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 1896

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, Poverty, Inspirational, Classic Fiction

In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do by American Minister Charles Monroe Sheldon is a Christian novel that encourages readers to lead their lives according to the compassionate teachings of Jesus Christ. Published in 1896, it was an instant bestseller in the UK and the US. With more than 30 million copies sold, it was one of the best selling American novels of all time.The work is based on Sheldon’s lectures to his congregation in... Read In His Steps Summary


Publication year 1953

Genre Short Story, Fiction

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


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Grandparents, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community

Tags Children's Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction


Publication year 1965

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Community

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Diversity, Class, American Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Published in 1965, John Ball’s In the Heat of the Night is a crime novel set in Wells, South Carolina. The story focuses on the police department’s numerous struggles to solve a recent murder. Virgil Tibbs, a Black detective from Pasadena, California, lends a helping hand, but his interactions with the locals reveal the deep-seated racism of Wells. Through this murder mystery, the novel addresses issues of systemic racism and offers hope for a better... Read In the Heat of the Night Summary


Publication year 2008

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Society: Community

Tags Health / Medicine, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Self Help, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness

Gabor Maté’s In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addictions is an unconventional nonfiction book on how to treat addiction, how addicts can better assimilate into society, and how society can dispel many of the myths that surround addiction. Maté works as an addiction specialist at the Portland Hotel in Vancouver, Canada.  Much of the book, published in 2010, focuses on Maté’s evidence that childhood stressors increase the likelihood that one will become... Read In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Immigration, Identity: Race, Identity: Language, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Lyric Poem, Diversity, Social Justice, History: U.S., Black Lives Matter, Immigration / Refugee, American Literature


Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Animals, Action / Adventure, Relationships, Leadership/Organization/Management, Children's Literature


Publication year 1958

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Business / Economics, Philosophy, Politics / Government, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The essay “I, Pencil,” also known as “I, Pencil: My Family Tree as Told to Leonard E. Read,” was first published by the American businessman and libertarian advocate Leonard E. Read in 1958. The essay first appeared in The Freeman, a publication of the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEE), a think-tank he co-founded in 1946. Read was a staunch critic of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal,” an ambitious series of government policies and... Read I, Pencil Summary


Publication year 410

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Community, Society: War

Tags Drama / Tragedy, Military / War, Mythology, Classical Period, Fantasy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1962

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Philosophy, Modern Classic Fiction, British Literature, Fantasy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Natural Disaster, Children's Literature, History: World


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