We've carefully curated a Collection of titles that center the experiences and impacts of Sexual Harassment & Violence. Representing a broad range of voices and genres, these titles explore the personal and social effects of violation through violence and sexual harassment through literary forms that include memoirs, poetry, and fiction.
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger
Tags Play: Tragedy, Mythology, Ancient Greece, Classical Period, Grief / Death, History: European, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Children's Literature, Mental Illness, Arts / Culture
Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction is a 2018 graphic memoir by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. A finalist for the National Book Award, it earned praise for its compassionate and honest portrayal of a child growing up in a family marked by addiction and abuse. This guide refers to the 2018 Graphix edition.Plot SummaryThe story traces Jarrett J. Krosoczka’s childhood and his family. Beginning and ending with... Read Hey, Kiddo Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Class, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Disability, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism, Disability, Health / Medicine
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Family
Tags Romance, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 1849
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Class
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature, Bullying, Mental Illness, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Disability, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Fantasy
“Hop-Frog” (originally titled “Hop Frog; Or, the Eight Chained Ourang-Outangs”) is among the last short stories by American horror and fiction author Edgar Allan Poe. First published in The Flag of Our Union in 1849, “Hop-Frog” explores themes of revenge, “madness,” and dehumanization. Poe explores similar themes in another short story published several years earlier, “The Cask of Amontillado,” a tale of betrayal and vengeance. Such thematic elements recur often in Poe’s work, given that... Read Hop-Frog Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Fairy Tale / Folklore
Publication year 2017
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Biography, Military / War, History: World
How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child is a 2017 memoir by Sandra Uwiringiyimana. It recounts Sandra’s life in the volatile Democratic Republic of the Congo, her immigration to America, and her dedication to activism. This nonfiction autobiography is the winner of multiple awards, including the New York Public Library’s Best Books for Teens; Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best Books for Teens: Nonfiction; and Bank Street’s 2018 Best Books of... Read How Dare the Sun Rise Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community
Tags Historical Fiction, History: U.S., Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature, History: World, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Arts / Culture
Published in 2013 by Tim Tingle, How I Became a Ghost is a work of middle grade fiction that follows a young boy in the Choctaw nation and his death on the Trail of Tears. The Choctaw Trail of Tears refers to The Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the forced relocation of Choctaws from their homes in the deep south to areas further west. How I Became a Ghost has received an American Indian... Read How I Became a Ghost Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Identity: Language, Identity: Masculinity
Tags Politics / Government, Biography, Creative Nonfiction, Race / Racism, Relationships, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, African American Literature
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Historical Fiction, Grief / Death, Social Justice, Korean Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, History: World
Publication year 2017
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride
Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Mental Illness, Biography
Content Warning: Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body describes and references rape and sexual violence, emotional abuse, and verbal abuse.Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body (2017) is a memoir by Roxane Gay that addresses the emotional, physical, and psychological effects of sexual assault—and how they tie into self-image. Though Gay’s memoir centers her body, food, and self-image, she also confronts society’s fatphobia—the world’s unwillingness to accept fat people as they are due to assumptions about... Read Hunger Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Romance, New Adult, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Mental Illness
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, New Adult, Sports, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Mental Illness, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature
Publication year 2004
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Gender / Feminism, Parenting, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Class
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1969
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags African American Literature, Creative Nonfiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Classic Fiction, Biography
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings is an autobiographical novel by Maya Angelou. Angelou discusses the struggles of growing up African American in the 1950s. The novel has themes of overcoming adversity and trauma, both used as a general metaphor for the struggle against racism. Angelou wrote the novel as a challenge to create literature out of an autobiography, and what emerged is a classic that is still revered today.The novel begins on a... Read I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Identity: Indigenous, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Lyric Poem, Education, Arts / Culture, Diversity, History: The Americas, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Colonialism / Postcolonialism