Education

The Education Collection focuses on titles that explore teaching, learning, and knowledge through fiction and nonfiction genres. Offering perspectives from educators and students alike, these selections examine the formal and informal ways people gain and share knowledge and the social institutions that define education and schooling.

The Organ Thieves

by Chip Jones

Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Death, Social Class, Community, Education, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags World History, US History, Science & Nature, Health, Race & Racism, Crime & Law

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The Passengers

by John Marrs

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Revenge, Mental Health, Death, Future, Environment, Teamwork, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Education, Globalization, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Fame, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

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The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

by Muriel Spark

Publication year 1961

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Education, Loyalty & Betrayal, Coming of Age, Childhood & Youth, Art, Beauty

Tags British Literature, World History, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Post-War Era

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961) is a novel by Scottish writer Muriel Spark. It explores the relationship between a group of six female students and their eccentric teacher, Jean Brodie, over the course of roughly 15 years. Using nonlinear narrative techniques, including flashbacks and flash forwards, the novel examines the influence of adults on adolescents, particularly in the context of their sexual and spiritual development. Set in Edinburgh in the 1930s and early... Read The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Summary

The Report Card

by Andrew Clements

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Education, Friendship, Coming of Age, Perseverance

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor

The Report Card is a 2004 middle grade novel by prolific children’s author Andrew Clements that tells the story of a young genius who has kept her intelligence a secret for her entire life. Nora Rowley has never worried about report cards, but by fifth grade, she realizes the negative impact of grades and test scores on her classmates—especially her best friend, Stephen Curtis—and decides to do something about it. The story explores themes about... Read The Report Card Summary

The River Between

by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

Publication year 1965

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Place, Family, Fathers, Colonialism, Community, Education, Religion & Spirituality

Tags African Literature, Historical Fiction, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, African American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

The River Between is Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s second novel and was published in 1965 after his debut title, Weep Not, Child. While The River Between is widely interpreted as an anticolonial work, its denouncement of colonial institutions is subtler than that of Ngugi’s later, more critical works on colonialism. His later novels were originally written in the Gikuyu language rather than in English; discourse surrounding the modern-day role of African literature is ongoing... Read The River Between Summary

The Ruins of Gorlan

by John Flanagan

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Friendship, Safety & Danger, Coming of Age, Fame, Revenge, Memory, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Education, Animals, Fear, Good & Evil, War, Fathers, Perseverance, Conflict, Wins & Losses, Nation, Self Discovery

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature, Action & Adventure, Social Class

In The Ruins of Gorlan, a Medieval adventure-fantasy novel for middle-grade readers, young Will learns the arts of the secretive Ranger tracker-warriors and defends his kingdom against an evil baron. Released in 2004 by author John Flanagan, The Ruins of Gorlan won multiple awards, spawned the bestselling Ranger Apprentice book series, and has been published in 18 countries. A television adaptation is in the works.Following a long career in advertising, author Flanagan shifted to book... Read The Ruins of Gorlan Summary

The Secret School

by Avi

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Education, Perseverance, Community, Truth & Lies, Friendship

Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History

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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace

by Jeff Hobbs

Publication year 2014

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Social Class, Race, Family, Friendship, Community, Education

Tags Race & Racism, Crime & Law, Sociology

The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace (2014) by Jeff Hobbs is a biography that chronicles the life of Rob Peace, a brilliant young Black man. Raised in East Orange, a crime-ridden suburb of Newark, New Jersey, Rob overcame numerous barriers to study biochemistry and molecular biophysics at Yale University. Despite academic success and a seemingly bright future, his life was tragically cut short when he was killed in a drug-related shooting at the... Read The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace Summary