Teams & Gangs

Anyone who has played a team sport knows the rush that comes from feeling like an integral piece of a well-oiled machine. Yet exhilaration and cooperation are only one aspect of team dynamics. This collection explores all facets of the team relationship, both positive and negative.

The Spy and the Traitor

by Ben Macintyre

Publication year 2018

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Politics & Government, Loyalty & Betrayal, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Family, Teamwork, Good & Evil, Justice, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Nation

Tags European History, Politics & Government, Military & War, World History, Russian Literature, Horror & Suspense, Biography

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The Tainted Cup

by Robert Jackson Bennett

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Memory, Revenge, Disability, Mental Health, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Plants, Place, Teamwork, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy

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The Terrible Two

by Mac Barnett, Jory John

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Conflict, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Perseverance, Revenge, Forgiveness, Teamwork, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Wins & Losses, Family, Appearance & Reality, Animals, Hate & Anger, Childhood & Youth, Education

Tags Action & Adventure, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education

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The Three Musketeers

by Alexandre Dumas

Publication year 1844

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Wins & Losses, Power & Greed, Loyalty & Betrayal, Teamwork, The Past, Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Revenge

Tags Action & Adventure, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, French Literature, European History, Military & War, Love & Sexuality, World History

The Three Musketeers (1844), by French novelist and playwright Alexandre Dumas, is a novel that borrows tropes from the swashbuckling genre, historical fiction, and romance to recount the adventures of a group of king’s guard who face off against the machinations of nefarious political factions set on destabilizing the monarchy. It was first published through serialization in 1844 to great popularity. Though set in the mid-1600s, the novel connected with the philosophical underpinnings of the... Read The Three Musketeers Summary

The Troop

by Nick Cutter

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Science & Technology, Teamwork, Safety & Danger, Fear

Tags Horror & Suspense, Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Survival Fiction

The Troop (2014) is a horror novel by Nick Cutter. Troop 52, consisting of five teenage boy scouts and their Scoutmaster, Dr. Tim Riggs, goes on an annual camping trip to a remote, uninhabited island in the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada. There, a strange, sick man approaches their cabin and introduces them to a deadly, bioengineered virus. Just as dangerous as the virus itself are the crumbling group dynamics and morality once the... Read The Troop Summary

The Tryout

by Christina Soontornvat, Illustr. Joanna Cacao

Publication year 2022

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Teamwork, Perseverance, Memory, Nostalgia, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Religion & Spirituality, Wins & Losses, Family

Tags Children`s Literature, Sports, Race & Racism, Bullying, Realistic Fiction, Biography

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The Twits

by Roald Dahl

Publication year 1980

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Teamwork, Justice

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

The Twits (1980) by Roald Dahl is a fantastical and absurd children’s story about a mean couple and how they are eventually outsmarted by the animals they mistreat. The Big Read listed The Twits as one of the 200 greatest books of all time according to the British public in 2003, and in 2012, the Twits appeared on a commemorative postage stamp. The book was adapted for the stage in 2007, and an animated feature... Read The Twits Summary

The View From Saturday

by E. L. Konigsburg

Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Teamwork, Loneliness, Friendship, Animals

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Disability, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

The View From Saturday by American author Elaine Lobl Konigsburg was published in 1996 and won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children’s literature in 1997—Konigsburg’s second Newbery Medal. She is one of only six writers to win the award twice (her first was awarded for From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler in 1968). Prior to becoming a writer of children’s and young adult fiction and publishing over 20 works from... Read The View From Saturday Summary

The Whistler

by John Grisham

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Teamwork, Siblings, Friendship, Loyalty & Betrayal, Justice, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Social Justice, Crime & Law, Politics & Government

The 2016 novel The Whistler by American author John Grisham is a legal thriller that centers on an investigation of corrupt business operations involving Native American gaming. The novel is based on the real-life corruption of US casinos in which entities outside the Native American community illegally offer financial incentives in exchange for long-term profit.This is the 29th of Grisham’s adult novels, which are primarily legal thrillers but also include contemporary and humorous fiction. In... Read The Whistler Summary

The Widow

by John Grisham

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Midlife, Death, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Teamwork, Social Class, Community, Economics, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

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The Wisdom of Crowds

by James Surowiecki

Publication year 2004

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Language, Mental Health, The Past, Teamwork, Community, Economics, Education, Politics & Government, Order & Chaos, Science & Technology

Tags Business & Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Science & Nature, Politics & Government

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The Witch Collector

by Charissa Weaks

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hope, Love, Memory, Revenge, Disability, Language, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Place, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy

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