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.

Scorpions

by Walter Dean Myers

Publication year 1988

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Social Class, Masculinity, Race, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, African American Literature, Children`s Literature, Arts & Culture

Scorpions is a young adult, coming-of-age novel written by best-selling children’s author Walter Dean Myers. Like many of Myers’s works, the book is based on his experience of growing up in New York City’s historically African American Harlem neighborhood. Exploring themes of brotherhood and masculinity, love and loyalty, race, class, and curtailed opportunity, the narrative follows 12-year-old Jamal Hicks as he is confronted with a life-changing dilemma: whether or not to step into the shoes... Read Scorpions Summary

Scrawl

by Mark Shulman

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Childhood & Youth, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class

Tags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Poverty, Humor

Scrawl (2010) is a young adult novel by American author Mark Shulman, who has written more than 200 books for young readers. Scrawl follows a young teenage bully, Tod Munn, and his experience in detention where he is required by a guidance counselor to write about himself in a journal. In the journal, Tod describes his struggles with coming from a low-income family, low self-esteem, and his problematic behavior at school. The novel was a... Read Scrawl Summary

Secret Coders

by Gene Luen Yang

Publication year 2015

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Science & Technology, Perseverance, Loneliness, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Appearance & Reality, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Mothers, Self Discovery

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science Fiction

... Read Secret Coders Summary

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus

by Nabeel Qureshi

Publication year 2014

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Conflict, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Trust & Doubt

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Christian

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity (2014) is a book of memoir and apologetics, written by Pakistani American author Nabeel Qureshi (1983-2017). It recounts his intellectual and spiritual journey from his Muslim childhood to an eventual embrace of Christian belief in his early adulthood. The book explores The Emotional and Relational Costs of Religious Conversion, The Balance of Intellectual Arguments and Spiritual Experience, Friendship as a Catalyst for Spiritual Transformation, and The... Read Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus Summary

Shipwreck

by Gordon Korman

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Environment, Friendship, Teamwork, Safety & Danger

Tags Action & Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Survival Fiction, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Shipwreck Summary

Shirley

by Charlotte Brontë

Publication year 1849

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Friendship, Community

Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Historical Fiction, Romance, Gender & Feminism, British Literature, World History, Victorian Era

Shirley is a historical novel by Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855). Written in 1849, it is Brontë’s second novel and followed the overwhelming success of Jane Eyre (1847). It was also very popular when it was published. Set in Yorkshire in 1812-1813, a time of financial depression, its setting engages directly with the Luddite uprisings in the North of England, when textile workers protested the unemployment caused by new mechanical equipment in mills and factories. Shirley follows... Read Shirley Summary

Shiver

by Maggie Stiefvater

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Love, Coming of Age, Animals, Friendship, Self Discovery

Tags Fantasy, Romance

Shiver (2009) is the first installment in Maggie Stiefvater’s young adult paranormal romance series The Wolves of Mercy Falls. Influential in shaping modern fantasy romance narratives, the bestselling series is set in a universe where werewolves exist and their transformations are controlled by the weather. Shiver tracks the story of Grace Brisbane, who was bitten by werewolves when she was child but never changed, and Sam Roth, a werewolf destined to remain a wolf forever... Read Shiver Summary