Books on Justice & Injustice

James Baldwin said, "It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have." In this collection, we've compiled texts that explore the idea of what justice is — and how it can thrive.

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Historical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

Elif Shafak’s 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World was published in 2019. Shafak is an award-winning British Turkish novelist who advocates for women’s and LGBTQIA+ rights through her fiction. Shafak’s 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World examines the life of a sex worker who was murdered in Istanbul, Turkey, exploring key moments in her life while her friends desperately try to arrange her funeral. The novel investigates topics like violence against... Read 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: CommunityTags Politics / Government, Business / Economics, Education, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Food, History: World, Immigration / Refugee, Leadership/Organization/Management, Military / War, Poverty, Social Justice, Sociology, Technology, Philosophy, Philosophy

Publication year 2005Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction

A Bottle in the Gaza Sea (2005) is a young adult novel by French author and translator Valérie Zenatti. It was first published in French as Une bouteille dans la mer de Gaza. The novel begins when 17-year-old Israeli Tal Levine learns about a bombing at a neighborhood café. She is moved to send a letter in a bottle, which reaches 20-year-old Palestinian Naïm Al-Farjouk. Tal included her email address, and they begin corresponding. Initially... Read A Bottle in the Gaza Sea Summary


Publication year 1936Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Race, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Southern Gothic, American Civil War, Southern Literature, American Literature, History: World

William Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! (1936) is one of the many texts in Faulkner’s oeuvre that is set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi. Faulkner is considered one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, a designation earned due to his innovative and stylistic modernist techniques, which he uses to investigate the history and identity of the American South. Faulkner, who grew up in Mississippi and spent the majority of his life there, was deeply... Read Absalom, Absalom Summary


Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: CourageTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction

Publication year 1891Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction

“A Case of Identity,” published in September 1891, is the fifth episode in the series of four novels and 56 short stories in the Sherlock Holmes canon, written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It follows the first two novel-length Holmes tales, A Study in Scarlet (1887) and The Sign of Four (1890), as well as the shorter stories “A Scandal in Bohemia” and “The Red-Headed League,” both of which appeared earlier that same year in... Read A Case Of Identity Summary


Publication year 1970Genre Play, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire, Italian Literature, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Accidental Death of an Anarchist was first written and produced by playwright and actor Dario Fo in Italy, 1970. The script was directly inspired by the events surrounding the 1969 Piazza Fontana Bombing, and much of Fo’s work revolves around political satire directed at Italy post-World War II and later. Exemplifying Fo’s work as a writer, Accidental Death of an Anarchist combines the humor, irony, and satire of the old Italian tradition of commedia dell’arte... Read Accidental Death Of An Anarchist Summary


Publication year 1881Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Natural World: Place, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Identity: IndigenousTags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Colonial America, Grief / Death, Military / War, Politics / Government, Social Justice, History: World

Publication year 2012Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: FamilyTags Race / Racism, Parenting, Inspirational, Biography

A Chance in the World: An Orphan Boy, a Mysterious Past, and How He Found a Place Called Home is a 2012 memoir by author Steve Pemberton. In three parts, it tells the story of his quest to learn the truth about his past. The book examines themes of identity, abuse, family, racism, and how peoples’ pasts can influence their futures. Part 1 begins with Steve’s recurring memory of the day that his mother abandoned... Read A Chance in the World Summary


Publication year 1962Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Satire, British Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Classic Fiction

Published in 1962, during the height of Cold War tensions between the Soviet Union and the West, Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange reflects the anxieties and paranoia of the era. It is a dystopian novel about a roving gang of teenagers who instill fear in and inflict violence on the populace. The novel is known for its invented language, called Nadsat, which is an amalgam of Russian-influenced slang and Cockney dialect. The protagonist, the gleefully... Read A Clockwork Orange Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Romance, Fantasy, New Adult

Publication year 1942Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

Adam of the Road, published in 1942, was written by American author and librarian Elizabeth Janet Gray Vining and illustrated by Robert Lawson. Vining wrote many children’s books and holds the rare distinction of winning both the Newberry Medal and the Caldecott Medal, for her books Rabbit Hill and They Were Strong and Good, respectively. Adam of the Road is a historical fiction novel set in the 13th century that focuses on a child’s coming of... Read Adam of the Road Summary


Publication year 1901Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Education, Education, American Literature, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2023Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Military / War, Journalism, History: World, Religion / Spirituality, Biography, Politics / Government, History: Middle Eastern

Publication year 1993Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Japanese Literature, Asian Literature, Race / Racism, Education, Education, History: U.S., Sociology, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government

A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America by Ronald Takaki is a revisionist account of American history that provides an in-depth view of America as a country populated and built by diverse peoples of the world. Originally published in 1993 by Little, Brown and Company, this study guide uses the updated 2008 edition. In 1994 A Different Mirror received an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for its contributions to advancing understandings of racism and human diversity.Takaki’s... Read A Different Mirror Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Gender, Self DiscoveryTags Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Animals, Grief / Death, Children's Literature

Publication year 2005Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Animals, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Music, Children's Literature

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: MidlifeTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1975Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags American Literature, Satire

“Africa Kills Her Sun” is a satirical short story by Nigerian author Ken Saro-Wiwa. Published in 1989 in the anthology Adaku and Other Stories, “Africa Kills Her Sun” takes the form of a letter, written in first-person present tense by the main character, Bana. Bana recounts his adult life—his career change, crimes, and remaining moments before execution—to his childhood girlfriend, Zole, whom he has not seen or spoken to in 10 years.Bana begins the letter... Read Africa Kills Her Sun Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Historical Fiction, Military / War, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Holocaust, WWII / World War II, Children's Literature, History: World, Action / Adventure

Publication year 2008Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: MusicTags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Music, African American Literature, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

After Tupac and D Foster, published in 2008, is Jacqueline Woodson’s fifth middle grade novel and her 24th book overall. It is a coming-of-age story of three African American girls who are best friends growing up in Queens, NY, in the 1990s. During this time, the cultural icon Tupac Shakur is shot, imprisoned, and ultimately killed in a second shooting. These events have a huge impact on the main characters as they grow up and... Read After Tupac and D Foster Summary


Publication year 458Genre Play, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Classic Fiction, Mythology, Fantasy, Play: Tragedy, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Classical Period

Agamemnon is an Attic tragedy—a work of the fifth century BCE in Athens—composed by Aeschylus (circa 525-circa 456 BCE). The play was first performed at the City Dionysia in 458 BCE. Agamemnon was the first part of the Oresteia, Aeschylus’s trilogy on the murder of Agamemnon and its grisly aftermath. It was followed by the tragedies Libation Bearers and Eumenides, which also survived, and by a satyr play titled Proteus, which was lost. The play... Read Agamemnon Summary


Publication year 1996Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class, Society: War, Society: Economics, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Disability, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Birth, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Class, Politics / Government, Religion / Spirituality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Grief / Death

A Game of Thrones is a 1996 epic fantasy novel by George R. R. Martin and is the first in his long-running A Song of Ice and Fire series. The novel introduces the audience to the fictional world of Westeros, where characters become embroiled in a complicated web of plots, conspiracies, and betrayals as they pursue power. A Game of Thrones won numerous awards on publication and was adapted for television in 2011. This guide... Read A Game of Thrones Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: CourageTags History: U.S., Military / War, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, American Revolution

Publication year 1931Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Colonialism, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags History: Asian, History: European, Politics / Government, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Colonialism, Society: Education, Relationships: FamilyTags Historical Fiction, Social Justice, Class, Education, History: World, History: Asian, History: European, Incarceration, Politics / Government, Children's Literature, Indian Literature, Arts / Culture

Publication year 1945Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Politics / Government, History: European

Publication year 1898Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Historical Fiction, American Civil War, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Military / War, American Literature, Western, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1987Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Race / Racism, Education, Education, Anthropology, Anthropology, Sociology, Social Justice, Poverty

Publication year 1982Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction

A is for Alibi (1982), written by Sue Grafton, is the first book in the Alphabet Mysteries series, featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone. In the novel, Millhone, a former police officer, is hired by a woman who claims she was wrongfully convicted eight years ago of murdering her cheating husband. The Alphabet Mysteries series redefined the role of women detectives in 20th-century literature. The novel is a police procedural that touches on themes such as... Read A Is For Alibi Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Society: CommunityTags Social Justice, Race / Racism, Crime / Legal, Incarceration, Biography

Publication year 1978Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Social Justice

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & PrideTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1929Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Military / War, Historical Fiction, WWI / World War I, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

All Quiet on the Western Front is a 1929 novel by Erich Maria Remarque which details the experiences of German soldiers at the frontlines of World War I. At the heart of the novel are graphic portrayals of trench warfare and the psychological trauma inflicted on the soldiers as a result. The novel presents a realistic portrait of a horrific war and provides unflattering accounts of the elite classes responsible for such mass destruction. The... Read All Quiet on the Western Front Summary


Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction

Publication year 1946Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & BetrayalTags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Southern Literature, Politics / Government

All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren is a fictional political novel originally published in 1946 by Harcourt Brace & Company. Robert Penn Warren was an acclaimed novelist and poet from the American South. Along with fellow Southerners Cleanth Brooks and John Crowe Ransom, he was a leading proponent of the literary critical approach known as New Criticism. His best-known novel, All the King’s Men follows the political rise and fall of Governor Willie... Read All the King's Men Summary


Publication year 2008Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: SiblingsTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Poverty, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, Bullying, American Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality

All The Lovely Bad Ones is a 2008 middle-grade fiction book written by Mary Downing Hahn, a prolific children’s author who has authored several award-winning novels. The book’s title is taken from the poem “Little Orphant Annie” by James Whitcomb Riley, which the author inscribed to all children—including “all the lovely bad ones.” All The Lovely Bad Ones won an Oklahoma Sequoyah Award for Children and the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’ Book Award.All The Lovely... Read All The Lovely Bad Ones Summary


Publication year 1992Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Natural World: AnimalsTags Historical Fiction, Western, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

All the Pretty Horses (1992) is a novel by Cormac McCarthy and a winner of the National Book Award. The book follows a young man, John Grady Cole, and his best friend Lacey Rawlins as they run away to Mexico in the late 1940s. A bestseller and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, All the Pretty Horses is the first novel in McCarthy’s Border Trilogy and helped increase the American novelist’s popularity and... Read All The Pretty Horses Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Southern Literature, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, African American Literature, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2020Genre Anthology/Varied Collection, NonfictionThemes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Climate Change, Science / Nature, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)

Publication year 1993Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction

Along Came a Spider (1992) is the first novel in the Alex Cross psychological thriller series by James Patterson. Alex Cross is a Black psychologist and police detective working in Washington, DC, with his partner and childhood friend, John Sampson. In this novel, Alex and John are part of a hostage-rescue team investigating the kidnapping of two children by their teacher, Gary Soneji. As of 2023, there are 32 novels in the Alex Cross series... Read Along Came a Spider Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Military / War, WWII / World War II, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance

Publication year 1772Genre Poem, FictionThemes Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags American Revolution, Colonial America, History: U.S.

Publication year 1997Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: FateTags Historical Fiction, American Literature, Relationships, History: U.S., Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

American Pastoral (1997) by Philip Roth examines in detail one man’s quest for the American dream and the fragility of the entire enterprise. Roth, one of the most critically acclaimed novelists of the 20th century, focuses his narrative microscope through the eyes of Nathan Zuckerman, his literary alter ego from whose perspective he has written 10 other novels, including Zuckerman Unbound (1981), The Anatomy Lesson (1983), The Human Stain (2000), and The Plot Against America... Read American Pastoral Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Incarceration, Social Justice, Journalism, Race / Racism, American Literature, Post-War Era, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Sociology, History: World, Politics / Government

Publication year 2005Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Society: War, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Mental HealthTags Biography, History: U.S., History: World, Science / Nature, Politics / Government, Military / War, WWII / World War II

Publication year 2021Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Society: CommunityTags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Sociology, History: World

Publication year 2023Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Crime / Legal, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Journalism, Sociology, History: World

Publication year 1998Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Fantasy, Action / Adventure

Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Among the Hidden is a young adult dystopian novel that follows the story of Luke Garner, a child whose existence is illegal due to a population law that prohibits people from having more than two children. He meets a fellow third child for the first time and learns about the history and structure of his country’s dystopian society. Among the Hidden was first published in 1998 and is Haddix’s fourth full-length novel... Read Among the Hidden Summary