This collection, spanning books like Nadine Gordimer's Jump and Other Stories and Lois Lowry's Number the Stars, gathers fiction and nonfiction examining how our human craving for safety is compromised, questioned, and challenged by an unpredictable and sometimes dangerous world.
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Fate, Self Discovery, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Race / Racism, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Grandparents, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Crime / Legal, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
IntroductionEmma Donoghue’s Room is a 2010 novel about a boy named Jack who lives in a single room with his mother, Ma. Room is a crime thriller novel that explores themes of trauma, innocence, and adaptability through the eyes of five-year-old narrator, Jack. Room has received many awards, including the ALA Alex Award, the Indies Choice Book Award for Fiction, and The New York Times Book Review Best Book of the Year award. Room was... Read Room Summary
Publication year 1970
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Children's Literature, Animals, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1995
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Running Out of Time is a 1995 young adult suspense novel by American author Margaret Peterson Haddix. It tells the story of Jessie Keyser, a young girl who believes she is living in 1800s Indiana, only to discover that in reality it is 1996. When a diphtheria epidemic strikes her small town of Clifton, she must venture out into the modern world to save her friends. Haddix also authored the critically acclaimed YA thriller series... Read Running Out Of Time Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Music, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Poverty, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Sadie is a young adult mystery novel published in 2018 by the Canadian author Courtney Summers. The book chronicles teenager Sadie Hunter’s quest to find the man who killed her sister. In alternating chapters, Sadie’s subsequent disappearance becomes the topic of West McCray’s podcast The Girls. Sadie won the 2018 Edgar Award and was chosen for many Best of 2018 book lists.Plot SummarySadie follows the journey of 19-year-old protagonist Sadie Hunter as she searches for... Read Sadie Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, Addiction / Substance Abuse, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
Safe Haven is a novel by New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks. Written in 2010, Safe Haven was adapted into a movie of the same name in 2013. Like most of Sparks’s novels, the setting of this story is North Carolina. The author often uses his home state as a backdrop to his romances, incorporating the beauty and history of the state as a central motif. In this novel, Sparks contrasts the beauty and... Read Safe Haven Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Survival Fiction, Race / Racism, Immigration / Refugee, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Romance, Sports, New Adult
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Community
Tags Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Identity: Disability, Natural World: Animals
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Animals, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature
Publication year 1981
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Children's Literature
Publication year 1982
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Race, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Holocaust, WWII / World War II, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Race / Racism, History: World, Immigration / Refugee, Incarceration, Military / War, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Sociology, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Classic Fiction, Biography
Schindler’s List (originally titled Schindler’s Ark) is a 1982 historical novel by Australian author Thomas Keneally. It tells the story of Oskar Schindler, a member of the Nazi party who used his position as a German industrialist to save more than 1,200 people’s lives during the war. In protecting as many people as he could from the genocidal Nazi regime, Schindler risked being sent to a concentration camp himself. Keneally wrote the novel with the... Read Schindler's List Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, British Literature, Military / War, History: World
Secrets of a Charmed Life is a historical fiction novel written by Susan Meissner and published by New American Library, a division of Penguin Random House, in 2015. The book follows two sisters in wartime England, Emmeline and Julia Downtree, who are separated from each other during the Blitz. The book also follows an interview between American Oxford student Kendra Van Zant and Blitz survivor and artist Isabel MacFarland. The novel explores the themes of... Read Secrets of a Charmed Life Summary
Publication year 2001
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags September 11 Attacks, Grief / Death, History: U.S.
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Immigration, Natural World: Place, Identity: Language, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Self Discovery
Tags Satire, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Survival Fiction, Chinese Literature, Immigration / Refugee, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2004
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: World, WWII / World War II, Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Military / War, Science / Nature, Biography
Shadow Divers: The True Story of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II (2004) by Robert Kurson is a celebrated nonfiction adventure book. Kurson, an adventure journalist whose stories have been featured in Rolling Stone, Esquire, and The New York Times Magazine, is known for his immersive and entertaining style. His first book-length work, Shadow Divers was a New York Times Best Seller and won the... Read Shadow Divers Summary
Publication year 1963
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Animals
Tags Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Free verse, Confessional, Depression / Suicide