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 Young Landlords

by Walter Dean Myers

Publication year 1979

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Perseverance, Race, Coming of Age, Fathers, Social Class, Community, Justice

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature

Walter Dean Myers first published his middle grade novel, The Young Landlords, in 1979. Like most of the 100 books Myers penned before his death in 2014, the story centers on Black youth. The Young Landlords is particularly personal to Myers, however, because he writes about the neighborhood in Harlem, New York, where he grew up, describing the sort of activities and individuals he encountered as a youth. The main character, 15-year-old Paul Williams, pays... Read The Young Landlords Summary

This Is Our Youth

by Kenneth Lonergan

Publication year 1996

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Apathy, Friendship

Tags Drama

This Is Our Youth is a theatrical play of the realistic fiction genre, written by Kenneth Lonergan. It originally premiered in 1996 off-Broadway. It takes place in the US in 1982, during Ronald Reagan’s presidency, and centers around the lives of privileged youth who lack direction and fear The Disillusionment of Adulthood. Lonergan was inspired by his own experiences of listlessness and feeling lost in his youth in the early 1980s, as well as The... Read This Is Our Youth Summary

This One Summer

by Mariko Tamaki

Publication year 2014

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Memory, Nostalgia, Femininity, Childhood & Youth, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Family, Mothers

Tags Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

This One Summer is a Canadian young adult graphic novel written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by her cousin, Jillian Tamaki. Mariko Tamaki has written several graphic novels, and has worked for both Marvel and DC Comics. This One Summer was originally published in 2014 by Groundwood Books, and follows the summer experiences of two young girls approaching adolescence and watching their parents cope with the various pressures of adulthood. The novel has been the... Read This One Summer Summary

This Strange Eventful History

by Claire Messud

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Indigenous Identity, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Place, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Equality, Justice, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Military & War, World History, French Literature, Historical Fiction

... Read This Strange Eventful History Summary

Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay

by Elena Ferrante

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Fame, Literature, Trust & Doubt, Power & Greed, Nostalgia, Memory, Hate & Anger, Love, Perseverance, Conflict

Tags Historical Fiction, Italian Literature, Gender & Feminism, Relationships, Women`s Studies, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay (2014) is the third book in pseudonymous Italian author Elena Ferrante’s world-acclaimed adult fiction series The Neapolitan Novels. The four-novel series chronicles the friendship between first-person narrator Elena Greco and Raffaella “Lila” Cerullo from childhood to old age in an impoverished neighborhood in Naples, Italy. Translated by Ann Goldstein, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay documents the beginning of middle age, wherein the two women grapple with... Read Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay Summary

Three Times Lucky

by Sheila Turnage

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Friendship, Community

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Humor, Action & Adventure

Three Times Lucky (2012) is a middle grade mystery fiction novel written by Sheila Turnage. Turnage is the author of the Mo & Dale series and lives in North Carolina, where her books take place. Three Times Lucky was a Newbery Honor Book, a New York Times Best Seller, a Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year, and an E. B. White Read-Aloud Honor Book. In the story, 11-year-old best friends Mo and Dale... Read Three Times Lucky Summary

Tom's Midnight Garden

by Philippa Pearce

Publication year 1958

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Aging, Loneliness, Memory, Coming of Age, Death

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature

Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce is a children’s fantasy novel that follows Tom Long, a boy who discovers a magical garden that appears only at midnight. In this garden, Tom meets Hatty, a girl from the past. Through their friendship, the novel explores the themes of The Impact of History on the Present, The Contrast Between Childhood and Adulthood, and The Transformative Power of Friendship. Tom’s Midnight Garden has been in print continuously since... Read Tom's Midnight Garden Summary

Trash

by Andy Mulligan

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship

Tags Realistic Fiction, Science Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Poverty, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure

Published in 2010, Andy Mulligan’s dystopian young adult novel Trash examines themes of poverty, homelessness, corruption, and friendship. Set in the near future in an unnamed country, it follows the adventures of three boys who take turns narrating the story: Raphael, Gardo, and Jun-Jun (known as Rat throughout most of the book). The boys are poor, as are the majority of the people in their region. They live, as do most, by picking through trash... Read Trash Summary