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, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure


Publication year 1995

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction


Publication year 1986

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Immigration / Refugee, Education, Education, Historical Fiction, Arts / Culture


Publication year 2007

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Society: Economics, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Teams

Tags Humor, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Business / Economics, 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


Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Psychology, Inspirational, Business / Economics, Self Help, Post Modernism, Leadership/Organization/Management, 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


Publication year 1987

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Teams, Society: Nation, Society: War, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Business / Economics, History: World, Leadership/Organization/Management, Creative Nonfiction, Self Help, 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


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Self Help, Military / War, Psychology, Psychology


Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Leadership/Organization/Management, Sports, Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help, Biography


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Society: War

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Grief / Death, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, History: World


Publication year 1883

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Teams

Tags Action / Adventure, History: U.S., American Civil War, American Literature, History: World, Travel Literature, Humor, Classic Fiction, Biography

Life on the Mississippi is a powerful narrative concerning the past, present, and future of the Mississippi River, including its towns, peoples, and ways of life. The narrative is written by Mark Twain, whose real name is Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Twain explains in the narrative how he “stole” this nickname from an old steamboat captain who was also a writer. Mark Twain is a nautical term and a pilot’s phrase that means “two fathoms.” Two... Read Life on the Mississippi Summary


Publication year 1992

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Teams

Tags Military / War, History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Civil War, Education, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, History: World, Biography, Self Help


Publication year 1871

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Education, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Children's Literature


Publication year 2011

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams

Tags Travel Literature, Inspirational, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Military / War, Love / Sexuality, Social Justice, Biography


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Teams

Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Action / Adventure, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Gender / Feminism, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, American Literature, Romance


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery

Tags Sports, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1993

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams

Tags Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Poverty

First published in 1993, Virginia Euwer Wolff’s Make Lemonade is a young adult novel written in free verse. The novel received numerous awards, including the Golden Kite Award for Fiction and the Parents’ Choice Book Award, and was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and School Library Journal Best Book. While Wolff herself defines her novel as “prose” with “stanzas” rather than poetry, she includes poetic imagery and innovative use of language and... Read Make Lemonade Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Relationships: Teams, Identity: Masculinity

Tags Self Help, Inspirational, Psychology, Leadership/Organization/Management, Military / War, Business / Economics, Psychology, Biography

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…and Maybe the World is a work of self-help psychology by Admiral William H. McRaven. The book is a continuation and expansion of a commencement speech McRaven delivered at the University of Texas at Austin in 2014, which went viral on the internet. Formerly a high-ranking officer of the US Navy and Commander of US Special Operations Command, McRaven relates his experiences in Navy SEAL training to... Read Make Your Bed Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality