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 1999

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Community

Tags Animals, Science / Nature, Biography

The Elephant Whisperer: My Life With the Herd in the African Wild (2009) is a memoir by Lawrence Anthony, detailing his experiences with rehabilitating a traumatized herd of elephants on his game reserve in South Africa. The book explores themes of bonding and communicating with animals, the inherent interconnectedness of nature, and the challenges of conservation efforts.Anthony was an internationally renowned conservationist and environmentalist. He was the co-owner and head of conservation at the Thula... Read The Elephant Whisperer Summary


Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams

Tags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Humor, Children's Literature


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Education, Education, History: World, Biography, Social Justice, Politics / Government

In The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life (2017), Lauren Markham tells the true story of 17-year-old Salvadoran twins, Ernesto and Raúl Flores, who flee violence in El Salvador to build new lives for themselves in America. It follows the twins from their initial exodus from El Salvador, across the Rio Grande, and into the United States, where a world of both unbounded possibility and undeniable danger await... Read The Far Away Brothers Summary


Publication year 1990

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization

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


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

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

The Final Four is a 2012 young adult novel by Paul Volponi. The book portrays the semifinal of a prestigious college basketball tournament, exploring the lives of four of the players.Other works by this author include Black and White, Rikers High, and Rucker Park Setup.Plot SummaryThe Final Four tells the story of the Michigan State Spartans and the Trojans of Troy University, two college basketball teams who reach the semifinal of the Men’s NCAA Basketball... Read The Final Four Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Grief / Death, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Disability, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

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


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

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

Tags Romance, Sports, New Adult


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

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


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Humor, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Arts / Culture, Modern Classic Fiction

The Great Greene Heist is a middle grade novel by Varian Johnson that follows Jackson Greene, a middle school boy and nearly reformed prankster, who tries to win his crush through hijinks. The novel was named Publisher’s Best Summer Book of 2014, ALA ALSC Notable Children’s Book in 2015, and received a Kirkus Star Review. Johnson published the sequel To Catch a Cheat in 2016. Johnson is also the author of The Parker Inheritance, which... Read The Great Greene Heist Summary


Publication year 1975

Genre Novel, Fiction

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

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

The Great Train Robbery (1975) by Michael Crichton is a fictionalized account of the Great Gold Robbery of 1855. It details the actions of criminal mastermind Edward Pierce and his co-conspirators as they plan and execute the heist of £12,000 of gold from a train in London. This historical thriller analyzes Victorian beliefs about crime in the context of a rapidly changing society overwhelmed by industrialization. Historically, Pierce’s successful heist shocked a nation that believed... Read The Great Train Robbery Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

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


Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Science / Nature, Self Help, Biography


Publication year 1937

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Military / War, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction

J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is a classic high fantasy adventure novel first published in 1937. Tolkien (1892-1973) was an English writer, philologist, and professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University, as well as a close friend of fellow writer C. S. Lewis. The Hobbit is the first published work recounting tales from Middle Earth, Tolkien’s fantasy world with fictional races of hobbits, elves, dwarves, and more. After fighting in World War I, Tolkien worked... Read The Hobbit Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

Tags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology

The Ideal Team Player is a 2016 book by leadership development expert Patrick Lencioni. The book provides an extension of the work Lencioni performed for his 2011 book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Lencioni employs a two-part structure for the book, as it begins with a third-person fictional narrative before shifting to a first-person, instructional point of view. In both sections, Lencioni examines the significance of being able to identify three essential characteristics of... Read The Ideal Team Player Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Self Discovery, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

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


Publication year 1997

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Technology, Science / Nature, Self Help