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.

Publication year 2017

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction


Publication year 2016

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear

Tags Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Humor


Publication year 1907

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy

The American author William Sydney Porter, who adopted the pseudonym “O. Henry” while living in Austin, TX, was a prolific writer of over 300 short stories. Henry published his first short story in 1899 and continued writing until his death in 1910. In 1919, an American award for excellent short stories was established in his name; as of 2023, it still awarded annually. Born in 1862, Henry was caught between the movements of Realism and... Read The Last Leaf Summary


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Grief / Death, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction

The Last Letter from Your Lover is a 2010 romance novel by British journalist and writer Jojo Moyes. It centers on the interconnected lives and romances of two women living in London at different times. The first, Ellie Haworth, is a journalist in 2003 who comes across a set of love letters while researching the 1960s. The letters tell the story of Jennifer Stirling, the wife of a wealthy industrialist, and her intense affair with... Read The Last Letter From Your Lover Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction

The Lemonade Crime is the sequel to Jacqueline Davies’s elementary school reader novel The Lemonade War. Published in 2011, this follow-up continues the story of entrepreneurial siblings Evan and Jessie, solving the mystery of the theft that ended the first novel. The key question of the novel is about the best way to right a wrongdoing: Is it through vengeance or justice? By setting the climax of The Lemonade Crime at a mock trial organized... Read The Lemonade Crime Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family

Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Realistic Fiction

Published in 2007, Jacqueline Davies’s The Lemonade War is the first installment in an award-winning series, which also includes The Lemonade Crime (2011) and The Bell Bandit (2012). The fictional children’s novel follows the Treski siblings as they compete for the most successful lemonade stand. The competition takes place the summer before Jessie Treski, an academically minded student, joins her older brother Evan’s fourth-grade class. The chapters alternate between Jessie and Evan’s perspectives.Plot SummaryWhen the... Read The Lemonade War Summary


Publication year 2006

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship

Tags Religion / Spirituality, History: Middle Eastern, Immigration / Refugee, Military / War, History: World, Biography, Politics / Government

The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East is a biography and work of historical nonfiction written by Sandy Tolan and published in 2006. Against the backdrop of the first Arab-Israeli War’s 50th anniversary, American journalist Sandy Tolan traveled to the Middle East to research his assignment. Through the biography, Tolan aims to highlight how two families on opposite sides of the conflict—the Khairis and the Eshkenazis—are connected on... Read The Lemon Tree Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: Community

Tags Historical Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Humor


Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies


Publication year 1791

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags British Literature, History: European, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Arts / Culture, Class, Depression / Suicide, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

James Boswell’s The Life of Samuel Johnson (1791) is often considered to be one of the finest pieces of biographical writing in the English language. Samuel Johnson was an English poet, essayist, and lexicographer who produced a pioneering and influential Dictionary of the English Language. However, he is less well-known today for his writings than as the biographical subject for Boswell, a lawyer from Scotland who first met Johnson in 1763. During their 21-year friendship... Read The Life of Samuel Johnson Summary


Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Children's Literature, Mythology, Fantasy, Action / Adventure

Book DetailsThe Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, published in 2005, is the first installment in Percy Jackson and the Olympians, a six-book fantasy series for young readers. It was named School Library Journal’s Best Book of 2005, an American Library Association Notable Book (2006), and a New York Times Notable Book (2005). The book follows its young protagonist, Percy Jackson, as he discovers that he is a demigod and embarks on a journey save his... Read The Lightning Thief Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Self Discovery, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude

Tags Politics / Government, Social Justice, Self Help, History: U.S., Race / Racism, Diversity, Parenting, Relationships, Inspirational, Biography


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Irish Literature

The Likeness, by Edgar Award winning author Tana French, is the second in her Dublin Murder Squad series, and the events take place approximately six months after the first book In the Woods ends. All the Murder Squad books take place in the same world, and each book focuses on a minor character from the previous novel. Other works by French include The Witch Elm (2018), The Searcher (2020), and The Hunter (2024). French studied acting at... Read The Likeness Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger

Tags Historical Fiction, Incarceration, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Class, History: World, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Romance


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Community, Natural World: Space & The Universe

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Fantasy


Publication year 1943

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship

Tags Children's Literature, Classic Fiction, French Literature, Education, Education, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry drew heavily on his own experiences when writing his 1943 novella, The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince). Like the story's first-person narrator, Saint-Exupéry was a pilot, and the inspiration for the book's central events came from his own 1935 crash-landing in the Sahara Desert. As the story begins, the narrator is still a young child showing off his drawings of boa constrictors eating elephants to the adults around him. The adults react... Read The Little Prince Summary


Publication year 1979

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Class

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Survival Fiction, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Class, Love / Sexuality


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Bullying, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction