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 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Anthology/Varied Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Climate Change, Science / Nature, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)
Publication year 2020
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: Community
Tags Immigration / Refugee, Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction, Biography
Publication year 2011
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community
Tags Sociology, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Relationships, Psychology, Psychology, Internet Culture / Social Media, Arts / Culture
Sherry Turkle’s Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other, originally published in 2011, is a work of nonfiction that explores technology’s effect on how humans interact with one another. The book is split into two halves: the first deals with human interactions with sociable robots and the second with the networked connections of social media and virtual worlds.In the 1970s, Turkle meets ELIZA, a computer program that “engaged in... Read Alone Together Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes 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 & Lies
Tags Military / War, WWII / World War II, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2013
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Poverty, Parenting, Indian Literature, Biography
A Long Way Home is a 2013 memoir by Saroo Brierley, an Indian-born author who was accidentally separated from his biological family at the age of five and adopted by an Australian couple. The memoir traces Saroo’s remarkable journey from India to Australia and back again 25 years later. The book inspired the 2016 film Lion and became a New York Times Best Seller after the film’s release. This guide refers to the 2015 edition published... Read A Long Way Home Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Flora/plants, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Romance, Harlem Renaissance, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: War
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1888
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Equality, Natural World: Place, Society: Community
Tags Free verse
Publication year 1993
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Society: Community, Identity: Race
Tags Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Class, History: U.S., American Literature, Education, Education
Publication year 1971
Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: War, Society: Colonialism, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Immigration, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Education, Education, History: World, History: U.S.
Publication year 2018
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Immigration, Society: Community
Tags Immigration / Refugee, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Biography
American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures (2018) is an essay collection edited by actress and activist America Ferrera with E. Cayce Dumont. The collection contains essays from notable individuals in movie and TV entertainment, food, publishing, public service, comedy, music, and self-help content creation. These first-person accounts all address the often troublesome question of what it means to be American, especially when growing up between different cultures. American Like Me is a New... Read American Like Me Summary
Publication year 1997
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Nation, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government
American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence (1997) is a nonfiction history by Pauline Maier (1938-2013), a historian specializing in the American Revolution. A revisionist historian, Maier uses narrative techniques to bring to life the era in which the Declaration of Independence was created, seeking to demystify this foundational American document and to raise questions about how history is constructed. American Scripture was shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1997. This study... Read American Scripture Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Sociology, History: World
Publication year 1990
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Birth, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags History: U.S., Health / Medicine, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)
A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on her Diary, 1785-1812 is a 1990 nonfiction biography of midwife Martha Ballard by American historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. Using Martha Ballard’s diary as a primary source, Ulrich utilizes a microhistorical approach to evaluate the life of Ballard, the history of Maine’s Kennebec River region, and the themes of social medicine, women’s role in the economy, and religion’s place in everyday life. A Midwife’s Tale won... Read A Midwife's Tale Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Education, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags History: U.S., Social Justice, Race / Racism, Education, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Crime / Legal, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Journalism, Sociology, History: World
Publication year 2020
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Sports, Race / Racism, History: U.S., African American Literature, History: World, Inspirational, Biography
Publication year 1950
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class, Society: Community
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, Classic Fiction
First published in 1950, A Murder Is Announced is a mystery novel by one of the leading writers of the Golden Age of detective fiction: Agatha Christie, “Queen of Crime.” Although best known for her Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot novels such as Murder at the Vicarage and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Christie also published short story collections and wrote the world’s longest-running play—The Mousetrap (1952). Her fiction has inspired numerous film and television adaptations... Read A Murder Is Announced Summary
Publication year 1985
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Sociology, Education, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Technology, Information Age, Education
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business is a nonfiction book by Neil Postman, published in 1985. Postman was a professor of education and communication at New York University with a special interest in the role of technology and media in society. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York in Fredonia and a master’s degree and doctorate from the Teachers College of Columbia University. In... Read Amusing Ourselves to Death Summary