Books can provide much-needed entertainment and a temporary escape from life’s troubles, but they can also be powerful tools for spreading awareness about important social issues and inspiring positive change, whether it’s in individuals or entire communities.
Books about social inequalities can be found in fiction and nonfiction form. They can deal with issues that you may be experiencing yourself, or problems you haven’t personally experienced, but that can nonetheless expand your worldview.
The good thing is that these kinds of books can inspire many readers to take action and make a difference.
Fictional Social Issues Books to Inspire You
Reading about social issues in a fiction book is a great way of getting into the heart of a problem. Check out some of the best social issues novels in this list:
1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Starr Carter is a 16-year-old who must navigate between her two very different worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives, and the fancy prep school she attends in the suburbs.
When Starr’s childhood best friend Khalil is killed at the hands of a police officer despite being unarmed, his death becomes a national headline.
The only person who really knows what went down that night is Starr, and what she says—or doesn’t—could upend her community and endanger her life.
2. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Two weeks after his classmate Hannah Baker committed suicide, Clay Jensen discovers a strange package addressed to him lying on his porch.
Inside, he finds several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah, explaining that there are 13 reasons why she decided to take her life. Clay is one of them, and If he listens, he’ll find out why.
This book addresses the important issues of suicide and depression, especially in teens.
3. Grown by Tiffany Jackson
This New York Times bestseller is a mystery novel that explores the challenges Black girls face in their quests for the American Dream.
Korey Fields is a legendary R&B artist who ends up murdered, and Enchanted Jones’s dreams of becoming a famous singer seems to evaporate with the blood she finds on her hands upon waking up.
4. Butterfly Yellow by Thanhhà Lai
Winner of the Historical Fiction Scott O’Dell Award, this book takes place in the last stretch of the Vietnam War. Hàng is on her way to the airport with her little brother, Linh, in hopes of fleeing to America for safety.
But things go wrong when she loses Linh and ends up stuck in the war-ravaged country. She finds her way to Texas after six years, and finally reunites with Linh—who, unfortunately, doesn’t remember her.
5. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
This Newbery Medal-winner follows the racial struggles of Cassie Logan and her family during the Great Depression. This page-turner is a surefire way to immerse yourself in their experience of social injustice.
6. Junk Boy by Tony Abbott
This YA novel, written in verse, tells the heartbreaking story of all the junk in Bobby Lang’s life.
From being called “junk” himself, to the junkyard-looking house he lives in with a neglectful and angry father, Bobby desperately tries to live an inconspicuous life. His only reprieve is the long wooded trail between home and school.
Nonfiction Social Issues Books
Here are some of the most thought-provoking nonfiction books on social issues that we hope will spur you to take tangible action:
7. The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
Legal scholar Michelle Alexander argues that the election of Barack Obama did not in fact usher in a new era of colorblindness in America.
Rather, she details how the legal system targets black men, especially in the War on Drugs, and how the criminal justice system functions as a new system of racial control.
8. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
This winner of the Pulitzer Prize follows 8 Milwaukee families struggling to keep a roof over their heads during the financial crisis of 2007–2008.
Matthew Desmond reveals the reality of poverty and economic exploitation in America while also providing fresh ideas for solving one of 21st-century America’s most tragic problems.
9. A Child Called ‘It’: One Child’s Courage to Survive by Dave Pelzer
This autobiographical account tells the true story of one of the most severe cases of child abuse in the history of California. As a child, Dave Pelzer was beaten brutally and left to starve by his alcoholic and emotionally unstable mother.
10. STAND: A Memoir on Activism by Kathryn Bertine
In this memoir, former ESPN columnist Kathryn Bertine shares how she came into advocating for gender equality, and gives us an insider’s look at what really happens behind the scenes when someone stands up to fight for the cause of equality.
11. From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century by William Darity and A. Kirsten Mullen
In this honest look at racism and discrimination, the authors confront the issue of inequality by recommending economic reparations for the descendants of American slavery. The book assesses the effects of white supremacy across the generation on the economic well-being of the black community.
12. A Cry for Justice by Shelley Hundley
In this book, Shelley Hundley shares her personal experience with the heartbreaking issue of sexual abuse in the hands of respected authority figures. She also details how she found healing from all the guilt, pain, and shame that came with the terrifying experience of childhood sexual abuse.
13. Dear Justyce by Nic Stone
This book is written in the form of vignettes, flashbacks, and letters that teenager Quan writes to Justyce from behind bars, to show us the struggles in the American juvenile justice system. It offers the perspective of a young Black man in the middle of a broken criminal justice system.
Reading Social Issues Books
Reading social issues books can be a great way to increase your knowledge about injustices around you.
Sometimes you may not be aware of what’s happening unless you seek out resources to stay informed.
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- 14 of the Best John Grisham Books
- New Texas Courtroom Drama Legal Thriller Novel
- Where Money Comes From, and How to Earn More Legally and Ethically
- 18 Creepy Books That Are Not for the Faint-Hearted
Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. She is also a homeschooling mom, family coach, and speaker for the Charlotte Mason method, an educational philosophy that places great emphasis on classic literature and the masterpieces in art and music. She has also written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans.
