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.

The School Story

by Andrew Clements

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Friendship, Grief, Perseverance, Mothers, Truth & Lies, Fathers, Childhood & Youth

Tags Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Grief & Death

Andrew Clements’s The School Story is a 2001 middle grade fiction novel about two sixth-grade girls who set out to get a book published. The School Story is Andrew Clements’s fourth full-length novel. Prior to writing novels, Clements worked extensively on picture books, and his familiarity with the publishing industry allowed him to create a realistic yet fantastical story about two children trying to navigate it. The School Story explores themes of loss, honesty, and... Read The School Story Summary

The Schwa Was Here

by Neal Shusterman

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Humor

Wise-cracking eighth-grader Anthony “Antsy” Bonano befriends Calvin Schwa, a nondescript boy who is virtually invisible to his classmates in Neal Shusterman’s humorous young adult novel, The Schwa Was Here (2004). As Antsy and the Schwa experiment on his invisibility, they meet the crotchety neighborhood recluse Old Man Crawley and fall for his granddaughter, Lexie, who is blind. Antsy learns about the Schwa’s challenging family life and makes discoveries about his own sense of self, his... Read The Schwa Was Here Summary

The Scorch Trials

by James Dashner

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Friendship

Tags Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

The Scorch Trials is a Young Adult novel by James Dashner, and is the second installment in the Maze Runner Series. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the novel deals with the mysterious and devastating events surrounding a group of teenagers who are being manipulated and tested by a seemingly omnipotent agency known as WICKED. The novel takes place immediately after the events that take place in The Maze Runner, leaving Thomas, Teresa and their friends... Read The Scorch Trials Summary

The Score

by Elle Kennedy

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Grief, Guilt, Love, Sexual Identity, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class

Tags New Adult, Sports, Romance

... Read The Score Summary

The Sea of Trolls

by Nancy Farmer

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Coming of Age, Friendship, Self Discovery, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Mythology

Published in 2004, Nancy Farmer’s The Sea of Trolls is a middle grade historical fantasy novel that blends Norse mythology, Anglo-Saxon culture, and folklore into an adventurous quest narrative. The story follows Jack, an eighth-century Saxon boy who becomes the apprentice of a Druid bard. After Jack and his little sister, Lucy, are captured by Vikings, he must journey to Jotunheim, home of the ice trolls, to save Lucy from the wicked Viking queen, who... Read The Sea of Trolls Summary

The Season of Styx Malone

by Kekla Magoon

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Trust & Doubt, Family

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

The Season of Styx Malone (2018) is a contemporary realistic middle grade novel written by Kekla Magoon. Caleb Franklin, 10, seeks a summer of unique adventures to prove he is the opposite of ordinary, despite his father’s insistence that Caleb and his brother Bobby Gene never stray beyond the town limits. Then Caleb meets Styx Malone, a cool, daring 16-year-old boy in the foster care system who shows the Franklin brothers a quick way to... Read The Season of Styx Malone Summary

The Secret Lion

by Alberto Alvaro Rios

Publication year 1984

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Social Class, Friendship

Tags Coming of Age, Symbolic Narrative

“The Secret Lion” first appeared in Alberto Álvaro Ríos’s first short story collection, The Iguana Killer, published in 1984. Ríos, an Arizona native and distinguished professor at Arizona State University for 35 years, is a poet and author whose works center on his experience growing up Latinx. His work is now largely considered classic Chicano literature. Ríos received the Latino Literary Hall of Fame award for his memoir, Capirotada, and was named Arizona’s inaugural poet... Read The Secret Lion Summary

The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives

by Elizabeth Arnott

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Guilt, Regret, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Death, Friendship, Justice, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction

Elizabeth Arnott’s 2026 thriller, The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives, is a work of historical fiction set against the social and political turmoil of 1966 California. The novel follows three women, Beverley, Elsie, and Margot, who have formed an unlikely friendship after their husbands were convicted as some of the state’s most notorious serial killers. Living under a cloud of public shame and suspicion, the women decide to use their unique, hard-won knowledge of male... Read The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives Summary

The Secret Place

by Tana French

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Death, Appearance & Reality, Social Class, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Irish Literature, Coming of Age

Written by Irish American author Tana French, The Secret Place (2014) combines elements of thrillers and police procedurals and follows Dublin detectives Stephen Moran and Antoinette Conway as they pursue new leads in a year-old murder case on the grounds of a private Catholic boarding school. As the detectives sort through hidden pieces of evidence and conflicting stories, they interview two groups of female students who provide only partial, often conflicting stories. The murder victim... Read The Secret Place Summary

The Secret School

by Avi

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Education, Perseverance, Community, Truth & Lies, Friendship

Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History

... Read The Secret School Summary