"We look at the world once, in childhood," writes poet Louise Glück. "The rest is memory." As adults, our childhood may lie in the past, but its influence never leaves us. This collection gathers texts that depict and examine the innocence and insights of childhood and youth.
Publication year 2001
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Midlife, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Romance
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Domestic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Identity: Disability, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Relationships, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2001
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Biography, Historical Nonfiction, History: European, Politics / Government
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1899
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags American Literature, Naturalism, Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Published in 1899 and written by author Frank Norris, McTeague: A Story of San Francisco is a novel in the tradition of Naturalism, a literary movement that explores how people are at the mercy of forces, internal and external, that dictate their behavior and destiny. In McTeague, despite their attempts to fight these forces, even fundamentally good people are brought to their destruction by their nature, their environment, and their social class. As their tenuous... Read McTeague Summary
Publication year 1891
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Action / Adventure, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Politics / Government, Children's Literature, History: World, Fantasy
Men of Iron is an 1891 young adult novel written and illustrated by Howard Pyle. Pyle was born in Delaware in 1853, and after years of training—beginning with a childhood passion for art—he taught illustration at Drexel University before establishing his own institute, the Howard Pyle School of Illustration Art. His style of art, which he himself was instrumental in developing, was named the Brandywine School after the mid-Atlantic region from which the artists in... Read Men of Iron Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Midlife, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1966
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Irish Literature
Publication year 2014
Genre Poetry Collection, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Gender / Feminism, Instapoetry, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
From 2014 to 2024, six million copies of Rupi Kaur’s debut collection, milk and honey, were sold, making it one of the best-selling poetry books of the 21st century. It’s rise to fame is unusual. A Canadian writer of Indian heritage who amassed a large following through social media, Kaur specializes in short, vernacular poems, often made up of only a few lines, which are accompanied by original line drawings. Kaur was at first unable... Read Milk and Honey Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Self Discovery
Tags Realistic Fiction, Animals, Children's Literature
... Read Moo Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Immigration, Society: Education, Society: War, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, History: World
Moon Over Manifest is a 2010 novel by author Claire Vanderpool. It relates the story of 12-year-old Abilene Tucker, a drifting girl in search of her father, a home, and a sense of belonging. When the novel starts, her father, Gideon Tucker, has just sent Abilene to the Kansas town of Manifest, claiming that he can’t take her to Iowa, where he is allegedly taking a railroad job. It is 1936, and the Great Depression... Read Moon Over Manifest Summary
Publication year 1995
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Free verse
Publication year 1974
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Humor, Children's Literature
Publication year 1947
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Education
Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Humor
Publication year 1990
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature