Safety & Danger

This collection, spanning books like Nadine Gordimer's Jump and Other Stories and Lois Lowry's Number the Stars, gathers fiction and nonfiction examining how our human craving for safety is compromised, questioned, and challenged by an unpredictable and sometimes dangerous world.

Do You Remember?

by Freida McFadden

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Memory, Mental Health, Death, Friendship, Marriage, Self Discovery, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Psychological Fiction, Horror & Suspense

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Dragonfly in Amber

by Diana Gabaldon

Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Perseverance, Shame & Pride, Revenge, Nostalgia, Memory, Hope, Masculinity, Gender Identity, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Future, Place, Marriage, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Justice, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, European History, Health, World History

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Dragonsong

by Anne McCaffrey

Publication year 1976

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Coming of Age, Animals, Environment, Family, Community, Music, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure

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Dreamland

by Sarah Dessen

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Loneliness, Apathy, Love, Memory, Hope, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Coming of Age, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers, Siblings, Friendship, Fathers, Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery, Beauty, Art, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Trauma & Abuse, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction

In Dreamland, a young adult novel by Sarah Dessen, a teenage girl named Caitlin O’Koren reacts to the disappearance of her sister by breaking away from the path that was set out for her. The novel is broken into three parts that focus on the core of the conflicts in each section. Part I, “Cass,” traces the O’Koren family after Cass, the eldest of two daughters, runs away instead of attending Yale. Part II, entitled... Read Dreamland Summary

Ducks

by Kate Beaton

Publication year 2022

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Coming of Age, Social Class, Gender Identity, Loneliness, Economics, Environment, Femininity, Masculinity, Friendship, Community, Safety & Danger

Tags Biography

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Dust

by Hugh Howey

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Future, Animals, Climate, Environment, Plants, Place, Teamwork, Community, Education, Politics & Government, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy

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Earthquake Terror

by Peg Kehret

Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Siblings, Safety & Danger, Self Discovery, Perseverance, Coming of Age

Tags Action & Adventure, Survival Fiction, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Natural Disaster, Education, Education

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Eldritch

by Keri Lake

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Revenge, Femininity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Animals, Environment, Place, Community, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror & Suspense

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Eleven

by Tom Rogers

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Coming of Age, Fathers, Siblings, Safety & Danger, Family

Tags Children`s Literature, Animals, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction

... Read Eleven Summary

Ella Enchanted

by Gail Carson Levine

Publication year 1997

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Safety & Danger, Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Romance, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Classic Fiction

Gail Carson Levine’s book Ella Enchanted was awarded the Newbery Honor in 1998 after its publication in 1997. In 2004, a film adaptation was released, though it received criticism for diverging from Levine’s story, including adding new key characters.Ella Enchanted was Levine’s debut. She also wrote Fairest, which retells Snow White’s story and is set in the same world as Ella Enchanted. Some of her other notable works include Dave at Night, The Wish, The... Read Ella Enchanted Summary

Ellen Foster

by Kaye Gibbons

Publication year 1987

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Memory, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Revenge, Love, Gratitude, Hope, Childhood & Youth, Death, The Past, Equality, Good & Evil, Literature, Art, Beauty, Trust & Doubt, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses, Power & Greed, Daughters & Sons, Friendship, Family, Fathers, Grandparents, Mothers, Nature Versus Nurture, Appearance & Reality

Tags Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction, Southern Literature, Life-Inspired Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Race & Racism

Ellen Foster is a work of adult fiction by US novelist Kaye Gibbons, first published by Algonquin Books in 1987. The novel was Gibbons’s debut, and it won the Sue Kaufman Prize for literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a notable citation from the Ernest Hemingway Foundation. Critics praised the novel for its unsentimental outlook and the wry, distinct voice of its protagonist. Ellen, a young girl living in the American... Read Ellen Foster Summary

Emako Blue

by Brenda Woods

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Coming of Age, Grief, Safety & Danger, Race, Justice, Community, Death

Tags Realistic Fiction, Poverty, Trauma & Abuse, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Grief & Death, Urban Development, Arts & Culture

Emako Blue is a novel for young adults written by Brenda Woods. Set in Los Angeles, California, Emako's friends and schoolmates relay the events leading up to Emako Blue’s gang-related murder in alternating first-person narration, primarily through flashbacks. The text explores the effects of poverty, gang violence, guns, and how these issues have far-reaching impacts on each member of a community. As the events of the story unfold, each narrator must consider what they want... Read Emako Blue Summary

Emergency

by Denis Johnson

Publication year 1991

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Death, Safety & Danger, Teamwork

Tags Addiction & Substance Abuse, Relationships, Humor, Psychological Fiction, Satirical Literature, Education, Education

Denis Johnson originally published “Emergency” in the September 16, 1991 issue of New Yorker magazine and later as part of his critically acclaimed 1992 short story collection, Jesus’ Son. These linked, fragmentary stories, all narrated by the same troubled, drug-addicted character, examine themes of violence, addiction, loss, and friendship from an unreliable yet sympathetic narrative voice. This guide uses the 1992 version of Jesus’ Son published by Picador/Farrar, Straus and Giroux.“Emergency,” the sixth story in... Read Emergency Summary

Escaping the Giant Wave

by Peg Kehret

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Siblings, Fear, Environment, Safety & Danger

Tags Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction

Escaping the Giant Wave is a middle-grade disaster thriller by American author Peg Kehret. The story follows 13-year-old Kyle Davidson and his little sister, BeeBee Davidson, as they struggle to survive an earthquake, a fire, and a tsunami. Kyle battles to save BeeBee and himself, and he learns to overcome his own fears. Escaping the Giant Wave is one of six novels centered around natural disasters by Kehret and was published in 2003. Kehret has... Read Escaping the Giant Wave Summary

Everything, Everything

by Nicola Yoon

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Daughters & Sons, Safety & Danger

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Everything, Everything was published in 2015 and written by Jamaican American author Nicola Yoon. It is a contemporary young adult novel that focuses on family relationships, grief, and teenage romance. Told primarily through the first-person narration of protagonist Madeline Whittier, the novel also uses a nontraditional storytelling method that incorporates various “documents,” like drawings, emails, and book reviews. Everything, Everything was adapted into a feature film in 2017.Plot SummaryMadeline Whittier, an 18-year-old living in a... Read Everything, Everything Summary

Exile

by Shannon Messenger

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Memory, Language, Race, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Community, Education, Immigration, Nation, War, Fate, Justice, Music, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Conflict, Animals, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies, Self Discovery

Tags Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

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