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.

Ironwood

by Michael Connelly

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness, Love, Femininity, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Death, Future, Climate, Environment, Plants, Place, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Immigration, Politics & Government, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Horror & Suspense

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Jade City

by Fonda Lee

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Objects & Materials, Siblings, Teamwork, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Gender & Feminism, Leadership, Trauma & Abuse, Mystery & Crime Fiction

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John & Paul

by Ian Leslie

Publication year 2025

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Joy, Love, Memory, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Place, Family, Friendship, Mothers, Teamwork, Community, Art, Fame, Loyalty & Betrayal, Music, Order & Chaos

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Keesha's House

by Helen Frost

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Gratitude, Grief, Hope, Loneliness, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Family, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Safety & Danger

Tags Realistic Fiction, Narrative Poem

Keesha’s House (2003) is a coming-of-age novel in verse by Helen Frost. Frost has published several books for young readers, including other novels in verse. Keesha’s House is a Michael L. Printz Honor Book, and it is praised for introducing young readers to poetry. Frost uses sestinas and sonnets to tell the stories of seven teens—Stephie, Jason, Keesha, Carmen, Dontay, Harris, and Katie—who confront different levels of precarity. The narratives alternate and intersect, and they... Read Keesha's House Summary

Kingdom of Ash

by Sarah J. Maas

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Hope, Love, Race, Coming of Age, Plants, Place, Teamwork, Social Class, War, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action & Adventure

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King Sorrow

by Joe Hill

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Forgiveness, Guilt, Regret, Revenge, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Appearance & Reality, Teamwork, Social Class, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy

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Kiss the Girls

by James Patterson

Publication year 1995

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Death, Appearance & Reality, Family, Teamwork, Social Class, Community, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction

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Kitchen Confidential

by Anthony Bourdain

Publication year 2000

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Nostalgia, Mental Health, Food, Teamwork

Tags Food, Arts & Culture, Humor

Kitchen Confidential is a nonfiction work by chef, author, and travel television host Anthony Bourdain, based on his 1999 essay, “Don’t Eat Before Reading This,” published in The New Yorker. In part a memoir of Bourdain’s years in the restaurant industry, it is also a candid exposé of New York City’s restaurant scene in the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s. Bourdain takes his readers on a wild ride through his career journey while providing a realistic... Read Kitchen Confidential Summary

La Linea

by Ann Jaramillo

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Immigration, Teamwork, Siblings, Safety & Danger, Coming of Age, Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Perseverance

Tags Realistic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, Immigration & Refugeeism, Education, Education, Historical Fiction, Arts & Culture

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Lawn Boy

by Gary Paulsen

Publication year 2007

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Economics, Childhood & Youth, Teamwork

Tags Humor, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Business & Economics, Social Class, American Literature, Education, Education

Lawn Boy, a novella by Gary Paulsen published in 2007, is a middle grade chapter book about a 12-year-old boy who receives an old lawn mower as a birthday gift from his grandmother. As underwhelming as the gift appears, this moment launches a sequence of events that ends with the boy owning $480,000 and being the sole investor of a heavyweight boxer. Full of quirky humor and digestible lessons in capitalism, Paulsen’s story leads the... Read Lawn Boy Summary

Leaders Eat Last

by Simon Sinek

Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Teamwork, Economics, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Psychology, Inspirational, Business & Economics, Self-Improvement, Postmodernism, Leadership, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t (2014) is inspirational speaker Simon Sinek’s second book, a follow-up to Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action (2009). The book’s title is derived from a practice in which Marine Corps Officers eat last, sacrificing their own needs for those in their care. Sacrifice is key. Sinek explores the ways in which successful individuals and companies develop cultures built on... Read Leaders Eat Last Summary

Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun

by Wess Roberts

Publication year 1987

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Wins & Losses, Perseverance, Teamwork, Nation, War, Politics & Government

Tags Business & Economics, World History, Leadership, Creative Nonfiction, Self-Improvement, Military & War, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics & Government

Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun is a self-improvement and business leadership book by Wess Roberts, who was a human resources manager at Fireman’s Fund Insurance when he published the book in 1989. Using the historical figure of Attila the Hun as his mouthpiece, Roberts outlines his management style and approach to business. This guide refers to Attila’s “persona” when quoting words that Roberts imagines Attila might have said. In the introduction, Roberts discusses Attila... Read Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun Summary

Legacy

by James Kerr

Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Teamwork, Community, Wins & Losses

Tags Leadership, Sports, Business & Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Self-Improvement, Biography

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Lemons

by Melissa Savage

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Gratitude, Grief, Love, Memory, Nostalgia, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Death, Grandparents, Mothers, Teamwork, Community, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Grief & Death, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, World History

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