Family

Leo Tolstoy famously begins the novel Anna Karenina with the sentence: "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." In this thematic collection, we have gathered noteworthy texts that navigate the joyous and sorrowful emotional terrain of the family unit.

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction


Publication year 2004

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: Birth, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family

Tags Relationships, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Inspirational, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Class, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Relationships

Heartless, first published in 2016, is a contemporary fantasy Young Adult novel by Marissa Meyer. Meyer is best known for her dystopian sci-fi YA series The Lunar Chronicles, inspired by fairy tales such as Cinderella and Snow White. Set in a fantasy world, Heartless imagines the backstory of Lewis Carroll’s iconic character the Queen of Hearts from the 1876 novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Heartless is also popular among the BookTok community. This guide utilizes... Read Heartless Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Romance


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Community

Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Japanese Literature, Children's Literature, History: World


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Hearts Unbroken is a young adult contemporary novel by New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith. Main character Louise Wolfe, a Native Muscogee (Creek) teen girl, breaks up with her boyfriend over his insensitive comments. Louise turns her focus to senior year, the school newspaper, and spending time with family, but she notices more and more instances of cultural insensitivity around her. When the newly-formed Parents Against Revisionist Theater group speaks out against cast... Read Hearts Unbroken Summary


Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family

Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Sports

Heat is a young adult novel written by Mike Lupica and published in 2006. Focusing on the Little League baseball culture of New York City, the novel follows Michael Arroyo, a pitching phenom and Cuban immigrant, as he pursues a trip to the Little League World Series. Michael and his brother, Carlos, recently lost their Papi from a heart attack. They keep his death a secret out of fear that government officials will separate them... Read Heat Summary


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Adoption, Relationships, Parenting


Publication year 1881

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Grandparents, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Animals

Tags Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, Historical Fiction, Romanticism / Romantic Period

Swiss author Johanna Spyri originally published the middle-grade fiction novel Heidi in German in two volumes in 1880. The novel quickly became a beloved classic children’s book that has since been adapted into 25 film and television versions, including a 1968 made-for-TV movie and a very popular anime series in 1974. It has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. Spyri was born in Hirzel, a Zurich village that shares a border with the German... Read Heidi Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Military / War, History: World, Literary Fiction, Historical Nonfiction


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Romance, Humor


Publication year 1974

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Crime / Legal, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Religion / Spirituality, Biography

Vincent Bugliosi (1934-2015), the lead prosecutor in the case of the murders committed by Charles Manson and his followers, wrote the book Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders as a detailed account of the trial, evidence, and interviews with the witnesses that eventually put these horrific criminals behind bars. Written with the help of ghostwriter Curt Gentry, the book highlights Bugliosi’s insider’s perspective on the events, with detailed explanations of the gory... Read Helter Skelter Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

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


Publication year 2014

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Beauty

Tags Historical Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, History: World, Arts / Culture

Here by Richard McGuire is a graphic novel published on December 4, 2014, by Pantheon Books. The graphic novel focuses on the same corner of a room over billions of years. It depicts the area long before the house is built and long after it falls. By using different visual styles, overlapping panels, and non-chronological narration, McGuire creates a narrative that comments on the nature of time and life. Here is considered a transformative work... Read Here Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Sports

Published in 2010, Hero is an adventure novel for middle-grade readers about a teenage boy who develops superpowers and uses them to avenge the murder of his superhero father. In the process, he must learn to control his emotions, find a mentor he can trust, protect those he loves, and defeat powerful assailants.Author Mike Lupica is a sports columnist, TV commentator, and bestselling writer whose more than three dozen books range from sports biographies to... Read Hero Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Children's Literature, Mental Illness, Arts / Culture

Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction is a 2018 graphic memoir by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. A finalist for the National Book Award, it earned praise for its compassionate and honest portrayal of a child growing up in a family marked by addiction and abuse. This guide refers to the 2018 Graphix edition.Plot SummaryThe story traces Jarrett J. Krosoczka’s childhood and his family. Beginning and ending with... Read Hey, Kiddo Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family

Tags Psychology, Mental Illness, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Biography