Social justice is the pursuit of fairness in society based on the belief that all people deserve equal opportunities and rights. We curated the following study guide collection (including books for middle-grade and young adult readers) to help readers get the most out of books that cover contemporary issues and topics in social justice.
Publication year 2017
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Race / Racism, Black Arts Movement, Existentialism, History: World, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government, Biography
I Am Not Your Negro by James Baldwin and Raoul Peck is an accompanying text to the 2016 documentary of the same name, directed by Peck. The documentary was released to critical acclaim. It won Best Documentary award at the BAFTA Film Awards and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The text is essentially a transcript of the film, incorporating excerpts of interviews, television features, and films.I Am Not Your Negro... Read I Am Not Your Negro Summary
Publication year 2008
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race
Tags Lyric Poem, Harlem Renaissance, Race / Racism, Social Justice
Publication year 1977
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Immigration / Refugee, Social Justice, American Literature
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Race / Racism, Black Lives Matter, Biography, Social Justice, Religion / Spirituality
I’m Still Here is a nonfiction memoir published in 2018 by the American author Austin Channing Brown. Subtitled Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, the book chronicles Brown’s lifelong efforts to navigate White spaces as a Black Christian woman. Amid a surge of interest in the wake of the 2020 George Floyd protests, actress Reese Witherspoon selected I’m Still Here for her popular Hello Sunshine book club.This study guide refers to the 2018... Read I'm Still Here Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Realistic Fiction, Mythology, Immigration / Refugee, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Relationships, American Literature, Latin American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 1983
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Race / Racism, Social Justice
In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens is a collection of essays, speeches, and letters by Alice Walker. The collection was published in 1983. Walker is also a novelist and a poet. Her most famous novel, The Color Purple, was published in 1982 and won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award in 1983. The novel was adapted into a movie as well as a musical. These essays are collected from different books and... Read In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Identity: Race
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future
Tags Immigration / Refugee, Race / Racism, Biography, Social Justice, Politics / Government
In the Country We Love: My Family Divided (2016) is a memoir by American actress Diane Guerrero (with Michelle Burford). The narrative chronicles how the US government deported Guerrero’s undocumented parents to Colombia when she was 14 years old. The title emphasizes the author’s patriotism, which she projects onto her parents and the undocumented community more broadly with the use of the plural. Guerrero writes in simple prose and organizes the material chronologically, relying on... Read In the Country We Love Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Class, History: Asian, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Vietnam War, Military / War, Asian Literature, History: World, Arts / Culture
In the Shadow of the Banyan (2012) is a historical fiction novel by the Cambodian American author Vaddey Ratner. Set in the 1970s during the Cambodian genocide, the book’s perspective is from Raami, a seven-year-old girl and the daughter of a minor prince whose family is among the millions of Cambodians persecuted by the Khmer Rouge. While Raami’s story hews very closely to Ratner’s own real-life experiences, the author chose to write a work of... Read In The Shadow Of The Banyan 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 2021
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Poverty, Sociology, History: World, Politics / Government, Biography
Publication year 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Gender, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Gender / Feminism, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Finance / Money / Wealth, Sociology, Business / Economics, Technology, Health / Medicine, Politics / Government, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)
Publication year 2001
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Social Justice, Poverty, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1860
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Lyric Poem, Social Justice, Grief / Death, Poverty, American Literature
Publication year 2019
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Race, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Biography, Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: African , Social Justice
Publication year 2017
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Grief / Death, Social Justice, Race / Racism, American Literature, African American Literature
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 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 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
Publication year 1949
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, African American Literature, Race / Racism, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice