Friendship

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.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

by J. K. Rowling

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Perseverance, Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Politics & Government

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Classic Fiction

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the fifth book in J. K. Rowling’s enormously popular Harry Potter series. Accordingly, it chronicles Harry’s fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and his ongoing struggle against the evil wizard Voldemort. Other works by this author include Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban.Plot SummaryThe story opens over summer vacation. Harry... Read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Summary

Hattie Big Sky

by Kirby Larson

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Loneliness, Race, Coming of Age, Climate, Environment, Place, Friendship, Community, Immigration, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, World War I

Kirby Larson’s Hattie Big Sky is a 2006 young adult historical fiction novel that won the Newbery Honor Award. Larson is a young adult author who specializes in writing historical fiction centering on strong female protagonists. Set during World War I, the novel follows Hattie Brooks as she travels to Montana to work on the farm that her uncle leaves to her after he dies. The novel explores themes of community, overcoming adversity, and issues... Read Hattie Big Sky Summary

Heartbeat

by Sharon Creech

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Aging, Death, Teamwork, Siblings, Friendship, Coming of Age, Art, Birth, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Mothers, Family

Tags Relationships, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Heartbeat Summary

Heartless

by Marissa Meyer

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Love, Revenge, Coming of Age, Family, Friendship, Fate, Good & Evil, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Social Class, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, Relationships

Heartless, first published in 2016, is a contemporary fantasy Young Adult novel by Marissa Meyer. Meyer is best known for her dystopian sci-fi YA series The Lunar Chronicles, inspired by fairy tales such as Cinderella and Snow White. Set in a fantasy world, Heartless imagines the backstory of Lewis Carroll’s iconic character the Queen of Hearts from the 1876 novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Heartless is also popular among the BookTok community. This guide utilizes... Read Heartless Summary

Heart of a Champion

by Carl Deuker

Publication year 1994

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Friendship, Coming of Age, Childhood & Youth, Mothers, Masculinity, Fathers, Grief, Wins & Losses

Tags Sports, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Relationships, Coming of Age, Grief & Death, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Originally published in 1993, Heart of a Champion is a young adult novel written by award-winning author Carl Deuker, whose work is primarily about sports and intended for young adult readers. The novel is the first-person narrative of a California boy, Seth, whose father died prematurely, leaving a huge void. Seth befriends Jimmy, whose love of baseball quickly becomes Seth’s passion as well. After the death of his friend after an alcohol-induced car crash, Seth... Read Heart of a Champion Summary

Heat

by Mike Lupica

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Family

Tags Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Sports

Heat is a young adult novel written by Mike Lupica and published in 2006. Focusing on the Little League baseball culture of New York City, the novel follows Michael Arroyo, a pitching phenom and Cuban immigrant, as he pursues a trip to the Little League World Series. Michael and his brother, Carlos, recently lost their Papi from a heart attack. They keep his death a secret out of fear that government officials will separate them... Read Heat Summary

Heaven

by Angela Johnson

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Family, Friendship, Truth & Lies

Tags Adoption, Relationships, Parenting

... Read Heaven Summary

Heidi

by Johanna Spyri

Publication year 1881

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gratitude, Grief, Hope, Joy, Love, Childhood & Youth, Friendship, Family, Grandparents, Literature, Religion & Spirituality, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Plants, Food, Animals

Tags Classic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Historical Fiction, Romanticism

Swiss author Johanna Spyri originally published the middle-grade fiction novel Heidi in German in two volumes in 1880. The novel quickly became a beloved classic children’s book that has since been adapted into 25 film and television versions, including a 1968 made-for-TV movie and a very popular anime series in 1974. It has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. Spyri was born in Hirzel, a Zurich village that shares a border with the German... Read Heidi Summary

Heracles

by Euripides

Publication year -416

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Fathers, Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fate, Justice

Tags Tragedy, Mythology, Ancient Greece, Classical Period

... Read Heracles Summary

Hero

by Mike Lupica

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Friendship, Trust & Doubt, Loneliness

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Sports

Published in 2010, Hero is an adventure novel for middle-grade readers about a teenage boy who develops superpowers and uses them to avenge the murder of his superhero father. In the process, he must learn to control his emotions, find a mentor he can trust, protect those he loves, and defeat powerful assailants.Author Mike Lupica is a sports columnist, TV commentator, and bestselling writer whose more than three dozen books range from sports biographies to... Read Hero Summary

Heroes

by Alan Gratz

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Friendship, War

Tags Children`s Literature, World War II, Military & War, World History, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure

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Hide

by Kiersten White

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Loneliness, Regret, Death, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Self Discovery, Good & Evil, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Mystery & Crime Fiction

... Read Hide Summary