent with a partner and a career. Born on a Blue Day was a New York Times best seller following its publication in 2006.Tammet is, as identified in the subtitle, an autistic savant... Read Born on a Blue Day Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Coming of Age, Fathers, Self Discovery, Fame, Music, Truth & Lies, Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Music, Humor
Gordan Korman’s 2006 young adult coming-of-age novel Born to Rock follows teenager Leo Caraway as he sets out to get to know his biological father—the frontman of a legendary punk rock band—hoping to fund his college tuition while navigating the foreign world of punk rock and gets to know his roots. The novel, which was written for and dedicated to Korman’s son, also named Leo, explores themes of genetics, identity, self-expression, and lying.Korman is a... Read Born to Rock Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Perseverance, Hope, Joy, Memory, Love, Coming of Age, Midlife, Childhood & Youth, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, Fate, Art, Fame, Justice, Music, Equality, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies
Tags Music, Arts & Culture, Mental Illness, Social Justice, US History, Biography
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Perseverance, Grief, Hope, Animals, Place, Family, Social Class, Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Fairy Tale & Folklore
Publication year 1992
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Religion & Spirituality, Friendship, Marriage, Family
Tags Christian, Self-Improvement, Psychology, Psychology, Relationships, Mental Illness, Religion & Spirituality
Publication year 1994
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Perseverance, Hope, Indigenous Identity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Environment, Family, Fathers, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Nation, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt
Tags Children`s Literature, Education, Education, US History, World History, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes War, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hope, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Siblings, Teamwork, Immigration, Politics & Government, Justice, Safety & Danger
Tags Children`s Literature, Action & Adventure, Contemporary Literature
Publication year 1984
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Memory, The Past, Childhood & Youth, Good & Evil, Justice, Nostalgia, Family
Tags Humor, Children`s Literature, Classic Fiction, Biography
IntroductionMany readers are familiar with Roald Dahl (1916-1990) as the author of popular stories such as James and the Giant Peach (1961) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964). Dahl published 19 novels and short story collections for children. He was born in Wales to a Norwegian family and spent most of his life in England. He was an intelligence officer and fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force during World War II and suffered... Read Boy: Tales of Childhood Summary
Publication year 1925
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Fathers, Immigration, Equality, Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, Immigration & Refugeeism, Jewish Literature, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
Bread Givers is a 1925 novel by Anzia Yezierska. As a Jewish-American who emigrated to America from Poland, Yezierska uses her life experience growing up in New York as a basis for the novel. The novel follows Sara Smolinsky, a Jewish-American girl, as she grows up in New York in the 1920s with her sisters. Sara pushes the bounds of her father Reb Smolinsky’s patriarchal belief system as she pursues an education and career. The... Read Bread Givers Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Marriage, Family, Perseverance, Grief, Love, Memory, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, The Past, Objects & Materials, Place, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Art, Beauty, Fame, Literature, Music
Tags Memoir & Autobiography, Music, Arts & Culture, Love & Sexuality, Grief & Death
Publication year 1990
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Social Class, Memory, Love, Hope, Fate, Safety & Danger, Family
Tags Lyric Poem, Arts & Culture, Climate Change
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Love, Family, Friendship, Community, Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Breaking Dawn (2008) by Stephenie Meyer is the fourth and final novel of the best-selling Twilight book series. It is a young adult fantasy romance novel following the life of Bella Swan, a teenager who falls in love with a vampire, Edward Cullen. The three prior novels explore Bella’s attempts to assimilate into the secret vampire world with Edward and his family, as well as the love triangle with her best friend, Jacob Black, whom... Read Breaking Dawn Summary
Publication year 2001
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Family
Tags Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Arts & Culture, Biography
Breaking Through, an autobiography by Francisco Jimenez, is a work of juvenile literature that was published in 2001. The book records the childhood experiences of the author as he struggles to become familiar with American culture, and has been awarded a number of prizes, including The Americas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature and the Pura Belpre Honor Award.The story commences with a description of the then 4-year-old author, his parents, and his older... Read Breaking Through Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Race, Good & Evil, Justice
Tags Realistic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Incarceration, Race & Racism, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Disability, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Family
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Disability, Mythology, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy