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.

Rules of the Road

by Joan Bauer

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Fathers, Daughters & Sons, Family, Aging

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Travel Literature, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor

Rules Of The Road is a contemporary young adult novel by established author Joan Bauer, first published in 1998. It is the first book in the Rules of the Road series. The second book, Best Foot Forward, was published in 2005. Joan Bauer’s own complicated childhood with an alcohol-addicted father inspired Rules of the Road, which was met with critical acclaim. It won both the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and the Golden Kite Award... Read Rules of the Road Summary

Runaway Ralph

by Beverly Cleary

Publication year 1970

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Loneliness, Childhood & Youth, Animals, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Safety & Danger

Tags Children`s Literature, Animals, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

... Read Runaway Ralph Summary

Runner

by Carl Deuker

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Loneliness, Coming of Age, Fathers, Friendship, Social Class, War, Truth & Lies

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Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

by Eleanor Coerr

Publication year 1977

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Death, War, Hope, Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Family, Friendship

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Dramatic Literature, Grief & Death, Education, Education, World History, Japanese Literature, Classic Fiction

Originally published in 1977, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes is a middle-grade historical fiction novel written by Eleanor Coerr based on the true story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl living in Hiroshima, Japan, when the atomic bomb was dropped in 1945. At age 12, Sadako is diagnosed with leukemia, often called “the atom bomb disease.” Inspired by a Japanese legend, Sadako sets out to fold 1,000 origami cranes, hoping she will be granted... Read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes Summary

Sailor Moon

by Naoko Takeuchi

Publication year 1997

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Friendship, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction, Japanese Literature

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Vol. 1 by Naoko Takeuchi, translated from the original Japanese by Alethea and Athena Nibley, is the first volume in the extensive Sailor Moon manga series. A 1990s cultural juggernaut, Sailor Moon is one of the most popular shōjo, or serial manga aimed at girls and young women, of all time. Additionally, it features a female superhero protagonist, a global rarity in the 1990s. It tells a story about a girl... Read Sailor Moon Summary

Saltwater

by Katy Hays

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Apathy, Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Loneliness, Regret, Memory, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Aging, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Plants, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Economics, Globalization, Politics & Government, Art, Beauty, Fame, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

Published in 2025, Saltwater is a literary thriller by Katy Hays, author of the New York Times bestselling novel The Cloisters (2022). Like her debut, which is in development as a television series, Saltwater blends suspense with a richly detailed, atmospheric setting. The novel follows the wealthy Lingate family on their annual trip to Capri, an island that holds the dark secret of playwright Sarah Lingate’s mysterious death 30 years prior. Sarah’s husband, Richard Lingate... Read Saltwater Summary

Same Kind Of Different As Me

by Ron Hall, Lynn Vincent, Denver Moore

Publication year 2006

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Family, Friendship, Race

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Inspirational, Biography

Same Kind of Different as Me (2006) is a memoir written by Denver Moore and Ron Hall, with the assistance of Lynn Vincent. Employing a first-person point of view that switches between Moore and Hall in its chapters, the book tells the radically-different life stories of the two men—Moore spent most of his adult years being homeless or in prison, while Hall was a high-end art dealer—and how they were brought together thanks to Hall’s... Read Same Kind Of Different As Me Summary

Saving Shiloh

by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Publication year 1997

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Animals, Justice, Family, Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Community

Tags Realistic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Relationships

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Savvy

by Ingrid Law

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Self Discovery, Friendship, Siblings

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature

Savvy, by Ingrid Law, is a fantasy-adventure novel for middle-grade readers about a girl from a psychic family who discovers her mental superpower and tries to master it quickly to use it to save her comatose father. First published in 2008, Savvy was a New York Times bestseller; it won a Newbery Honor and has appeared on more than 30 best book lists. The novel has two sequels, Scumble and Switch. Law’s books have been... Read Savvy Summary

Scion

by James Islington

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Apathy, Conflict, Perseverance, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Regret, Revenge, Language, Death, Environment, Place, Friendship, Mothers, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Economics, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense

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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