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.

Half City

by Kate Golden

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Sexual Identity, Death, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Romance

Half City (2026) is a fantasy novel by Kate Golden and the first installment in the Harker Academy series. Golden is a USA Today bestselling author known for her popular romantasy trilogy, the Sacred Stones. Half City blends popular subgenres, combining the character-driven romance of romantasy with the gritty metropolitan setting of urban fantasy and the moody atmosphere of dark academia. The novel follows Vivienne “Viv” Abbot, a young museum assistant in the divided metropolis... Read Half City Summary

Heartbeat

by Sharon Creech

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Aging, Death, Teamwork, Siblings, Friendship, Coming of Age, Art, Birth, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Mothers, Family

Tags Relationships, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

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Heaven Official's Blessing

by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Loneliness, Love, Shame & Pride, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Teamwork, Social Class, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Chinese Literature

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Her Soul for Revenge

by Harley Laroux

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Love, Memory, Revenge, Coming of Age, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Place, Family, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror & Suspense

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Horizon

by Scott Westerfeld

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Language, Race, Childhood & Youth, Animals, Climate, Environment, Plants, Place, Space, Teamwork, Order & Chaos, Science & Technology

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

... Read Horizon Summary

House of Flame and Shadow

by Sarah J. Maas

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Race, Coming of Age, Environment, Place, Teamwork, Colonialism, War, Equality, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action & Adventure, Fairy Tale & Folklore

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House of Stairs

by William Sleator

Publication year 1974

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Memory, Teamwork, Politics & Government, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy

House of Stairs, written by William Sleator and published in 1974, is a young adult science fiction classic whose title is inspired by M. C. Escher’s famous lithograph print. The novel explores the social and emotional effects of authoritarianism by placing five teenage protagonists in an enclosed location filled only with endless staircases. Prompted by a strange machine, the main characters undergo a psychological experiment that tests the limits of their morality and sense of... Read House of Stairs Summary

How It Went Down

by Kekla Magoon

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Teamwork

Tags Realistic Fiction, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

How it Went Down is a work of young adult fiction written in 2014 by award-winning author Kekla Magoon. Though a work of fiction, the pressing narrative deals with the “postmortem account of a tragic shooting” (Los Angeles Times), and as such, is a well-needed critique of social reform and racial bias.The narrative begins with the tragic death of a 16-year-old black male, Tariq Johnson. He’s shot and killed by Jack Franklin, a white male... Read How It Went Down Summary

How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates

by Shailee Thompson

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Love, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Death, Appearance & Reality, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Safety & Danger

Tags Romance, Mystery & Crime Fiction

Shailee Thompson’s debut novel, How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates (2026), is a slasher romantic comedy with a metafictional premise. The story follows Jamie Prescott, a PhD candidate whose dissertation argues that slasher films and romantic comedies share the same narrative formulas. When Jamie and her best friend attend a speed-dating event, her academic theories are put to the test as a masked killer begins murdering the attendees. Jamie soon realizes the killer... Read How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates Summary

How to Stand Up to a Dictator

by Maria Ressa

Publication year 2022

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Sexual Identity, Teamwork, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Education, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, Justice, Literature, Power & Greed, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Politics & Government, Asian History, Journalism, Social Justice, World History, Biography

... Read How to Stand Up to a Dictator Summary

How to Win Friends and Influence People

by Dale Carnegie

Publication year 1998

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Friendship, Teamwork, Power & Greed, Language

Tags Business & Economics, Relationships, Psychology, Psychology, Self-Improvement, Classic Fiction

First published in 1936, Dale Carnegie’s book How to Win Friends and Influence People launched the American self-help industry, sold over 30 million copies, and became a template for the thousands of self-improvement books that followed. It asserts that success with others depends on listening, showing appreciation, and empathizing with them. The book was revised in 1981; the 2020 eBook re-issue of that edition is the basis for this study guide.The book is divided into... Read How to Win Friends and Influence People Summary

I Beat the Odds

by Michael Oher

Publication year 2011

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Teamwork, Coming of Age, Childhood & Youth, Education, Perseverance

Tags Sports, Inspirational, African American Literature, Life-Inspired Fiction, Poverty, Education, Biography

I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness, to The Blind Side, and Beyond (2011) is a memoir written by NFL player Michael Oher and journalist Don Yaeger. It tells Oher’s story in his own words, describing his childhood and teen years up to his rookie season in the NFL. His story was first brought to the public’s attention in Michael Lewis’s book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, published in 2006. This book was made... Read I Beat the Odds Summary

Icebreaker

by Hannah Grace

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Teamwork, Family, Love

Tags Romance, New Adult, Sports, Trauma & Abuse, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

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Indecent

by Paula Vogel

Publication year 2015

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hope, Love, Language, Race, Death, Teamwork, Immigration, War, Equality, Literature

Tags Drama, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Jewish Literature, Gender & Feminism, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature

... Read Indecent Summary