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 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams

Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Realistic Fiction, Sports


Publication year 1973

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism

Tags Politics / Government, Social Justice, Race / Racism, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography


Publication year 1982

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire

Noises Off by Michael Frayn was originally performed and published in 1982. It ran in English theaters until 1987, was revived in 2000, and began running in the United States in 2001. Frayn’s career as a professional playwright began in 1970, and Noises Off brought him significant critical and commercial success. It was followed many other successful plays, including the Tony-award-winning Copenhagen (1998). Noises Off won the London Evening Standard Award and the Laurence Olivier... Read Noises Off Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Equality

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

No Talking (2007) is a children’s novel by Andrew Clements, and the 2010 recipient of the California Young Reader Medal. In the novel, fifth-grade boys and girls compete to see who can talk the least at school. The competition causes an uproar among teachers and staff, exploring questions of authority in the school setting and building friendships across differences. Andrew Clements was a teacher, author, editor, and book publisher, best known for his debut novel, Frindle... Read No Talking Summary


Publication year 1860

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Community, Society: Education

Tags Health / Medicine, Psychology, Relationships, Science / Nature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Florence Nightingale was an English nurse commonly known as the founder of modern nursing practices. Born in Italy, she became an experienced nurse and formed many of her opinions while serving in the Crimean War, enrolling in nursing school at age 24 in Germany. She penned Notes on Nursing: What It Is, and What it Is Not in 1859, just a few years after serving in the war, and the work was first published in... Read Notes on Nursing Summary


Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Relationships: Teams

Tags Military / War, Historical Fiction, Arts / Culture, Realistic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Sports, African Literature


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Teams, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Narrative / Epic Poem


Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Nation, Society: Community, Relationships: Teams

Tags History: U.S., American Literature, Sports, History: World, Humor, Biography


Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Romance, New Adult


Publication year 2009

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Relationships: Teams

Tags History: U.S., Sports, Biography


Publication year 2005

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Business / Economics, Self Help, Education, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology


Publication year 2009

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Society: Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Sports, Sociology, Inspirational, Education, Education, Military / War, Biography

Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman’s Quest to Make a Difference (2007) is the second book by former New York Times journalist Warren St. John. It follows one season with the Fugees, a soccer team for refugee boys in Clarkston, Georgia. Weaving personal stories with local and international histories, St. John demonstrates The Value of Organized Sports for Young People and the systemic injustices preventing refugees from equal participation in... Read Outcasts United Summary


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Teams, Society: Immigration

Tags Sports, Immigration / Refugee, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Arts / Culture


Publication year 2010

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Teams, Natural World: Place, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Science / Nature, Humor, History: U.S., Technology, History: World

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void is one of several bestselling nonfiction works by science writer and humorist Mary Roach. Published in 2010, the work focuses on the human side of space travel and offers behind-the-scenes accounts of peculiar and taboo topics such as sex, vomit, and toilets in space. Roach writes from a candid, outsider’s point of view and demystifies some of the grandeur of space travel by reporting... Read Packing for Mars Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

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


Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Community

Tags Fantasy, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Action / Adventure, Humor, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Poverty, American Literature


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Teams

Tags British Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Stephen Kelman’s 2011 debut novel, Pigeon English, recounts eleven-year-old Harrison (Harri) Opoku’s move with his mother and older sister from Ghana to England, where they go to live in a working-class apartment complex in a London estate, a tough environment plagued by crime and violence. A coming-of-age narrative that explores the binary of innocence and experience, Harri’s narrative captures what it means to be a young boy in the modern era dealing with all of... Read Pigeon English Summary


Publication year 1974

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity

Tags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Relationships


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction