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 1991
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, American Literature
Publication year 1987
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community
Tags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Sociology, History: World, LGBTQ, Politics / Government
And The Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic is a work of investigative reporting by Randy Shilts, a reporter with the San Francisco Chronicle. Shilts covered the AIDS epidemic from 1982 for the only newspaper willing to give its full attention to the epidemic. Shilts examines the roots of AIDS beginning in 1976 to two events and focuses on the mysterious illness of a Danish physician working in Africa, Dr. Grethe Rask. Before... Read And The Band Played On Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1913
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Society: Nation, Identity: Race, Society: Community
Tags Education, Education, British Literature, Irish Literature, Arts / Culture, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1882
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Community
Tags Play: Drama, Classic Fiction, Scandinavian Literature
IntroductionHenrik Ibsen, a well-known Norwegian playwright who is often lauded as the founder of modern drama, wrote An Enemy of the People in 1882. It is an example of Ibsen’s starkly realist, late-career style. Ibsen’s works were very popular throughout his life, but often drew criticism due to their frank discussion of political and social problems in 19th-century Norwegian society. Two years prior he had released the most controversial work of his career, Ghosts, which... Read An Enemy of the People Summary
Publication year 1974
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Race / Racism, Politics / Government, Civil Rights / Jim Crow
Angela Davis: An Autobiography, originally published in 1974, is a political autobiography focused on the imprisonment and trial of activist and scholar Angela Davis in the early 1970s. In 1970, after guns belonging to Davis were used in an uprising at the Marin County Courthouse in California, Davis was accused and convicted of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder. A jury acquitted Davis of all charges in 1972. She published her autobiography two years later to center... Read Angela Davis Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2000
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Community, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Memoir / Autobiography, Southern Literature, History: U.S., Politics / Government
Publication year 1955
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Technology, History: U.S., Biography, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1945
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Community
Tags Satire, History: European, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Animals, Post-War Era, Allegory / Fable / Parable, British Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Education, Education, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Published in 1945, Animal Farm by George Orwell (1903-1950) achieved immediate success and remains one of Orwell’s most popular works. A political satire in the guise of a moving and whimsical animal fable, the novella is about a group of farm animals who overthrow their owner, Mr. Jones, and establish animal rule. Although the animals start with high hopes for Animal Farm as a harmonious and just utopia where “all animals are equal” (19), it... Read Animal Farm Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Education, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Community, Natural World: Place, Society: Colonialism
Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Education, Military / War, Anthropology, Colonial America, Class, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, History: World
Publication year 2010
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community
Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Poverty, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Children's Literature, Biography
Author Laura Schroff’s 2012 New York Times bestseller An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny recounts a fateful meeting between two vastly different individuals: Maurice, a young boy living in poverty and a broken home, and Schroff, a successful ad executive enjoying a fast-paced career. In the memoir, the author posits that an invisible thread joins their lives. It is beyond her... Read An Invisible Thread Summary
Publication year 1849
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, American Literature, Gothic Literature, Romance, Classic Fiction
The last poem Edgar Allan Poe—infamous poet and fiction author of the macabre—completed during his tumultuous life, “Annabel Lee,” was first published in the New York Tribune in 1849, two days after Poe’s death. Displaying the melodic lyricism, gothic overtones, and memorable imagery which informed so much of Poe’s work, “Annabel Lee” is considered one of the defining entries in his canon, and a classic of 19th century American poetry.The poem concerns the death of... Read Annabel Lee Summary
Publication year 1909
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction
Anne of Avonlea, the second novel in the Anne of Green Gables series, is the heralded sequel that brings readers back to the second chapter in Anne Shirley’s life from age 16 to 18. First published in 1909 by Canadian author L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea is set in the latter part of the 19th century in fictional Avonlea, a small town on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Filled with many familiar characters from the first... Read Anne of Avonlea Summary
Publication year 1936
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Class, Society: Community
Tags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Asian Literature, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Indian Literature, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 1938
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Self Discovery
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Philosophy, Education, Education, Philosophy, Politics / Government
Anthem is a short novella written by Ayn Rand and published in 1938. Rand is known for her polarizing fiction, which includes the well-known novels Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. She is also known as the founder of a controversial philosophy known as Objectivism. In 1987, Anthem won the Libertarian Futurist Society’s Hall of Fame Award. Since its publication, the novella has been met with mixed reviews due to the controversy around its Objectivist themes... Read Anthem Summary
Publication year 1940
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy
Tags Modernism, The Lost Generation, Relationships
Publication year 1991
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Community
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Arts / Culture
Tony Johnston’s Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio is a young adult novel originally published in 2001 by Scholastic, Inc. As a meditation on the value of friendship, family, and community, the novel centers the Mexican American Rodriguez family as they adapt to life in a lower-income Los Angeles barrio (Spanish for “neighborhood”). In school, their son Arturo bonds with other Mexican American students, joining them as they reclaim their Mexican roots. Ever... Read Any Small Goodness Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Relationships, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Anything Is Possible is a 2017 novel by Elizabeth Strout in which each chapter features a character who is separate from but interconnects with the book’s other characters. Each chapter thus serves as both an autonomous short story and a piece of a larger, cohesive narrative and echoes or parallels other chapters.Strout, whose 2008 novel Olive Kitteridge won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, received the prestigious Story Prize for Anything Is Possible. The novel follows... Read Anything Is Possible Summary