Books on Justice & Injustice

James Baldwin said, "It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have." In this collection, we've compiled texts that explore the idea of what justice is — and how it can thrive.

Publication year 2006

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Race / Racism, Sports, Business / Economics, History: World, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government

Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete is a work of journalistic nonfiction by former New York Times columnist William C. Rhoden. The paperback edition used here, published in 2006 by Three Rivers Press, follows the hardback version, by Crown Publishers, of the same year. In 2007, Forty Million Dollar Slaves was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Nonfiction.In this book, Rhoden, an African American sports journalist—and himself... Read Forty Million Dollar Slaves Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, History: Asian, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2023

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Bullying


Publication year 1941

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government


Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, African American Literature, American Civil War, History: World, Politics / Government


Publication year 1996

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags WWII / World War II, Holocaust

Four Perfect Pebbles is a Holocaust memoir written by Marion Blumenthal Lazan and co-authored by Lila Perl. It was originally published in 1996, 51 years after Marion and her family were liberated from the death train by Russian troops in Nazi Germany. Marion was five years old when she and her family moved to a refugee camp in Holland, which was later converted into a transit camp for Auschwitz. The Blumenthals also lived at the... Read Four Perfect Pebbles Summary


Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Politics / Government, History: World, WWI / World War I


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Humor, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Animals


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Children's Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Humor


Publication year 2024

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice


Publication year 1947

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Free verse, Race / Racism, History: U.S.


Publication year 2002

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government


Publication year 2012

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Race / Racism, History: U.S.


Publication year 1954

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Disability, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags History: World, Biography, Children's Literature, History: U.S., Historical Nonfiction, American Civil War


Publication year 2022

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Crime / Legal, Politics / Government, Finance / Money / Wealth, Journalism, Social Justice, Russian Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Business / Economics, History: World, Biography


Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Immigration, Natural World: Food, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Anthropology, Social Justice, Sociology, Health / Medicine, Education, Education, Anthropology, Food, Politics / Government


Publication year 2018

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2018

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Race / Racism, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy


Publication year 1989

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Jewish Literature, Military / War, Journalism, History: World, Travel Literature, Politics / Government

From Beirut to Jerusalem is a 1989 book by the American journalist Thomas Friedman. It chronicles the years he spent as a journalist in the two cities of the book’s name, during a remarkably tumultuous period in that region’s politics. It is part personal memoir, part analysis (leaning on the advice of many of his expert friends, such as Fouad Ajami), part collection of anecdotes ranging from the funny to the heartbreaking to the absurd... Read From Beirut to Jerusalem Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Black Lives Matter, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, History: U.S., Business / Economics, Diversity, Class, Education, Finance / Money / Wealth, Poverty, Politics / Government, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Sociology, History: World