Community

A community can come together for the common good or be torn apart by disagreement and strife. This collection explores what makes a community and how individuals struggle or succeed in finding their place within it.

Publication year 1968

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Politics / Government, Race / Racism, History: U.S., Social Justice, Religion / Spirituality, History: World


Publication year 2019

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration, Society: Community

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Immigration / Refugee, Biography


Publication year 1978

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Society: Colonialism

Tags Race / Racism, History: African , Politics / Government, Social Justice, Philosophy, Philosophy, History: World, Biography


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Community, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Religion / Spirituality, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Grief / Death

Jackaby is a 2014 young adult fantasy novel by William Ritter. It is the first in a series by the same name and follows paranormal investigator R. F. Jackaby, and his new assistant Abigail Rook, as they investigate a series of supernatural murders. The novel draws on a range of world mythologies and classic detective fiction like Sherlock Holmes, Inspector Dupin, and the works of Raymond Chandler.Plot SummaryIn 1892, a young Englishwoman named Abigail Rook... Read Jackaby Summary


Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness

Tags Realistic Fiction, Bullying


Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community

Tags Realistic Fiction, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance


Publication year 1961

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Humor, Children's Literature, Magical Realism, Animals, Action / Adventure

James and the Giant Peach by British author Roald Dahl was first published in 1961. This critically acclaimed children’s novel was made into an award-winning film in 1996. It tells the story of a giant peach that magically grows in a young boy, James’s, back garden—big enough for him to enter the center of the peach and have adventures with the insects who live in there. Dahl is known as one of the 20th century’s greatest... Read James And The Giant Peach Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

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


Publication year 1994

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Class

Tags Realistic Fiction, Arts / Culture, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Agriculture, Class, History: U.S., Poverty, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Vietnam War


Publication year 1992

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Addiction / Substance Abuse, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction

Jesus’ Son (1992) is a collection of short fiction by American writer Denis Johnson, published by Farrar, Strauss, & Giroux. It explores themes of The Slipperiness of Time, Substance Use Disorder, and Violence as Inevitability. In the form of a short story cycle, each of the 11 stories of Jesus’ Son is narrated by the same protagonist, who has a substance use disorder and is referred to in the narrative as “Fuckhead”. The book takes... Read Jesus' Son Summary


Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Animals, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Action / Adventure, Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: World, Fantasy

Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson is a historical children’s fiction novel published in 2002. The story takes place in the Amazon Basin in the early 1900s and follows Maia, an orphan from England who is invited to live with the Carters, distant relatives who own a rubber farm in Brazil. An English novelist known primarily for her children’s fiction, Ibbotson wrote this adventure story as a tribute to her late husband, who... Read Journey to the River Sea Summary


Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Military / War, African Literature

July’s People, a 1981 dystopian novel by South African author Nadine Gordimer, imagines the aftermath of a bloody uprising that topples South Africa’s notorious, white-ruled apartheid regime. Her novel, which follows a white family’s desperate flight from Johannesburg, traces the complex interdependencies of white and Black South Africans, revealing the insidiousness of the regime’s racial disparities and mindsets, even among liberal, well-meaning white people. Through the lens of this hypothetical future, Gordimer’s novel explores racial... Read July's People Summary


Publication year 2005

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community

Tags Politics / Government, Education, Education, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice

Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?, a 2005 nonfiction book written by Harvard professor Michael J. Sandel, grew out of a popular course of the same name that Sandel teaches, in which he “exposes students to some of the great philosophical writings about justice, and also takes up contemporary legal and political controversies that raise philosophical questions” (293). In this book, Sandel does the same, comparing and contrasting several important approaches to justice and... Read Justice Summary


Publication year 1990

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Gender, Society: Community

Tags Philosophy, Social Justice, Gender / Feminism, Education, Education, Philosophy, Politics / Government

Originally published in 1990, Justice and the Politics of Difference is a nonfiction work in the field of political theory. The author, Iris Marion Young, uses critical theory to expose the shortcomings of distributive theories of justice and calls for the empowerment of oppressed and disadvantaged social groups. She cites the claims of new social movements, such as those for civil rights, as evidence of the inadequacy of the distributive model of justice. According to... Read Justice and The Politics of Difference Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Health / Medicine, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Science / Nature


Publication year 1902

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, Fantasy, British Literature


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags History: World, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mythology, LGBTQ, Indian Literature


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age

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


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community

Tags Romance, Sports, New Adult, Modern Classic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence


Publication year 1978

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Society: Education, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education