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.

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Economics

Tags Action / Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction


Publication year 1995

Genre Poem, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Society: War, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Space & The Universe

Tags Free verse, Lyric Poem, Spoken Word Poetry, Politics / Government, History: World, Military / War, Grief / Death, American Literature


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, Religion / Spirituality, Fantasy, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Class


Publication year 1300

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships, Middle Eastern Literature


Publication year 1974

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Teams

Tags Action / Adventure, History: World, Travel Literature, Biography

Alive is a nonfiction book published in 1974 by the British author Piers Paul Read. It is based on the true story of a Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes mountains in 1972. The stranded men resorted to cannibalism to survive. The book was adapted into a film of the same name in 1993. Plot SummaryRugby first came to Uruguay via a group of Irish priests hired to educate the children of... Read Alive Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Action / Adventure, Sports, History: Asian, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality, Children's Literature, History: World


Publication year 2020

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Sports, Race / Racism, History: U.S., African American Literature, History: World, Inspirational, Biography


Publication year 2020

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Family

Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., History: World, Biography


Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Teams, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mythology, Children's Literature

Artemis Fowl (2001) is the first of 11 fantasy novels in the Fowl Adventures series. It was written by Eoin Colfer, an Irish writer, and details the titular character’s attempt to restore his family’s fortune by kidnapping an elf named Holly Short. Taking place in Colfer’s home country of Ireland, the novel is also his first foray into the fantasy genre. The novel explores themes of community, environmentalism, and the line between magic and science.In... Read Artemis Fowl Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Humor


Publication year 1887

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet (1887) is a detective novel about a mysterious murder in a vacant house, one man’s lifelong hunt for justice, and the powers of deduction and reason. It marks the introduction of the famed detective character Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick John Watson, along with several other characters and locations that would become important to the 56 short stories and three other novels about Holmes that followed. The... Read A Study in Scarlet Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Class

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mythology, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Asian Literature, Japanese Literature


Publication year 2015

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Teams, Society: Education, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Regret

Tags Realistic Fiction, Science / Nature, Education, Children's Literature, Bullying, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1989

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Business / Economics, Finance / Money / Wealth, Leadership/Organization/Management, Journalism, History: World, Biography


Publication year 2024

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery

Tags Memoir / Autobiography


Publication year 1924

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags American Literature, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Education, Education, History: World

Billy Budd, Sailor is a 1924 novella by Herman Melville. The narrative is equal parts philosophical examination and Christian allegory. The story concerns the brief time and tragic death of the eponymous Billy on the British warship Bellipotent. In the story, Billy, happy and naïve, is framed for mutiny and hanged for treason despite his innocence. Melville uses Billy’s story to examine The Struggle Between Morality and Lawfulness, The Vulnerability of Innocence and Naivety, and... Read Billy Budd, Sailor Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class

Tags Romance, Sports, New Adult, Modern Classic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Natural World: Place, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Birth, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction

Bird Box is a 2014 post-apocalyptic, dystopian horror novel by Josh Malerman. The story follows a woman’s struggle to protect two children in a world where people are driven to violence by unseen monsters, touching on such themes as paranoia, raising children to deal with an uncertain future, and the dangers of exceptionalism. Bird Box won a Michigan Notable Book Award and was also nominated for the James Herbert Award as well as the Bram... Read Bird Box Summary


Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Identity: Masculinity

Tags Sports, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Relationships

John Grisham, known best for writing legal dramas such as The Pelican Brief and The Firm, branches into writing for young adults with his sports drama, Bleachers. The novel was originally published in 2003 and is loosely inspired by Grisham’s own experience as a high school quarterback in Mississippi. Bleachers follows former all-American quarterback Neely Crenshaw, who returns after 15 years to his small hometown of Messina. Neely and the rest of the former players... Read Bleachers Summary


Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Sports, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Western, Romance