Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Mothers, Mental Health, Self Discovery, Immigration
Tags Realistic Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
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 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Mothers, Mental Health, Self Discovery, Immigration
Tags Realistic Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
Publication year 1958
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Childhood & Youth, Family, Politics & Government, Justice
Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Memory, Language, Race, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Community, Education, Immigration, Nation, War, Fate, Justice, Music, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Conflict, Animals, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies, Self Discovery
Tags Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Action & Adventure
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Regret, Revenge, Appearance & Reality, Family, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Grief, Loneliness, Family, War
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Dramatic Literature, Grief & Death, Trauma & Abuse, 9/11, Modern Classic Fiction
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a realistic fiction novel written by Jonathan Safran Foer and based on the September 11 terrorist attacks that occurred in New York City in 2001. The novel was originally published in 2005. Its characters grapple with Fear of Death and Loss as an Obstacle to Living, The Complex Nature of Relationships, The Importance of Little Things, and The Influence of the Past on the Present. This guide uses the... Read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Death, Place, Safety & Danger, Siblings, Coming of Age, Childhood & Youth, Animals, Family, Environment, Fear, Music, Gender Identity, Appearance & Reality, Conflict, Grandparents
Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Magical Realism
Fablehaven was written by Brandon Mull (also known for The Candy Shop War and its sequels) and first published in 2006. It is the first in a series about an ecological preserve for magical creatures. In the novel, middle-school-aged siblings Kendra and Seth take a trip to their grandparents’ land in rural Connecticut, which they soon realize is hiding magic of all types. The siblings explore the magical world they have discovered while learning how... Read Fablehaven Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Family, Race, Social Class, Justice
Tags Comedy & Satire, Race & Racism, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Dramatic Literature
Publication year 1978
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Social Class
Tags Historical Fiction, Humor
Fair Weather is a 2001 historical fiction novel set against the backdrop of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. The author is award-winning children’s novelist Richard Peck, known for his incorporation of historical settings and events. Fair Weather follows 13-year-old Rosie Beckett, her two siblings, and her grandfather as they journey from their rural Illinois farm to the bustling city of Chicago, at the invitation of Rosie’s Aunt Euterpe. Through Rosie’s eyes over the course of... Read Fair Weather Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Safety & Danger, Race, Coming of Age, Family, Social Class, Community
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Coming of Age, Bullying, Trauma & Abuse, Grief & Death, Race & Racism, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Action & Adventure
Originally published in 2014, Fake ID is a mystery/thriller novel written by Lamar Giles and intended for young adults. The narrator and main character is Nick Pearson, a 15-year-old who has just moved to Stepton, Virginia, becoming a Black student in a predominantly white setting. Nick and his family are in the Federal Witness Protection Program (WITSEC). Unintentionally, he finds himself involved in a love triangle and a mysterious murder.As a Black author, Giles is... Read Fake ID Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Fathers, Friendship, Community, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies
Tags Children`s Literature
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Love, Loyalty & Betrayal, Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Family
Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
Falling Over Sideways (2016) is a popular middle-grade novel by Jordan Sonnenblick. The novel tells the story of 14-year-old Claire Goldsmith and the events that unfold during her eighth-grade year after her father has a stroke one morning. Claire must face dance school, bullies, her father’s rehabilitation, and a strange new home life, all while trying not to be, look, or feel “awkward” or “unlucky” in her new grade. The narrative further addresses issues of... Read Falling Over Sideways Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Perseverance, Childhood & Youth, Family
Tags Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Shame & Pride, Truth & Lies, Religion & Spirituality, Music, Good & Evil, Self Discovery, Fathers, Childhood & Youth, Sexual Identity, Race, Fear
Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Magical Realism, Coming of Age, Trauma & Abuse, Love & Sexuality, Music, Religion & Spirituality, Race & Racism, World History, Canadian Literature
Fall on Your Knees (1996), first-time novelist Ann-Marie MacDonald’s ambitious multigenerational family saga set in the early decades of the 20th century, moves from the bleak coastal towns of Canada’s Cape Breton Island to the bustling New York City of the Jazz Era. Recalling both the psychological richness of William Faulkner’s family sagas set in Yoknapatawpha County and the dark passions in the Gothic tales of Flannery O’Connor, Fall on Your Knees follows three very... Read Fall on your Knees Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Future, Animals, Family
Tags Animals, World History, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Love, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers, Siblings, Truth & Lies
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Parenting
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Femininity, Love, Memory, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Death, Marriage, Mothers
Tags Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Truth & Lies, Perseverance, Loyalty & Betrayal, Siblings, Family
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Romance, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2025
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, The Past, Family, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies
Tags US History, European History, World War II, Memoir & Autobiography, Politics & Government, Espionage
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Conflict, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Love, Death, Appearance & Reality, Family, Justice