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 1926
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Society: Community
Tags Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Animals, Food, Relationships, Science / Nature
Publication year 1996
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community, Identity: Language
Tags Anthropology, Education, Education, Anthropology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy
Wisdom Sits in Places (University of New Mexico Press, 1996) is a non-fiction book of essays by American ethnographer and anthropologist Keith Basso. In the book, Basso explores the role of place-names, or toponyms, in the language and culture of the Western Apache. In doing so, he sets forth an argument that the way of life of the Western Apache can only be understood by examining their sense of place, and he makes the case... Read Wisdom Sits in Places Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Identity: Disability
Tags Realistic Fiction, Animals, Bullying, Children's Literature
Publication year 1993
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Community, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 1981
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, History: U.S., Politics / Government, Social Justice, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Community, Identity: Gender
Tags Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Historical Fiction, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Miriam Toews’s Women Talking (2018) is a novel set in the fictional Mennonite colony of Molotschna. It follows a group of the colony’s women as they discuss how to respond to the discovery that many of their menfolk have been anesthetizing and raping them for years. The book is inspired by actual events that took place between 2005 and 2009 in a remote Mennonite colony in Bolivia. There, eight men were discovered to have been... Read Women Talking Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Environment, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Class, Disability, Depression / Suicide, Leadership/Organization/Management, Military / War, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Politics / Government
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War is a horror fiction novel by Max Brooks published in 2006. The book was a critical and commercial success, generally receiving positive reviews and spending several weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. It has sold millions of copies around the world and was subsequently turned into a successful movie starring Brad Pitt, released in 2013, and a highly rated video game, released in... Read World War Z Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1968
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Anthropology
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2001
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Historical Fiction, Health / Medicine, British Literature, History: World
Year of Wonders (2001) is a historical fiction novel by Geraldine Brooks, tracing the 1666 outbreak of the bubonic plague in the English town of Eyam. When the town’s zealous rector, Michael Mompellion, and the community submit to a voluntary quarantine, young widow Anna Frith serves with the rector and his wife Elinor to minister to the townsfolk as the plague wreaks havoc. Through the eyes of 18-year-old Anna, the novel explores what happens when... Read Year of Wonders Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Community
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Bullying, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Grandparents, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Self Discovery
Publication year 1835
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Community
Tags Classic Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, American Literature, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, Historical Fiction
“Young Goodman Brown” is a short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne published in 1835 in The New-England Magazine. The story was later included in Hawthorne’s 1846 collection Mosses from an Old Manse. Most of Hawthorne’s fiction is set in New England and focuses on themes of morality, inherent sin of human beings, and anti-Puritan sentiment. In addition to “Young Goodman Brown,” some of his most famous short fiction works include “The Minister’s Black Veil” (1836)... Read Young Goodman Brown Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Race / Racism, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Community
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Children's Literature, History: World, Arts / Culture
Zora and Me (2010) is a middle grade novel by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon. Both authors held a strong interest in 20th-century Black American writer Zora Neale Hurston, and they wanted to introduce her to younger readers. Bond has an MFA in poetry, while Simon has an MA in anthropology; Hurston was both a writer and an anthropologist. Inspired by real details from Hurston’s childhood as illustrated in her short stories, Bond and Simon... Read Zora and Me Summary