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.
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death, Children's Literature, Animals, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure
The Honest Truth is a middle-grade coming-of-age novel by Dan Gemeinhart, a former elementary school teacher and librarian who won the Parents’ Choice Award Gold Medal for another one of his five novels. The book was published on January 23, 2015. The novel incorporates drama and a bit of poetry to narrate the story of twelve-year-old protagonist Mark who has spent most of his life in hospitals receiving cancer treatments. Now, Mark takes his fate... Read The Honest Truth Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Mythology, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Children's Literature, Romance
The House of Hades is the fourth of five books in the Heroes of Olympus series, which follows seven Greek and Roman demigods on a quest to prevent the rise of the earth goddess Gaea, who is bent on destroying the world.The House of Hades was written by Rick Riordan, a New York Times bestselling author who explores Roman and Greek Mythology in these two series. Riordan is the publisher of an imprint with Disney... Read The House of Hades Summary
Publication year 1905
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Economics, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Satire, Class, Gilded Age, Naturalism, American Literature, History: World
Set in New York’s high society at the turn of the 20th century, The House of Mirth (1905), was the second novel by renowned American writer Edith Wharton. Wharton drew upon her own privileged upbringing in a wealthy, long-established New York family for her astute observations of this social milieu during the Gilded Age, a period marked by economic disparities and ostentatious materialism. Prior to the novel’s publication in October 1905, The House of Mirth... Read The House of Mirth Summary
Publication year 1831
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability, Identity: Language, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Gothic Literature, French Literature, History: World
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is an 1831 gothic novel by French author Victor Hugo, originally published under the title Notre-Dame de Paris. Set in 15th-century France, the novel concerns the intertwined stories of Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and Archdeacon Claude Frollo. The story has been adapted many times for theater, television, and film, including an animated film by Disney released in 1996.This guide refers to the 2009 Oxford Classics edition of the novel, translated from French to... Read The Hunchback of Notre-Dame Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance, Fantasy
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Arts / Culture
Jessamy Harrison is an eight-year-old girl living in a small town in England. Her father is English, and her mother is Nigerian. Jess is a smart, introverted child who likes to spend her time reading books and playing inside. Jess’s parents take her on a trip to Nigeria to visit her extended family. While staying at her grandfather’s compound, Jess sees strange shadows in the windows of the Boys’ Quarters, a building that was once... Read The Icarus Girl Summary
Publication year 1980
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: War, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, British Literature, Race / Racism, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction
Published in 1980, the fantasy novel The Indian in the Cupboard tells the story of a small cabinet that converts a boy’s plastic toy figures into real, if tiny, people, and the misadventures the boy and his best friend have with those visitors. The first of five novels about the magic cabinet, The Indian in the Cupboard has sold more than 10 million copies and been made into a motion picture. Author Lynne Reid Banks... Read The Indian in the Cupboard Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality
Critically acclaimed, The Institute (2019) is the 60th entry in Stephen King’s body of more than 100 works. While best known as a horror writer (and one of the most popular writers since the 1970s in general), King dabbles in many genres, including fantasy, mystery, and science fiction—often blurring the boundaries between them. The Institute is more sci-fi thriller than horror, sharing story beats and themes with King’s earlier novels Firestarter and It: It follows... Read The Institute Summary
Publication year 1874
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Classic Fiction, Humor
Mark Twain’s short story “The Invalid’s Story,” published in his 1882 collection The Stolen White Elephant, Etc., is a tall tale involving a mix-up between a coffin and a box full of guns. Traveling on a train with what he believes to be the coffin, the first-person narrator mistakes the odor of pungent cheese for that of the decaying corpse. Disparaged by critics for its crudeness at its time of publication, the story deals with... Read The Invalid's Story Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Art, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Historical Fiction
The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007) is written and illustrated by Brian Selznick, author of Wonderstruck, The Marvels, and several other well-known novels. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is categorized as historical fiction, but it fits into multiple other genres as well. In an Amazon Exclusive letter, Selznick says his novel’s unique nature makes it “not exactly a novel, not quite a picture book, not really a graphic novel, or a flip book or a... Read The Invention of Hugo Cabret Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship
Tags Historical Fiction, History: World
A historical novel, The Invention of Wings (2014), by Sue Monk Kidd, traces the intersecting lives of the abolitionist sisters, Sarah and Angelina Grimké, and Sarah’s slave, Hetty Handful Grimké. Spanning 35 years and set primarily in Charleston, South Carolina in the 1800s, the novel begins on Sarah’s 11th birthday, when Handful is given to her as a birthday present. It ends when Sarah helps Handful and her sister, Sky, escape slavery, and Sarah fulfills... Read The Invention of Wings Summary
Publication year 1968
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Religion / Spirituality
The Iron Trial (2014) is a young adult fantasy novel by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. Both Black and Clare are New York Times best-selling authors who have separately written multiple young adult novels. The Iron Trial is the first book in the Magisterium series and follows Callum “Call” Hunt, a 12-year-old boy who earns a place at a sinister magic school called the Magisterium. At the Magisterium, Call makes startling discoveries about his true... Read The Iron Trial Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger
Tags Historical Fiction, Korean War, Post-War Era, Korean Literature, Asian Literature, Military / War, Asian Literature, History: World
The Island of Sea Woman (March 2019) is the most recent title by New York Times bestselling author Lisa See. It is classified in the categories of Historical Asian Fiction and Asian American Literature. Many of See’s books discuss the Chinese immigrant experience in America; her paternal great-grandfather was Chinese, and this family history has had a great influence on her historical fiction. See’s books have been published in 39 languages, and she has been... Read The Island of Sea Women Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Class, Grief / Death, Education, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Food, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Food, WWII / World War II, British Literature, Military / War, History: World
Publication year 1987
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Fantasy, Psychological Fiction, Philosophy
The Knight in Rusty Armor is a 1987 novella by playwright and screenwriter Robert Fisher. The novella utilizes the genres of allegory and high fantasy to craft a story about a medieval knight whose fearful nature creates literal walls when he becomes trapped in his armor, underneath which his family cannot see him. With the help of Merlin and two animal sidekicks, the knight undergoes a physical and personal journey toward owning his mistakes, embracing... Read The Knight in Rusty Armor Summary