Equality

The titles in this Collection examine the concept of social equality through a broad array of literary genres and forms. These curated selections represent a diversity of voices and perspectives that examine social disparities through the lenses of gender, race, socioeconomics, and other factors.

Allies

by Alan Gratz

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Race, Equality

Tags Historical Fiction, Military & War, World History, World War II, Children`s Literature, Action & Adventure

Allies is a novel by American author Alan Gratz that was originally published in 2019. It belongs to the genre of young adult historical fiction and is set during World War II. Gratz is the author of 17 novels for children/young adults as of 2021 and has won awards from Random House Books and the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators. His novel Refugee won the National Jewish Book Award and the Young Hoosier... Read Allies Summary

All the Water in the World

by Eiren Caffall

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Climate, Environment, Food, Objects & Materials, Place, Family, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Art, Beauty, Equality, Justice, Literature, Music, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt

Tags Science Fiction

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A Marvellous Light

by Freya Marske

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Appearance & Reality, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Equality, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Edwardian Era

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America

by Walt Whitman

Publication year 1888

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Nation, Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Gratitude, Hope, Love, Equality, Place, Community

Tags Free Verse

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American Indian Stories

by Zitkála-Šá

Publication year 1921

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Race, Equality, Gender Identity

Tags Historical Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, Symbolic Narrative, Race & Racism, Gender & Feminism, World History, Classic Fiction, Biography

Zitkála-Šá’s 1921 book American Indian Stories gathers autobiographical chapters, historical fiction stories, and essays focused on the experiences of the Dakota Sioux and interactions between American Indians and White citizens of the United States. Zitkála-Šá’s works convey a strong sense of independence, pride in Sioux culture, and indignation at injustices committed against American Indians. This study guide references the 2019 Modern Library (Penguin Random House) edition of American Indian Stories.SummaryThe collection begins with an autobiographical... Read American Indian Stories Summary

Amos Fortune, Free Man

by Elizabeth Yates

Publication year 1950

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Equality, Justice

Tags Life-Inspired Fiction, Historical Fiction, Race & Racism, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

Amos Fortune, Free Man (1950) is a middle-grade biographical novel based loosely on the life of Amos Fortune (c. 1710-1801). The title not only refers to the person at the center of the book but also his status as a “freeman,” the term typically used to describe people of African descent who were formerly enslaved but acquired their freedom. In 1951, Amos Fortune, Free Man won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children’s literature.The... Read Amos Fortune, Free Man Summary

Angela Davis

by Angela Y. Davis

Publication year 1974

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Community, Equality

Tags Gender & Feminism, Social Justice, Race & Racism, Politics & Government, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South

Angela Davis: An Autobiography, originally published in 1974, is a political autobiography focused on the imprisonment and trial of activist and scholar Angela Davis in the early 1970s. In 1970, after guns belonging to Davis were used in an uprising at the Marin County Courthouse in California, Davis was accused and convicted of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder. A jury acquitted Davis of all charges in 1972. She published her autobiography two years later to center... Read Angela Davis Summary

Angel Of Greenwood

by Randi Pink

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Love, Race, Family, Friendship, Community, Equality, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Race & Racism, Social Justice, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance

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Animal Farm

by George Orwell

Publication year 1945

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Equality, Power & Greed, Community

Tags Satirical Literature, European History, Politics & Government, Philosophy, Animals, Post-War Era, Symbolic Narrative, British Literature, Science Fiction, Education, Education, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Published in 1945, Animal Farm by George Orwell (1903-1950) achieved immediate success and remains one of Orwell’s most popular works. A political satire in the guise of a moving and whimsical animal fable, the novella is about a group of farm animals who overthrow their owner, Mr. Jones, and establish animal rule. Although the animals start with high hopes for Animal Farm as a harmonious and just utopia where “all animals are equal” (19), it... Read Animal Farm Summary

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States

by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Nation, Politics & Government, Power & Greed, War, Equality, Education, Race, The Past, Future, Community, Place, Colonialism

Tags US History, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Politics & Government, Education, Military & War, Anthropology, Colonial America, Social Class, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, World History

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An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People

by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Jean Mendoza, Debbie Reese

Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Equality, Colonialism

Tags US History, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Military & War, American Revolution, Colonial America, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Education, Education, World History

An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People is a 2019 adaptation of Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s 2015 nonfiction book. Jean Mendoza and Debbie Reese adapted the material for middle-grade audiences. The original publication received the American Book Award, and this version is a 2020 American Indian Youth Literature Young Adult Honor Book with recognition from the National Council for the Social Studies and the Children’s Book Council. This book tells the perspective of... Read An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People Summary

Annihilation of Caste

by B. R. Ambedkar

Publication year 1936

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Equality, Social Class, Community

Tags Philosophy, Politics & Government, Social Justice, Asian Literature, Sociology, World History, Philosophy, Indian Literature, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

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An Octoroon

by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

Publication year 2015

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Equality, Social Class, Love, Gender Identity, Race, Marriage, Justice

Tags Drama, Race & Racism, Satirical Literature, Education, Education, American Literature, Dramatic Literature

... Read An Octoroon Summary

Antelope Woman

by Louise Erdrich

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Indigenous Identity, Memory, Femininity, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Race, The Past, Colonialism, Politics & Government, Beauty, Equality

Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Historical Fiction

Antelope Woman is a novel by Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) author Louise Erdrich. First published in 1998 as The Antelope Wife, Erdrich revised and updated the text in 2012 and re-issued it, adding new content, storylines, and chapters. Like much of Erdrich’s other work, the novel is a multi-generational story of both Indigenous and white families set in and around traditional Ojibwe lands in North Dakota and Minnesota. Erdrich is known for her use of magical realism... Read Antelope Woman Summary

Anthem

by Ayn Rand

Publication year 1938

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Equality, Politics & Government, Community, Self Discovery

Tags Science Fiction, Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Philosophy, Education, Education, Philosophy, Politics & Government

Anthem is a short novella written by Ayn Rand and published in 1938. Rand is known for her polarizing fiction, which includes the well-known novels Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. She is also known as the founder of a controversial philosophy known as Objectivism. In 1987, Anthem won the Libertarian Futurist Society’s Hall of Fame Award. Since its publication, the novella has been met with mixed reviews due to the controversy around its Objectivist themes... Read Anthem Summary