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 1908

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Identity: Gender, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Community

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction

The Iron Heel is a dystopian novel by American writer Jack London and was first published in 1908. London was a prominent writer and activist of socialist causes and is best known for his adventure novels The Call of the Wild (1903) and White Fang (1906). The Iron Heel is considered an early example of modern dystopian fiction and was cited by George Orwell as a portentous work on fascism. Framed as a found text... Read The Iron Heel Summary


Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

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

Tags Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Diversity, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Arts / Culture


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

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

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Music

Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1956

Genre Scripture, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy


Publication year 1943

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction

The Lady in the Lake, by Raymond Chandler, is a detective novel originally published in 1943. Chandler was born in Chicago but later moved to California, and he drew on his experiences living there when writing his Philip Marlowe novels. Marlowe, a down-on-his-luck Los Angeles detective, first appears in Chandler’s novel The Big Sleep, which was adapted into a film noir in 1946 with Marlowe played by Humphrey Bogart. In the 1946 adaptation of The... Read The Lady in the Lake Summary


Publication year 1882

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Classic Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable

“The Lady, or the Tiger?” is a short story by Philadelphia-born author Frank R. Stockton published in the American magazine The Century in 1882. (The edition used in this study guide is available on the Project Gutenberg website.)Stockton was best known among his contemporaries for his humorous and unconventional fairy tales, which have been widely adapted since they were published in the late 19th and early 20th century. Some have been turned into plays and... Read The Lady, or the Tiger? Summary


Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Teams, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Realistic Fiction, Journalism, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor

The Landry News is a young adult novel by Andrew Clements, published in 1998. It centers on a school newspaper and the lives it touches, the lessons it teaches, and the power it gives people to stand up for their beliefs. The book received the William Allen White Children's Book Award in 2002 and has been translated into five languages. American author Andrew Clements (1949-2019) penned many books for young readers, including his most famous work, Frindle... Read The Landry News Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Southern Literature, History: World


Publication year -1

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags Philosophy, Ancient Greece, History: European

The Last Days of Socrates by Plato is a collection of four texts—Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, and Phaedo—about the trial and execution of Socrates. (Alternate titles for collection include The Trial and Death of Socrates.) These texts, believed to have been composed between 399 and 395 BCE, are considered founding works of Western philosophy that investigate piety, justice, and the immortality of the soul via Socrates’s defense speeches at his trial and his conversations with his... Read The Last Days of Socrates Summary


Publication year 2004

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger

Tags Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, History: European, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, French Literature


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

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

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Colonialism, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction


Publication year 1971

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy

The Lathe of Heaven is a speculative science fiction-fantasy novel written by Ursala K. Le Guin. Originally published as two parts in the pulp science fiction magazine Amazing Stories in 1971, the novel centers around an ordinary man, George Orr, who lives in overpopulated, perpetually rain-soaked Portland, Oregon, in 2002. When authorities force George to accept psychiatric care for his substance use disorder, he falls under the care of Dr. William Haber, a dream-analysis specialist... Read The Lathe Of Heaven Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction

The Lemonade Crime is the sequel to Jacqueline Davies’s elementary school reader novel The Lemonade War. Published in 2011, this follow-up continues the story of entrepreneurial siblings Evan and Jessie, solving the mystery of the theft that ended the first novel. The key question of the novel is about the best way to right a wrongdoing: Is it through vengeance or justice? By setting the climax of The Lemonade Crime at a mock trial organized... Read The Lemonade Crime Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Education, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags LGBTQ, Romance