Publication year 1968
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Power & Greed, Fame
Tags US History, Journalism, Arts & Culture, Addiction & Substance Abuse, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction, Biography
Books About Art
This assortment of study guides focuses on the arts, from cinema to cuisine. Read on to explore Aristotle’s Poetics, which analyzes the nature and uses of poetry; An Actor Prepares by Constantin Stanislavski, a manual for actors based on the author’s work and teachings at the Moscow Art Theatre in Russia; and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, which chronicles the art of fine dining.
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
The End of Science Fiction
The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora
The First Rule of Punk
The Flamethrowers
The Flick
The Fountainhead
The Glass Hotel
The Glassmaker
The Golden Goblet
The Goldfinch
The Good Food Revolution
The Great Greene Heist
The Guardians
The Headstrong Historian
The Henna Artist
The Icarus Girl
The Interpretation of Cultures
The Jacket
Publication year 1968
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Power & Greed, Fame
Tags US History, Journalism, Arts & Culture, Addiction & Substance Abuse, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction, Biography
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Art, Beauty, Literature, Coming of Age, Midlife, Education, Loneliness, Death, Language, Community, Appearance & Reality, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Class, Arts & Culture, Depression & Suicide, Relationships, French Literature
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery was published in 2006 and translated by Alison Anderson into English for publication in 2008. The novel has been translated into more than 40 languages and was a major bestseller in France. The novel was adapted into a film called The Hedgehog (Le Hérisson) in 2009 to critical acclaim. The Elegance of the Hedgehog follows the narrative point of view of two erudite narrators: Renée, a concierge... Read The Elegance of the Hedgehog Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Science & Technology, Future
Tags Lyric Poem, Technology, Health, Arts & Culture
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts & Culture
The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora is a novel for middle graders by Cuban American writer Pablo Cartaya. This study guide refers to the original 2017 Viking edition.Plot SummaryIt is the beginning of summer in Canal Grove, a Cuban enclave in modern-day Miami. For 13-year-old Arturo Zamora, the novel’s narrator, this is usually a season of lazy pastimes, but surprises are in store. When he becomes lovesick over a Spanish girl named Carmen Sánchez, and... Read The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Gender Identity, Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Music, Arts & Culture
The First Rule of Punk is Celia C. Pérez’s 2017 debut YA novel. It was a 2018 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book, a 2018 ALSC Notable Children’s Book, and a 2018 Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award Winner. Pérez, as a long-time punk zine author and Mexican Cuban woman, drew from her adoration of “outsiders” and “weirdos” to craft her first novel. Pérez then penned her second YA novel, Strange Birds: A Field Guide... Read The First Rule of Punk Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Art, Love, Coming of Age
Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Gender & Feminism, European History, Love & Sexuality, Arts & Culture, American Literature, Italian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
The Flamethrowers is a historical fiction novel published in 2013 by the American author Rachel Kushner. It follows the story of Reno, a young woman experiencing the turbulence of the 1970s in New York City. An aspiring artist, Reno finds herself in remarkable situations both in New York and abroad in Italy. Kushner weaves Italian and American history to highlight how people experience the implications of the societies and histories they inherit. Kushner subverts typical... Read The Flamethrowers Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Music
Tags Education, Education, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Dramatic Literature, Arts & Culture
The Flick is a two-act play by Annie Baker that premiered at the New York City Playwrights Horizons theater in 2013. Set in a run-down movie theater of the same name, The Flick is located in the suburban Worchester County of central Massachusetts. The play follows the evolving workplace relationships of three underpaid movie theater employees as they struggle not only to make a living but to define their lives, their values, and their identities... Read The Flick Summary
Publication year 1943
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Perseverance, Self Discovery, Art, Beauty, Good & Evil
Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature, Philosophy, Politics & Government, Philosophy, Arts & Culture
Published in 1945, The Fountainhead was written by Russian American author Ayn Rand (1905-1982) and focuses on the genius architect Howard Roark as he struggles to pursue a career of innovation and integrity in an increasingly hostile society of altruists and con men led by the Machiavellian humanitarian Ellsworth Toohey.In The Fountainhead, Rand promotes values such as radical individualism and the primacy of objective reason, both of which would later form the foundation of her... Read The Fountainhead Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Power & Greed, Economics, Justice
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Business & Economics, Arts & Culture, Social Class, Gender & Feminism, American Literature, Horror & Suspense, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Memory, Femininity, Marriage, Social Class, Community, Politics & Government, War, Art
Tags World History, Arts & Culture, Magical Realism
Publication year 1961
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Friendship, Perseverance, Conflict, Trust & Doubt, Wins & Losses, Good & Evil
Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Coming of Age, Trauma & Abuse, Arts & Culture, Ancient Egypt, Education, Education, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Classic Fiction
Young Ranofer’s dreams of becoming a goldsmith seem impossible because of his abusive half-brother’s influence unless he can prove the man is a thief in Eloise Jarvis McGraw’s esteemed middle-grade historical mystery, The Golden Goblet (1961). As Ranofer struggles to escape from Gebu’s evil control, he learns valuable lessons about friendship, courage, and the importance of doing the right thing. Vivid historical details of life in 1400 BC Egypt and a thrilling puzzle complement powerful... Read The Golden Goblet Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Order & Chaos, Grief, Art
Tags Arts & Culture, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Donna Tartt’s 2013 novel, The Goldfinch, was a national best seller and won the Pulitzer Prize in 2014. It follows the life of Theo Decker from his early teens into his late twenties. The novel is told in five parts and begins when Theo is hiding out in a hotel room in Amsterdam as an adult. It moves back in time and finally makes a circle back to his adulthood, explaining the reason for his stay... Read The Goldfinch Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Family, Environment
Tags Food, Business & Economics, Science & Nature, Social Justice, Arts & Culture, Health, Biography
Will Allen, author of the 2012 book The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People, and Communities, co-written with Charles Wilson, is an important figure in the American urban farming movement. Born into a farming family, Allen spent much of his adolescence and early adulthood hoping to avoid the agricultural life; however, after a career in professional basketball and later in corporate sales and marketing, Allen finds himself farming full-time, with idealism in his heart... Read The Good Food Revolution Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Revenge, Childhood & Youth, Friendship, Teamwork, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Science & Technology
Tags Realistic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Humor, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Arts & Culture, Modern Classic Fiction
The Great Greene Heist is a middle grade novel by Varian Johnson that follows Jackson Greene, a middle school boy and nearly reformed prankster, who tries to win his crush through hijinks. The novel was named Publisher’s Best Summer Book of 2014, ALA ALSC Notable Children’s Book in 2015, and received a Kirkus Star Review. Johnson published the sequel To Catch a Cheat in 2016. Johnson is also the author of The Parker Inheritance, which... Read The Great Greene Heist Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Gender Identity, Family, Social Class, Community, Immigration, Nation, Religion & Spirituality
Tags Women`s Studies, Education, Education, Latin American Literature, American Literature, Arts & Culture
Publication year 2008
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Family, Education, Colonialism
Tags Historical Fiction, Gender & Feminism, African Literature, Arts & Culture, Education, Education, African American Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Colonialism, Gender Identity, Femininity
Tags Historical Fiction, World History, Indian Literature, Arts & Culture
The Henna Artist (2020) is a novel by Indian American author Alka Joshi and the first book in The Jaipur Trilogy. The story takes place in 1950s India and follows 17-year-old Lakshmi as she escapes an abusive marriage and moves to Jaipur to become a henna artist. The protagonist is based on the author’s mother, who was not able to choose her own path in life but was determined that her children would have that... Read The Henna Artist Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Friendship
Tags Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Arts & Culture
Jessamy Harrison is an eight-year-old girl living in a small town in England. Her father is English, and her mother is Nigerian. Jess is a smart, introverted child who likes to spend her time reading books and playing inside. Jess’s parents take her on a trip to Nigeria to visit her extended family. While staying at her grandfather’s compound, Jess sees strange shadows in the windows of the Boys’ Quarters, a building that was once... Read The Icarus Girl Summary
Publication year 1973
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Colonialism, Nation, Community, Politics & Government, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Conflict
Tags Anthropology, Sociology, Philosophy, Science & Nature, Psychology, Politics & Government, Education, Education, Anthropology, Social Science, World History, Philosophy, Arts & Culture
Publication year 2001
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Justice, Equality, Siblings, Race
Tags Realistic Fiction, Race & Racism, Diversity, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Arts & Culture