Contemporary Books on Social Justice

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.

Why We Can't Wait

by Martin Luther King Jr.

Publication year 1964

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags US History, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Race & Racism, Black Lives Matter, World History, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Politics & Government, Biography

Why We Can’t Wait is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s history of the Birmingham protests that took place in 1963 and his effort to explain the aims and goals of the Civil Rights Movement to a national audience. King explores the background of the protests in Birmingham, the importance of nonviolence as the primary approach to protest, how this approach played out in Birmingham, and the aftermath of the protests in an introduction and eight chapters... Read Why We Can't Wait Summary

Winners Take All

by Anand Giridharadas

Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Equality, Social Class, Justice, Power & Greed, Community, Wins & Losses

Tags Politics & Government, Business & Economics, Social Justice, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Social Class, Sociology, World History

... Read Winners Take All Summary

Woman at Point Zero

by Nawal El Saadawi

Publication year 1975

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Justice, Equality, Perseverance, Guilt, Self Discovery, Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Politics & Government, Education, Safety & Danger, Fate, Power & Greed

Tags Gender & Feminism, Trauma & Abuse, African Literature, Social Justice, Education, Finance, Middle Eastern History, Love & Sexuality, Politics & Government, Incarceration, Crime & Law, Women`s Studies, Education, Classic Fiction

Woman at Point Zero, also titled Firdaus, is a 1975 novella by Nawal El Saadawi based on the true account of a woman named Firdaus who was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 1974. Saadawi was a prolific Egyptian feminist and physician, and she worked with Egyptian women who experienced various mental conditions that Saadawi saw largely as resulting from living in a patriarchal society. She had the privilege of meeting Firdaus on... Read Woman at Point Zero Summary

Wordslut

by Amanda Montell

Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Language, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Politics & Government, Equality, Power & Greed

Tags Gender & Feminism, World History, Women`s Studies, Social Justice, Sociology

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Yellow Wife

by Sadeqa Johnson

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, American Civil War, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Relationships, Trauma & Abuse, Military & War, World History

... Read Yellow Wife Summary