Ethics Books & Movies for High School Students

Ethics Books & Movies

for High School Students

2021

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Ethics Books & Movies for High School Students

Table of Contents

Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 2

Copyright Disclaimer ............................................................................................................................... 2

A Note Regarding Content Warnings ....................................................................................................... 2

Mental Health Resources......................................................................................................................... 2

Suggestions for Use ................................................................................................................................. 3

Additional Resources ............................................................................................................................... 6

Nonfiction Books ..................................................................................................................................... 7

Fiction Books ......................................................................................................................................... 11

Biographies & Documentaries ............................................................................................................... 23

Biographical Dramas (Based on a True Story) ......................................................................................... 24

Movies .................................................................................................................................................. 28

Overview

Ethics Books & Movies for High School Students is a list of recommended resources to help teach

students about ethical decision-making. Developed with content summaries, corresponding ethical

principles, and select guides for instructor education, the annotated list is a foundational component of

ethical education that makes learning both informative and engaging.

This resource is available at no cost to all educators thanks to the generous support of the Daniels Fund,

a foundation in Colorado supporting principle-based ethics education. Ethics Books & Movies for High

School Students was developed as part of the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative High School Program.

Please be aware that copyright-protected movies require advance permission before being shown in the

classroom. The following resource from Movie Licensing USA, the licensing firm for Disney, provides

information regarding copyright compliance and public performances: https://www.swank.com/k-12-

schools/copyright/.

Many schools already pay for proper licensing, so we encourage educators to reach out to

knowledgeable parties in the school, such as librarians, technology directors, or other

school administrators, before showing copyright-protected movies in the classroom.

A Note Regarding Content Warnings

Given the complex nature of ethics, many of the resources in this list examine thought-provoking and

often difficult topics. While conversation surrounding these challenging topics is encouraged, we

recognize that this discussion is best facilitated when readers, listeners, or viewers can prepare

themselves to engage (or, possibly, disengage) with sensitive content ahead of time. As much as

possible, the descriptions included in this document provide summaries of the topics and themes

explored in each resource so instructors can make the best selections for students and their wellbeing. If

potentially sensitive content is suspected to be in a given resource, but that resource’s description does

not include mention of it, then a “Content Warning” disclaimer has been added to that annotation.

Please note: While we have taken care to anticipate sensitive content in each resource, this is not an

exhaustive list. Instructors should review any resource prior to classroom use to ensure it is appropriate

for students and their needs.

Mental Health Resources

On a related note, we encourage instructors to use or provide access to any of the following links, which

might be helpful as students navigate the various titles and their respective topics included on this list:

• Classroom Mental Health

• Mental Health First Aid USA

• Mental Health and Learning Resources for Kids and Teens

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

• Society for Adolescent Health & Medicine (SAHM)

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Suggestions for Use

Educators may choose to use Ethics Books & Movies for High School Students in a number of ways and

for diverse purposes. To help educators determine the best use of these books and movies, we’ve

developed suggestions for use according to student level, subject area, and environment.

Student Level

While the title of this resource references high school students in particular, Ethics Books & Movies for

High School Students can be used with learners of various grade levels and abilities. Younger students,

or those just beginning to learn about ethics and ethical decision-making, may benefit from resources

with simple, straightforward plot lines. These resources include movies with ratings of G or PG, and

books with ratings of Young Adult (YA) without content warnings.

Educators working with students that already have an average or foundational understanding of ethics

might look for YA books and movies with PG-13 ratings, as these plot lines and themes are more

sophisticated. Older students, or those with deeper knowledge of and experience with ethics and ethical

decision-making, may benefit from advanced resources with mature content and themes, such as R-

rated movies and books marked for adults.

Please note: Educators should contact students’ families/guardians before showing R-rated movies or

reading books with adult content. These mature resources often contain substantive dilemmas that lend

themselves well to a more advanced discussion regarding ethics, but they are not for all students.

Subject Area

Educators will find it helpful to integrate books and movies about ethics in a variety of different subject

areas to promote discussion and critical thinking.

For example, History/Social Studies educators might find the biographies and documentaries on this list

to be especially relevant to their classes, and they might select resources like the following:

• Boots on the Ground: America’s War in Vietnam (book) (p. 10)

• An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States (book) (p. 8)

• Selma (movie) (p. 23)

Science teachers may use both fiction and non-fiction resources to encourage relevant discussion for

their classes. Science-focused resources include the following:

• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (book) (p. 9)

• Exo (book) (p. 15)

• Hidden Figures (movie) (p. 24)

English Language Arts educators might be particularly interested in using books with a movie

adaptation, as the examination of both components allows for discussion and analysis of storytelling and

narrative strategies. Resources on this list that have both a book and movie version include the

following:

• The Outsiders (book: p. 11 | movie: p. 29)

• Stargirl (book: p. 20 | movie: p. 30)

• My Sister’s Keeper (book: p. 22 | movie: p. 31)

Environment

The above suggestions for use are relevant for classroom educators, but Ethics Books & Movies for High

School Students can be used in a variety of contexts, such as by student organizations, in after-school

programs, as part of a leadership camp, etc. If educators/facilitators are limited in time, they might find

movies on this list to be more appropriate. Those with more time or more consistent interactions with

students/youth, such as through advisory periods, might have space to work through a novel or series.

Educators/facilitators of large groups might find that relatively simple resources – such as those marked

G/PG and YA – are best, especially if students/youth aren’t well-acquainted. On the other hand,

educators/facilitators of smaller groups might take advantage of the more intimate setting to explore

more challenging topics and themes within Adult books and PG-13/R-rated movies.

Ethics Worksheet

A worksheet is provided on the next page to help facilitate exploration of ethics and ethical-decision

making. This worksheet asks students to consider a series of ethics-related questions and can be used

with any resource from Ethics Books & Movies for High School Students.

ETHICS IN ACTION Name: ___________________________________

Directions: Your instructor will provide a book or movie for the class to read/watch through an ethics

lens. As you read/watch each book or movie, respond to the following questions about ethics and

ethical decision-making. Use a separate sheet of paper if you need more space.

• What is the ethical dilemma in this book/movie? Is there more than one? What are they?

• Which ethical principles play a role in the book/movie? Mark all that apply.

o Integrity

o Trust

o Accountability

o Transparency

o Fairness

o Respect

o Rule of Law

o Viability

• Who is demonstrating the above ethical principles? Who is not? In what way(s)?

• Which ethical principle has the most impact in the plot of the book/movie, and why?

• In your opinion, who acted most ethically? Who acted least ethically? Explain your reasoning.

Additional Resources

As part of our work with the Daniels Fund, we offer additional ethics materials at no cost:

• 70+ Lesson Modules. Each LAP module focuses on skills students need for success in college and

the workplace and includes a student handout, a comprehensive discussion guide, assessments

with descriptive keys, student activities, and more.

• Ethics Boot Camp. With 10 hours of ethics activities that can be used in a variety of settings, this

resource introduces students to principles-based ethics, ethical decision-making, recognizing

ethical dilemmas, and the specific ethical principles laid out by the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative.

• Ethical Principles Video Series. This resource explores each ethical principle, giving students an

understanding of what the principle means, its supporting traits, how it plays out in real-world

examples, and how students can use it in their own lives.

• Ethical Leadership Course Package. This resource includes one- and two-semester course guide

options; 58 LAP modules focused on ethics, ethical leadership, and ethics in the workplace; and

a free online end-of-course assessment with digital badging capabilities.

• Ethical Dilemmas in the Workplace Video Series. Young professionals open up about the ethical

dilemmas they have encountered in this video series available on our YouTube channel.

To access these free materials and integrate ethics into your classroom, visit our Ethics Education page:

Nonfiction Books

Just Mercy (Adapted for Young Adults): A True Story of the Fight for Justice by Bryan Stevenson

2018 | Nonfiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “In this very personal work—adapted from the original #1 bestseller…

acclaimed lawyer and social justice advocate Bryan Stevenson offers a glimpse into the lives of

the wrongfully imprisoned and his efforts to fight for their freedom. Stevenson's story is one of

working to protect basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society—the

poor, the wrongly convicted, and those whose lives have been marked by discrimination and

marginalization. Through this adaptation, young people of today will find themselves called to

action and compassion in the pursuit of justice.”

➔ Adapted from original book titled Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption (2014)

➔ Movie version is also on this list (p. 21)

Ethical Principles: Trust, Accountability, Fairness, Respect, Rule of Law, Viability

Night by Elie Wiesel

1956 | Nonfiction/Memoir | Grades 9-12

From GoodReads: “Born in the town of Sighet, Transylvania, Elie Wiesel was a teenager when he

and his family were taken from their home in 1944 to Auschwitz concentration camp, and then

to Buchenwald. Night is the terrifying record of Elie Wiesel's memories of the death of his

family, the death of his own innocence, and his despair as a deeply observant Jew confronting

the absolute evil of man…[it is his] testimony to what happened in the camps and of his

unforgettable message that this horror must simply never be allowed to happen again.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Fairness, Respect, Viability

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

1947 | Memoir / Nonfiction| Ages 14-17

From Goodreads: “In 1942, with the Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and

her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until

their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, the Franks and another family lived cloistered

in the “Secret Annexe” of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced

hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present

threat of discovery and death. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her

experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and surprisingly humorous, her

account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-

portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Transparency, Fairness, Respect, Viability

The Far Away Brothers (Adapted for Young Adults) by Lauren Markham

2019 | Nonfiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “Ernesto and Raul Flores are identical twins, used to being mistaken for each

other. As seventeen-year-olds living in rural El Salvador, they think the United States is just a far-

off dream—it's too risky, too expensive to start a life there. But when Ernesto ends up on the

wrong side of MS-13, one of El Salvador's brutal gangs, he flees the country for his own safety.

Raul, fearing that he will be mistaken for his brother, follows close behind. Running from one

danger to the next, the Flores twins make the harrowing journey north, crossing the Rio Grande

and the Texas desert only to fall into the hands of immigration authorities. When they finally

make it to the custody of their older brother in Oakland, California, the difficulties don't end…

With only each other for support, they begin the process of carving out a life for themselves,

one full of hope and possibility. Adapted for young adults from the award-winning adult edition,

The Far Away Brothers is the inspiring true story of two teens making their way in America, a

personal look at U.S. immigration policy, and a powerful account of contemporary immigration.”

➔ Adapted from original book titled The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the

Making of an American Life (2017)

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Respect, Rule of Law

Turning 15 On the Road to Freedom by Lynda Blackmon Lowery

2015 | Nonfiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “As the youngest marcher in the 1965 voting rights march from Selma to

Montgomery, Alabama, Lynda Blackmon Lowery proved that young adults can be heroes. Jailed

nine times before her fifteenth birthday, Lowery fought alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. for the

rights of African-Americans. In this memoir, she shows today's young readers what it means to

fight nonviolently (even when the police are using violence, as in the Bloody Sunday protest)

and how it felt to be part of changing American history. Straightforward and inspiring, this

beautifully illustrated memoir brings readers into the middle of the Civil Rights Movement,

complementing Common Core classroom learning and bringing history alive for young readers.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Respect, Viability

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz

2014 | Nonfiction | Adult

From Goodreads: “The first history of the United States told from the perspective of indigenous

peoples. Today in the United States, there are more than five hundred federally recognized

Indigenous nations comprising nearly three million people, descendants of the fifteen million

Native people who once inhabited this land. The centuries-long genocidal program of the US

settler-colonial regimen has largely been omitted from history. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz offers a

history of the United States told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples and reveals how

Native Americans, for centuries, actively resisted expansion of the US empire. Spanning more

than four hundred years, this classic bottom-up peoples’ history radically reframes US history

and explodes the silences that have haunted our national narrative.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Accountability, Fairness, Respect, Viability

I am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala

Yousafzai

2012 | Nonfiction | Adult

From Goodreads: “When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke

out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On

Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was

shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected

her to survive. Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey

from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At

sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace

Prize laureate. I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of

the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and

encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce

love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Fairness, Respect, Rule of Law, Viability

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

2010 | Nonfiction | Adult | Content Warning: sexual violence

From Goodreads: “Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a

poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—

taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine. HeLa cells

were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom

bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene

mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually

unknown, buried in an unmarked grave. As Rebecca Skloot so brilliantly shows, the story of the

Lacks family — past and present — is inextricably connected to the dark history of

experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether

we control the stuff we are made of.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Accountability, Transparency, Fairness, Respect

Making Our Way Home by Blair Imani

2020 | Nonfiction | Adult

From Goodreads: “A powerful illustrated history of the Great Migration and its sweeping impact

on Black and American culture, from Reconstruction to the rise of hip hop. Over the course of six

decades, an unprecedented wave of Black Americans left the South and spread across the

nation in search of a better life—a migration that sparked stunning demographic and cultural

changes in twentieth-century America. Through gripping and accessible historical narrative

paired with illustrations, author and activist Blair Imani examines the largely overlooked impact

of The Great Migration and how it affected—and continues to affect—Black identity and

America as a whole. Making Our Way Home explores issues like voting rights, domestic

terrorism, discrimination, and segregation alongside the flourishing of arts and culture, activism,

and civil rights.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Accountability, Transparency, Fairness, Respect

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

2009 | Nonfiction | Adult

From Goodreads: “Jonathan Safran Foer spent much of his life oscillating between enthusiastic

carnivore and occasional vegetarian. Once he started a family, the moral dimensions of food

became increasingly important. Faced with the prospect of being unable to explain why we eat

some animals and not others, Foer set out to explore the origins of many eating traditions and

the fictions involved with creating them. Traveling to the darkest corners of our dining habits,

Foer raises the unspoken question behind every fish we eat, every chicken we fry, and every

burger we grill.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Accountability, Respect, Viability

Boots on the Ground: America’s War in Vietnam by Elizabeth Partridge

2018 | Nonfiction | Young Adult

From this article: “Boots On The Ground is a chronological examination of the Vietnam War as it

unfolded, and also framed by the story of how the Vietnam Memorial in Washington came

about. It is a meditation on how a nation remembers war and why memory is so fraught. The

special sauce here is a convention that many adult writers use. Partridge shows the war, as it

happened, through the eyes of eight characters. These characters include soldiers on the

ground, a nurse, a refugee, and political leaders. The core characters in the book are all still alive

today. Partridge did a lot of original reporting to give her readers these varied perspectives. The

fact that the characters in Partridge’s account are still walking around among us—and still

grappling with the legacies of the Vietnam War—makes it easier for this history to penetrate for

young people.”

Ethical Principles: Accountability, Transparency, Fairness, Respect

Symphony for the City of the Dead by MT Anderson

2015 | Nonfiction | Young Adult

From this article: “Symphony for the City of the Dead is, in brief, the story of the Russian

composer Dimitri Shostakovich and his Seventh Symphony, which he composed during the 444-

day Siege of Leningrad by Hitler’s armies during World War Two. Estimates are that a million

people died during the siege. Anderson’s book is about that piece of music and its significance,

but it’s also about Leningrad and Russia. Overlaid on all of that, it’s also almost an espionage

caper—with the microfilm holding the Seventh Symphony score spirited out of Russia and

following an unbelievably byzantine route that brought it to the United States. The plan was to

perform the symphony as a way of drumming up support for Russia during World War Two.”

➔ Here is a Teacher’s Resource for this book.

Ethical Principles: Accountability, Trust, Respect

Fiction Books

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

1967 | Fiction | Young Adult | Content Warning: suicide

From Goodreads: “The Outsiders is about two weeks in the life of a 14-year-old boy. The novel

tells the story of Ponyboy Curtis and his struggles with right and wrong in a society in which he

believes that he is an outsider. According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the

world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about

anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives

on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of

it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers—until one

terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing

his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a

greaser.”

➔ Movie version is also on this list (p. 25)

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Fairness, Respect, Viability

The Giver by Lois Lowry

1993 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “Twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a seemingly ideal world. Not until he is given

his life assignment as the Receiver does he begin to understand the dark secrets behind this

fragile community.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Fairness, Rule of Law, Viability

The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melina Salisbury

2015 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “Sixteen-year-old Twylla lives in the castle. But although she's engaged to the

prince, no one speaks to her. No one even looks at her. Because Twylla isn't a member of the

court. She's the executioner. So each week, she's taken to the prison and forced to lay her hands

on those accused of treason. No one will ever love her. Who could care for a girl with murder in

her veins? But then a new guard arrives, a boy whose playful smile belies his deadly

swordsmanship. Yet a treasonous romance is the least of Twylla's problems. The queen has a

plan to destroy her enemies—a plan that requires an unthinkable sacrifice. Will Twylla do what

it takes to protect her kingdom? Or will she abandon her duty in favor of a doomed love?”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Fairness, Rule of Law, Viability

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

2005 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never

been busier, and will be busier still. By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she

picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left

behind there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. But these are dangerous times.

When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up, and

closed down. In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author

Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Respect, Rule of Law, Viability

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

1954 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “At the dawn of the next world war, a plane crashes on an uncharted island,

stranding a group of schoolboys. At first, with no adult supervision, their freedom is something

to celebrate; this far from civilization the boys can do anything they want. Anything. They

attempt to forge their own society, failing, however, in the face of terror, sin and evil. And as

order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of

adventure seems as far from reality as the hope of being rescued. Labeled a parable, an allegory,

a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse, Lord of the

Flies is perhaps our most memorable novel about ‘the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s

heart.’”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Fairness, Respect, Viability

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

2015 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had

for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is

offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he

can’t pull it off alone…Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and

destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Transparency, Respect, Viability

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

2012 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “Oct. 11th, 1943—A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot

and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the

game before it's barely begun. When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't

stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst

nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly

execution… Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage and failure and her

desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the

enemy? Harrowing and beautifully written, Elizabeth Wein creates a visceral read of danger,

resolve, and survival that shows just how far true friends will go to save each other.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Transparency, Fairness, Viability

Blackwater by Eve Bunting

1999 | Fiction | Grades 6-8

From GoodReads: “Thirteen-year-old Brodie Lynch is ready for the perfect summer along the

Blackwater River. But then his troubled cousin Alex comes to visit. A harmless prank goes too

far, and in the end one teen is drowned and another is missing. Will Brodie face the truth of

these tragic events, or will he hide behind the lies created to protect him?”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Transparency, Rule of Law

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

2010 | Fiction | Young Adult | Content Warning: sexual violence

From Barnes & Noble: “Regina is a pitiless mean girl at the top of her high school’s food chain—

until she puts her trust in the wrong person following a rape attempt by her best friend’s

boyfriend. Her friends turn on her, their abuse rapidly escalates, and the only people willing to

put a hand out to help are two former victims of her clique’s mindlessly cruel scorched-earth

campaigns. Regina endures the growing pains of her stunted conscience, and balancing

righteous anger with the knowledge that she’s getting exactly what she once dished out.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Fairness, Respect

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

1960 | Fiction | Grades 9-12

From GoodReads: “The unforgettable novel of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the

crisis of conscience that rocked it…Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill A

Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior — to innocence and experience,

kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos… this regional story by a young

Alabama woman claims universal appeal.”

➔ Also available as a graphic novel by Harper Lee & Fred Fordham (adapter/illustrator)

➔ Movie version is also on this list (p. 24)

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Respect, Rule of Law

Trash by Andy Mulligan

2010 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “In an unnamed Third World country, in the not-so-distant future, three

“dumpsite boys” make a living picking through the mountains of garbage on the outskirts of a

large city. One unlucky-lucky day, Raphael finds something very special and very mysterious. So

mysterious that he decides to keep it, even when the city police offer a handsome reward for its

return. That decision brings with it terrifying consequences, and soon the dumpsite boys must

use all of their cunning and courage to stay ahead of their pursuers. It’s up to Raphael, Gardo,

and Rat—boys who have no education, no parents, no homes, and no money—to solve the

mystery and right a terrible wrong.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Respect, Rule of Law

Feed by M.T. Anderson

2002 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Barnes & Noble: “Feed [explores] a callow young man’s first brush with complexity in any

form, moral or otherwise. It’s hilarious and terrifying, heart-lifting and dark, set in a future world

where everyone has a feed installed in their heads that makes life a constant multimedia

assault. Titus is a carefree kid who loves nothing more than his feed and trying to outrun

boredom with his overstimulated friends, until a hacking incident takes him offline and bonds

him to Violet, a fellow victim with the unheard-of desire to fight the feed.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Respect, Viability

The Battle of Jericho by Sharon M. Draper

2003 | Fiction | Young Adult | Content Warning: sexual violence

From Goodreads: “Sixteen-year-old Jericho is psyched when he and his cousin and best friend,

Josh, are invited to pledge for the Warriors of Distinction, the oldest and most exclusive club in

school. But as the secret initiation rites grow increasingly humiliating and force Jericho to make

painful choices, he starts to question whether membership in the Warriors of Distinction is

worth it. How far will he have to go to wear the cool black silk Warriors jacket? How high a price

will he have to pay to belong? The answers are devastating beyond Jericho's imagination.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Fairness, Respect

Exo by Fonda Lee

2017 | Science Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “It’s been a century of peace since Earth became a colony of an alien race with

far reaches into the galaxy. Some die-hard extremists still oppose alien rule on Earth, but

Donovan Reyes isn’t one of them. His dad holds the prestigious position of Prime Liaison in the

collaborationist government, and Donovan’s high social standing along with his exocel (a

remarkable alien technology fused to his body) guarantee him a bright future in the security

forces. That is, until a routine patrol goes awry and Donovan’s abducted by the human

revolutionary group Sapience, determined to end alien control. When Sapience realizes whose

son Donovan is, they think they’ve found the ultimate bargaining chip. But the Prime Liaison

doesn’t negotiate with terrorists, not even for his own son. Left in the hands of terrorists who

have more uses for him dead than alive, the fate of Earth rests on Donovan’s survival.”

Ethical Principles: Trust, Accountability, Fairness, Respect, Viability

Cross Fire by Fonda Lee (Sequel)

2018 | Science Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “Earth's century of peace as a colony of an alien race has been shattered. As

the alien-run government navigates peace talks with the human terrorist group Sapience,

Donovan tries to put his life back together and return to his duty as a member of the security

forces. But a new order comes from the alien home planet: withdraw…As word of the

withdrawal spreads through the galaxy, suddenly Earth becomes vulnerable to a takeover from

other aliens races…As a galactic invasion threatens, Donovan realizes that Sapience holds the

key that could stop the pending war. Yet in order to save humankind, all species on Earth will

have to work together, and Donovan might just have to make the ultimate sacrifice to convince

them.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Viability

Silent to the Bone by E.L. Konigsburg

2000 | Fiction | Young Adult | Content Warning: sexual violence

From Goodreads: “Connor is sure his best friend, Branwell, couldn't have hurt Branwell's baby

half sister, Nikki. But Nikki lies in a coma, and Branwell is in a juvenile behavioral center,

suspected of a horrible crime and unable to utter the words to tell what really happened.

Connor is the only one who might be able to break through Branwell's wall of silence. But how

can he prove Branwell didn't commit the unspeakable act of which he's accused—when

Branwell can't speak for himself?”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Fairness, Respect

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

2014 | Fiction | Young Adult | Content Warnings: homophobia, sexual violence

From Goodreads: “At first, Jude and her twin brother Noah are inseparable. Noah draws

constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude wears

red-red lipstick, cliff-dives, and does all the talking for both of them. Years later, they are barely

speaking. Something has happened to change the twins in different yet equally devastating ways

. . . but then Jude meets an intriguing, irresistible boy and a mysterious new mentor. The early

years are Noah's to tell; the later years are Jude's. But they each have only half the story, and if

they can only find their way back to one another, they'll have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant, award-winning novel from the acclaimed author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave

you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.”

Ethical Principles: Trust, Accountability, Transparency, Fairness, Respect

The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

2012 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “Eva’s life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination—an echo. Made

by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, she is expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her

“other,” if she ever died… But fifteen years of studying never prepared her for this. Now she

must abandon everything she’s ever known—the guardians who raised her, the boy she’s

forbidden to love—to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive… when Eva

is unexpectedly dealt a fatal blow that will change her existence forever, she is forced to choose:

Stay and live out her years as a copy or leave and risk it all for the freedom to be an original. To

be Eva.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Transparency, Respect, Viability

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

2017 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of

that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough

neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new

classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they

hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out. Then comes the day Justyce goes

driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking

the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are

caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack.”

Ethical Principles: Trust, Accountability, Transparency, Fairness, Respect

Dear Justyce by Nic Stone (Sequel)

2020 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “In the stunning and hard-hitting sequel to the New York Times bestseller

Dear Martin, incarcerated teen Quan writes letters to Justyce about his experiences in the

American prison system. Shortly after teenager Quan enters a not guilty plea for the shooting

death of a police officer, he is placed in a holding cell to await trial. Through a series of

flashbacks and letters to Justyce, the protagonist of Dear Martin, Quan's story unravels. From a

troubled childhood and bad timing to a coerced confession and prejudiced police work, Nic

Stone's newest novel takes an unflinching look at the flawed practices and ideologies that

discriminate against African American boys and minorities in the American justice system.”

Ethical Principles: Trust, Accountability, Transparency, Fairness, Respect

Running Loose by Chris Crutcher

1983 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “Louie Banks has it made. He's got a starting spot on the football team, good

friends, and a smart, beautiful girlfriend who loves him as much as he loves her. Early in the fall,

he sees all his ideas of fair play go up in smoke; by spring, what he cares about most has been

destroyed. How can Louie keep going when he's lost everything?”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Accountability, Fairness, Respect, Viability

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

2009 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “Ida Mae Jones dreams of flight. Her daddy was a pilot and being black didn't

stop him from fulfilling his dreams. But her daddy's gone now, and being a woman, and being

black, are two strikes against her. When America enters the war with Germany and Japan, the

Army creates the WASP, the Women Airforce Service Pilots—and Ida suddenly sees a way to fly

as well as do something significant to help her brother stationed in the Pacific. But even the

WASP won't accept her as a black woman, forcing Ida Mae to make a difficult choice of

"passing," of pretending to be white to be accepted into the program. Hiding one's racial

heritage, denying one's family, denying one's self is a heavy burden. And while Ida Mae chases

her dream, she must also decide who it is she really wants to be.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Accountability, Fairness, Respect, Viability

Glory O’Brien’s History of the Future by A.S. King

2014 | Fiction | Young Adult |

From Barnes & Noble: “In this strange and beautiful book, King explores moral dilemmas both

common (how much do you owe a friend you’ve outgrown, at what point does compliance

become enabling) and un[common] (when subject to dark visions of coming disaster, are you

responsible for saving the world?). Glory O’Brien is still reeling from her mother’s suicide, and

about to leave high school for a future she can’t envision, when she drinks a substance that

opens her mind to detailed visions of an America felled by tyranny and stripped of civil rights.

She tries to record a history of the future, while making peace at last with her past.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Accountability, Fairness, Rule of Law

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

2015 | Fiction | Young Adult | Content Warnings: homophobia, suicide

From Barnes & Noble: “Aaron Soto lives with his mom and brother in a one-bedroom apartment

in the Bronx, in a near-future world that’s just like our own—but for the existence of a memory-

suppressing procedure that allows trauma survivors a chance to live a normal life. The

procedure, with all its promise and peril—relief from pain; abandonment of responsibility—lurks

at the fringes throughout Aaron’s story, one of love and expectation and self-discovery, and of

declaring yourself to a world that will never give you a soft landing.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Viability

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson

2006 | Fiction | Young Adult | Content Warning: racism

From Barnes & Noble: “Octavian is a boy raised in genteel captivity by a group of philosophers,

who tend to him and his beautiful mother, an exiled princess, in regimented ways. But the

nature of their experimentation, the terms on which Octavian lives in their house, and the truth

of how he’s seen by the larger world remain shrouded by the story’s dreamlike atmosphere,

until a shocking discovery starts to unravel his life. The book explores gradations of evil, from

banal to Grand Guignol, and the terrible consequences of power in the hands of the willfully

ignorant.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Fairness, Respect, Rule of Law

Cheating Lessons by Nan Willard Cappo

2016 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “Bernadette Terrell has always known the right thing to do. Not the most

popular girl in school, her focus has always been on academic, not social, success. [She is

named] to Wickham High School's state championship quiz bowl team… [but] begins to suspect

that perhaps someone cheated to get Wickham into the contest and is cheating still. In her

search for answers, Bernadette must contend with a situation that isn't black and white, where

a community's hope, hard work, and pride are on the line. Is a team—and a school—implicated

by one person's behavior? Cappo's blend of suspense and humor makes Cheating Lessons a

riveting story about right and wrong—and the downside of trust.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Fairness

Going the Wrong Path by Arthur Weissmann

2017 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “The Botelho family emigrates from the African country of Angola to the

United States of America for a better life. The Botelho family is working hard and all four are

achieving the American Dream, even though Silvio gets mixed with the wrong crowd. Suddenly,

a tragedy occurs. Will Silvio’s wild side take over? Being Antonio’s only adult relative in the

United States, will Silvio drag him to his wild ways? This is a compelling story of a young man

trying to achieve his academic and professional goals while surrounded by adversity, drug use,

drug dealing, and crime. Will he succeed? Or will the environment kill all of his dreams and

perhaps even himself?”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Viability

The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

2014 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those

it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married.

But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave

up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel

buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love

for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow

human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. Set in a richly imagined new world,

The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake,

and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Respect

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

2018 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about

Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He's about to take his first-ever trip to Iran, and it's pretty

overwhelming—especially when he's also dealing with clinical depression, a disapproving dad,

and a chronically anemic social life. In Iran, he gets to know his ailing but still formidable

grandfather, his loving grandmother, and the rest of his mom's family for the first time. And he

meets Sohrab, the boy next door who changes everything… Sohrab calls him Darioush—the

original Persian version of his name—and Darius has never felt more like himself than he does

now that he's Darioush to Sohrab. When it's time to go home to America, he'll have to find a

way to be Darioush on his own.”

Ethical Principles: Trust, Transparency, Fairness, Respect

Darius the Great Deserves Better by Adib Khorram (Sequel)

2020 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “In this companion to the award-winning Darius the Great Is Not Okay, Darius

suddenly has it all: a boyfriend, an internship, a spot on the soccer team. It’s everything he’s

ever wanted—but what if he deserves better? Darius Kellner is having a bit of a year. Since his

trip to Iran this past spring, a lot has changed. He’s getting along with his dad, and his best friend

Sohrab is only a Skype call away. Between his first boyfriend, Landon, his varsity soccer

practices, and his internship at his favorite tea shop, Darius is feeling pretty okay. Like he finally

knows what it means to be Darius Kellner. Then, of course, everything changes…Darius thought

he knew exactly who he was and what he wanted, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe he deserves

better.”

Ethical Principles: Trust, Transparency, Fairness, Respect

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

2002 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “Leo Borlock follows the unspoken rule at Mica Area High School: don't stand

out—under any circumstances! Then Stargirl arrives at Mica High and everything changes—for

Leo and for the entire school. After 15 years of home schooling, Stargirl bursts into tenth grade

in an explosion of color and a clatter of ukulele music, enchanting the Mica student body. But

the delicate scales of popularity suddenly shift, and Stargirl is shunned for everything that makes

her different. Somewhere in the midst of Stargirl's arrival and rise and fall, normal Leo Borlock

has tumbled into love with her. In a celebration of nonconformity, Jerry Spinelli weaves a tense,

emotional tale about the fleeting, cruel nature of popularity—and the thrill and inspiration of

first love.”

➔ Movie version is also on this list (p. 26)

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Transparency, Fairness, Respect

Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (Sequel)

2007 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “LOVE, STARGIRL picks up a year after Stargirl ends and reveals the new life of

the beloved character who moved away so suddenly at the end of Stargirl. The novel takes the

form of "the world's longest letter," in diary form, going from date to date through a little more

than a year's time. In her writing, Stargirl mixes memories of her bittersweet time in Mica,

Arizona, with involvements with new people in her life. In Love, Stargirl, we hear the voice of

Stargirl herself as she reflects on time, life, Leo, and—of course—love.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Transparency, Fairness, Respect

The Bubble Wrap Boy by Phil Earle

2014 | Fiction | Young Adult

From Goodreads: “Charlie Han's troubles are way bigger than he is. At school, he's branded an

outsider, a loser—the tiny kid from the Chinese Chippy. His only ally is Sinus Sedgely, the only

lad in school with a worse reputation than Charlie himself. Life at home isn't much better. His

dad is better with a wok than he is with words, and his mum is suffocating the life out of Charlie,

wrapping him in enough cotton wool to fill a pharmacy. But when a new passion leads Charlie to

the mother of all confrontations, he finds his mum's been hiding a massive secret. A secret that

whilst shocking, might actually lead Charlie to feeling ten feet tall. The Bubble Wrap Boy is about

the terrors of friendship, family and one undersized boy's ability to think BIG...”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Transparency, Respect

Beartown by Frederick Backman

2016 | Fiction | Adult | Content Warnings: homophobia, sexual violence

From Goodreads: “People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest,

it is slowly losing ground to the ever-encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice

rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the

reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey

team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning.

All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is

the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil.

Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no

resident unaffected. Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the

secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Accountability, Fairness, Respect, Rule of Law, Viability

Us Against You by Frederick Backman (Sequel)

2017 | Fiction | Adult | Content Warnings: homophobia, sexual violence, suicide

From Goodreads: “After everything that the citizens of Beartown have gone through, they are

struck yet another blow when they hear that their beloved local hockey team will soon be

disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that all the former Beartown

players, who now play for a rival team in Hed, take in that fact. Amidst the mounting tension

between the two rivals, a surprising newcomer is handpicked to be Beartown’s new hockey

coach… But bringing this team together proves to be a challenge as old bonds are broken, new

ones are formed, and the enmity with Hed grows more and more acute. As the big match

approaches, the not-so-innocent pranks and incidents between the communities pile up and

their mutual contempt grows deeper.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Accountability, Fairness, Respect, Rule of Law, Viability

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

1959 | Fiction | Adult

From Goodreads: “The story of a mentally disabled man whose experimental quest for

intelligence mirrors that of Algernon, an extraordinary lab mouse. In diary entries, Charlie tells

how a brain operation increases his IQ and changes his life. As the experimental procedure takes

effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his

metamorphosis. The experiment seems to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount

importance until Algernon begins his sudden, unexpected deterioration. Will the same happen

to Charlie?

Ethical Principles: Trust, Accountability, Fairness, Respect, Viability

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

2005 | Fiction | Adult

From Goodreads: “The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a

bone marrow match for [older sister] Kate—a life and a role that she has never challenged...

until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most

teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister—and so Anna makes a decision

that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps

fatal consequences for the sister she loves. A provocative novel that raises some important

ethical issues, My Sister's Keeper is the story of one family's struggle for survival at all human

costs and a stunning parable for all time.”

➔ Also available as a movie (with different ending from book) (2009) (p. 26)

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Accountability, Fairness, Respect, Viability

The Pact by Jodi Picoult

2006 | Fiction | Adult | Content Warnings: sexual violence

From Goodreads: “For eighteen years the Hartes and the Golds have lived next door to each

other [and] grown so close it seems they have always been a part of each other's lives… it's no

surprise that in high school [their children] Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something

more. They've been soul mates since they were born. So when midnight calls from the hospital

come in, no one is ready for the appalling truth: Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot

wound to the head. There's a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris took from his father's

cabinet—a bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself. But a local detective has doubts

about the suicide pact that Chris has described.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Accountability, Transparency, Fairness, Respect

Biographies & Documentaries

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail directed by Steve James

2016 | Documentary | Not Rated

From PBS: “From acclaimed director Steve James, the little-known story of the only U.S. bank

prosecuted in relation to the 2008 financial crisis. An Academy Award nominee for Best

Documentary Feature in 2018.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Accountability, Transparency, Fairness, Rule of Law, Viability

Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock by filmmaker Sharon La Cruise

2010 | Documentary | PG

From IMBD: “Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock is the story of a seven-year journey by

filmmaker Sharon La Cruise to unravel the life of a forgotten civil rights activist named Daisy

Bates. Beautiful, glamorous and articulate, Bates was fearless in her quest for justice, stepping

into the spotlight to bring national attention to issues—and some say herself. Unconventional

and egotistical, she became a household name in 1957 when she fought for the right of nine

black students to attend the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Her public

support culminated in a constitutional crisis—pitting a president against a governor and a

community against itself. As head of the Arkansas NAACP and protector of the nine students,

Bates would achieve instant fame as the drama played out on national television and in

newspapers around the world. But that fame would prove fleeting and Bates would pay a hefty

price for her attempts to remain relevant.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Fairness, Respect

He Named Me Malala directed by Davis Guggenheim

2015 | Documentary | PG-13

From IMDB: “A look at the events leading up to the Taliban's attack on Pakistani schoolgirl,

Malala Yousafzai, for speaking out on girls' education followed by the aftermath, including her

speech to the United Nations.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Respect, Viability

Selma directed by Ava DuVernay

2014 | Biography | PG-13

From IMDB: “A chronicle of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s campaign to secure equal voting rights

via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Fairness, Respect, Viability

directed by Ava DuVernay

2016 | Documentary | TV-MA | Content Warning: sexual violence

From IMDB: “An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the

nation's history of racial inequality.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Accountability, Transparency, Fairness, Respect, Viability

Biographical Dramas (Based on a True Story)

Ruby Bridges directed by Euzhan Palcy

1998 | TV Episode | TV-PG

From IMDB: “In 1960, a six-year-old African-American girl named Ruby Bridges helped to

integrate the all-white schools of New Orleans. Although she was the only black girl to come to

the school she was sent to, and since all the white mothers pulled their children out of class, she

was the only one there. Although she faced a crowd of angry white citizens every day, she

emerged unscathed, physically or emotionally. Encouraged by her teacher, a white woman from

the North named Barbara Henry, and her mother Lucille, and with her own quiet strength, she

eventually broke down a century-old barrier forever, a pivotal moment in the civil-rights

movement.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Fairness, Respect

Hidden Figures directed by Theodore Melfi

2016 | Movie | PG

From IMDB: “As the United States raced against Russia to put a man in space, NASA found

untapped talent in a group of African-American female mathematicians that served as the brains

behind one of the greatest operations in U.S. history. Based on the unbelievably true life stories

of three of these women, known as "human computers," we follow these women as they

quickly rose the ranks of NASA alongside many of history's greatest minds specifically tasked

with calculating the momentous launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, and guaranteeing his

safe return. Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Katherine Gobels Johnson crossed all gender,

race, and professional lines while their brilliance and desire to dream big, beyond anything ever

accomplished before by the human race, firmly cemented them in U.S. history as true American

heroes.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Respect, Viability

October Sky directed by Joe Johnston

1999 | Movie | PG

From IMDB: “The true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first

Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Transparency, Respect

Remember the Titans directed by Boaz Yakin

2000 | Movie | PG

From IMDB: “The true story of a newly appointed African-American coach and his high school

team on their first season as a racially integrated unit.”

Ethical Principles: Trust, Accountability, Fairness, Respect

McFarland, USA directed by Niki Caro

2015 | Movie | PG

From IMDB: “Jim White moves his family after losing his last job as a football coach, and at his

new school he turns seven disappointing students into one of the best cross-country teams in

the region.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Respect

Just Mercy directed by Destin Daniel Cretton

2019 | Movie | PG-13

From IMDB: “A powerful and thought-provoking true-story, "Just Mercy" follows young lawyer

Bryan Stevenson and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan

might have had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly

condemned, with the support of local advocate Eva Ansley. One of his first, and most incendiary,

cases is that of Walter McMillian, who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder

of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact

that the only testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie. In the years that

follow, Bryan becomes embroiled in a labyrinth of legal and political maneuverings and overt

and unabashed racism as he fights for Walter, and others like him, with the odds—and the

system—stacked against them.”

➔ Here is a teaching resource.

➔ Book version is also on this list (p. 4)

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Fairness, Rule of Law, Viability

The Blind Side directed by John Lee Hancock

2009 | Movie | PG-13

From IMDB: “The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All-

American football player and first-round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her

family.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Respect

Catch Me If You Can directed by Steven Spielberg

2002 | Movie | PG-13

From IMDB: “A true story about Frank Abagnale Jr. who, before his 19th birthday, successfully

conned millions of dollars worth of checks as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, and legal prosecutor. An

FBI agent makes it his mission to put him behind bars. But Frank not only eludes capture, he

revels in the pursuit.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Rule of Law

The Pursuit of Happyness directed by Gabriele Muccino

2006 | Movie | PG-13

From IMDB: “Based on a true story about a man named Christopher Gardner. Gardner has

invested heavily in a device known as a "bone density scanner." He feels like he has it made

selling these devices. However, they do not sell well as they are marginally better than x-ray at a

much higher price. As Gardner works to make ends meet, his wife leaves him and he loses his

apartment. Forced to live out in the streets with his son, Gardner continues to sell bone density

scanners while concurrently taking on an unpaid internship as a stockbroker, with slim chances

for advancement to a paid position. Before he can receive pay, he needs to outshine the

competition through 6 months of training, and to sell his devices to stay afloat.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Viability

Shattered Glass directed by Billy Ray

2003 | Movie | PG-13

From IMDB: “This film tells the true story of fraudulent Washington, D.C. journalist Stephen

Glass, who rose to meteoric heights as a young writer in his 20s, becoming a staff writer at "The

New Republic" for three years (1995-1998), where 27 of his 41 published stories were either

partially or completely made up. Looking for a short cut to fame, Glass concocted sources,

quotes and even entire stories, but his deception did not go unnoticed forever, and eventually,

his world came crumbling down.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Transparency

A Beautiful Mind directed by Ron Howard

2001 | Movie | PG-13

From IMDB: “From the heights of notoriety to the depths of depravity, John Forbes Nash, Jr.

experienced it all. A mathematical genius, he made an astonishing discovery early in his career

and stood on the brink of international acclaim. But the handsome and arrogant Nash soon

found himself on a painful and harrowing journey of self-discovery. After many years of struggle,

he eventually triumphed over his tragedy, and finally—late in life—received the Nobel Prize.”

Ethical Principles: Trust, Respect, Viability

The Big Short directed by Adam McKay

2015 | Movie | R

From IMDB: “In 2006-2007 a group of investors bet against the US mortgage market. In their

research they discover how flawed and corrupt the market is.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Accountability, Transparency, Fairness, Rule of Law

Erin Brockovich directed by Steven Soderbergh

2000 | Movie | R

From IMDB: “Erin Brockovich-Ellis is an unemployed single mother, desperate to find a job, but

is having no luck. This losing streak even extends to a failed lawsuit against a doctor in a car

accident she was in…she successfully browbeats her lawyer to give her a job in compensation

for the loss. While no one takes her seriously…that soon changes when she begins to investigate

a suspicious real estate case involving the Pacific Gas & Electric Company. What she discovers is

that the company is trying quietly to buy land that was contaminated by hexavalent chromium,

a deadly toxic waste that the company is improperly and illegally dumping and, in turn,

poisoning the residents in the area. As she digs deeper, Erin finds herself leading point in a series

of events that would involve her law firm in one of the biggest class action lawsuits in American

history against a multi-billion dollar corporation.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Transparency, Fairness, Rule of Law

The Informant! directed by Steven Soderbergh

2009 | Movie | R

From IMDB: “Mark Whitacre has worked for lysine developing company ADM for many years

and has even found his way into upper management. But nothing has prepared him for the job

he is about to undertake—being a spy for the FBI. Unwillingly pressured into working as an

informant against the illegal price-fixing activities of his company, Whitacre gradually adopts the

idea that he's a true secret agent. But as his incessant lies keep piling up, his world begins

crashing down around him.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Transparency, Rule of Law

Movies

To Kill a Mockingbird directed by Robert Mulligan

1962 | Movie | Approved

From IMDB: “Atticus Finch, a lawyer in the Depression-era South, defends a black man against

an undeserved rape charge, and his children against prejudice.”

➔ Here is thought-provoking review that could be used for classroom discussion.

➔ Book version is also on this list (p. 10)

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Respect, Rule of Law

Toy Story directed by John Lasseter

1995 | Movie | G

From IMDB: “A cowboy doll is profoundly threatened and jealous when a new spaceman figure

supplants him as top toy in a boy's room.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Fairness, Respect, Viability

The Lion King directed by Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff

1994 | Movie | G

From IMDB: “A young lion prince is cast out of his pride by his cruel uncle, who claims he killed

his father. While the uncle rules with an iron paw, the prince grows up beyond the Savannah,

living by a philosophy: No worries for the rest of your days. But when his past comes to haunt

him, the young prince must decide his fate: Will he remain an outcast or face his demons and

become what he needs to be?”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Fairness, Viability

A Bug’s Life directed by John Lasseter & Andrew Stanton

1998 | Movie | G

From IMDB: “A misfit ant, looking for "warriors" to save his colony from greedy grasshoppers,

recruits a group of bugs that turn out to be an inept circus troupe.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Transparency, Viability

Finding Nemo directed by Andrew Stanton

2003 | Movie | G

From IMDB: “After his son is captured in the Great Barrier Reef and taken to Sydney, a timid

clownfish sets out on a journey to bring him home.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Respect, Viability

Monster’s Inc. directed by Pete Docter & David Silverman

2001 | Movie | G

From IMDB: “In order to power the city, monsters have to scare children so that they scream.

However, the children are toxic to the monsters, and after a child gets through, 2 monsters

realize things may not be what they think.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Transparency, Fairness, Viability

Brave directed by Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, & Steve Purcell

2012 | Movie | PG

From IMDB: “Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that

brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her

archery skills to undo a beastly curse.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Transparency, Fairness, Respect

The Outsiders directed by Francis Coppola

1983 | Movie | PG

From IMDB: “The rivalry between two gangs, the poor Greasers and the rich Socs, only heats up

when one gang member kills a member of the other.”

➔ Book version is also on this list (p. 8)

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Respect, Viability

The Truman Show directed by Peter Weir

1998 | Movie | PG

From IMDB: “Since birth, a big fat lie defines the well-organised but humdrum life of the kind-

hearted insurance salesman and ambitious explorer, Truman Burbank. Utterly unaware of the

thousands of cleverly hidden cameras watching his every move, for nearly three decades,

Truman's entire existence pivots around the will and the wild imagination of the ruthlessly

manipulative television producer, Christof—the all-powerful TV-God of an extreme 24/7 reality

show: The Truman Show. As a result, Truman's picturesque neighbourhood with the manicured

lawns and the uncannily perfect residents is nothing but an elaborate state-of-the-art set, and

the only truth he knows is what the worldwide television network and its deep financial

interests dictate. Do lab rats know they are forever imprisoned?”

Ethical Principles: Trust, Fairness, Respect, Viability

Millions directed by Danny Boyle

2004 | Movie | PG

From IMDB: “The UK is about to switch its currency from Pounds to Euros, giving a gang a

chance to rob the poorly-secured train loaded with money on its way to incineration. But, during

the robbery, one of the big bags falls literally from the sky on Damian's playhouse, a 7-year old

given to talking to saints. The boy then starts seeing what the world and the people around him

are made of. Ethics, being human and the soul all come to the forefront in this film.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Transparency, Fairness, Respect

The Long Walk Home directed by Richard Pearce

1990 | Movie | PG

From IMDB: “Two women, black and white, in 1955 Montgomery Alabama, must decide what

they are going to do in response to the famous bus boycott led by Martin Luther King.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Respect

Shrek directed by Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jenson

2001 | Movie | PG

From IMDB: “A mean lord exiles fairytale creatures to the swamp of a grumpy ogre, who must

go on a quest and rescue a princess for the lord in order to get his land back.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Respect

The Karate Kid directed by John G. Avildsen

1984 | Movie | PG

From IMDB: “A martial arts master agrees to teach karate to a bullied teenager.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Transparency, Respect

The Sandlot directed by David Mickey Evans

1993 | Movie | PG

From IMDB: “In the summer of 1962, a new kid in town is taken under the wing of a young

baseball prodigy and his rowdy team, resulting in many adventures.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Accountability, Fairness, Respect

Soul directed by Pete Docter & Kemp Powers

2020 | Movie | PG

From IMDB: “After landing the gig of a lifetime, a New York jazz pianist suddenly finds himself

trapped in a strange land between Earth and the afterlife.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Respect

Stargirl directed by Julia Hart

2020 | Movie | PG

From IMDB: “An unassuming high schooler finds himself inexplicably drawn to the free-spirited

new girl, whose unconventional ways change how they see themselves—and each other.”

➔ Book version is also on this list (p. 16)

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Transparency, Fairness, Respect

Bend It Like Beckham directed by Gurinder Chadha

2002 | Movie | PG-13

From IMDB: “A kaleidoscope of color and culture clash humorously as an Indian family in

London tries to raise their soccer-playing daughter in a traditional way. Unlike tarty elder sister

Pinky, who is preparing for an Indian wedding and a lifetime of cooking the perfect chapatti,

Jess' dream is to play soccer professionally like her hero David Beckham. Wholeheartedly

against Jess' unorthodox ambition, her parents eventually reveal that their reservations have

more to do with protecting her than with holding her back. When Jess is forced to make a choice

between tradition and her beloved sport, her family must decide whether to let her chase her

dream...and a soccer ball.”

Ethical Principles: Trust, Accountability, Fairness, Respect, Viability

My Sister’s Keeper directed by Nick Cassavetes

2009 | Movie | PG-13

From IMDB: “Anna Fitzgerald looks to earn medical emancipation from her parents who until

now have relied on their youngest child to help their leukemia-stricken daughter Kate remain

alive.”

➔ Book version is also on this list (p. 18)

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Fairness

The Day After Tomorrow directed by Roland Emmerich

2004 | Movie | PG-13

From IMDB: “Jack Hall, paleoclimatologist, must make a daring trek from Washington, D.C. to

New York City to reach his son, trapped in the cross-hairs of a sudden international storm which

plunges the planet into a new Ice Age.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Accountability, Fairness, Viability

The Maze Runner directed by Wes Ball

2014 | Movie | PG-13

From IMDB: “Awakening in an elevator, remembering nothing of his past, Thomas emerges into

a world of about thirty teenage boys, all without past memories, who have learned to survive

under their own set of rules in a completely enclosed environment, subsisting on their own

agriculture and supplies. With a new boy arriving every thirty days, the group has been in "The

Glade" for three years, trying to find a way to escape through the Maze that surrounds their

living space (patrolled by cyborg monsters named 'Grievers'). They have begun to give up hope

when a comatose girl arrives with a strange note, and their world begins to change with the

boys dividing into two factions: those willing to risk their lives to escape and those wanting to

hang onto what they've got and survive.”

Ethical Principles: Trust, Fairness, Respect, Viability

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials directed by Wes Ball (Sequel)

2015 | Movie | PG-13

From IMDB: “The second chapter of the epic "Maze Runner" saga. Thomas and his fellow

Gladers face their greatest challenge yet: searching for clues about the mysterious and powerful

organization known as WCKD. Their journey takes them to the Scorch, a desolate landscape

filled with unimaginable obstacles. Teaming up with resistance fighters, the Gladers take on

WCKD's vastly superior forces and uncover its shocking plans for them all.”

Ethical Principles: Trust, Fairness, Respect, Viability

Maze Runner: The Death Cure directed by Wes Ball (Third Installment)

2018 | Movie | PG-13

From IMDB: “In the epic finale to The Maze Runner Saga, Thomas leads his group of escaped

Gladers on their final and most dangerous mission yet. To save their friends, they must break

into the legendary last city, a WCKD controlled labyrinth that may turn out to be the deadliest

maze of all. Anyone who makes it out alive will get the answers to the questions the Gladers

have been asking since they first arrived in the maze. Will Thomas and the crew make it out

alive? Or will Ava Paige get her way?”

Ethical Principles: Trust, Fairness, Respect, Viability

Gattaca directed by Andrew Niccol

1997 | Movie | PG-13

From IMDB: “In the not-too-distant future, a less-than-perfect man wants to travel to the stars.

Society has categorized Vincent Freeman as less than suitable given his genetic make-up and he

has become one of the underclass of humans that are only useful for menial jobs. To move

ahead, he assumes the identity of Jerome Morrow, a perfect genetic specimen who is a

paraplegic as a result of a car accident. With professional advice, Vincent learns to deceive DNA

and urine sample testing. Just when he is finally scheduled for a space mission, his program

director is killed and the police begin an investigation, jeopardizing his secret.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Rule of Law

Passengers directed by Morten Tyldum

2016 | Movie | PG-13

From IMDB: “The spaceship, Starship Avalon, in its 120-year voyage to a distant colony planet

known as the "Homestead Colony" and transporting 5,258 people has a malfunction in one of its

sleep chambers. As a result one hibernation pod opens prematurely and the one person that

awakes, Jim Preston is stranded on the spaceship, still 90 years from his destination.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Viability

Forrest Gump directed by Robert Zemeckis

1994 | Movie | PG-13 | Content Warning: sexual violence

From IMDB: “The presidencies of Kennedy and Johnson, the events of Vietnam, Watergate and

other historical events unfold through the perspective of an Alabama man with an IQ of 75,

whose only desire is to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart.”

Ethical Principles: Integrity, Trust, Fairness, Respect