Childhood & Youth
"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 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Masculinity, Race, Childhood & Youth, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Justice, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Realistic Fiction, Race & Racism
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Gender Identity, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Friendship, Politics & Government, War, Justice, Self Discovery
Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Race & Racism, Children`s Literature, World History
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Childhood & Youth, Love
Tags Korean Literature, Asian Literature, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
P.S. I Still Love You is a young adult novel by Jenny Han, published by Scholastic in 2015. It is a sequel to To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, published in 2014. The two books share the same main character and narrator, Lara Jean Song Covey, a Korean-American teenaged girl. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before concerns Lara Jean’s habit of writing secret love letters to boys she’s had crushes on, and P.S. I... Read P.S. I Still Love You Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Friendship, Self Discovery, Education
Tags Psychology, Self-Improvement, Sociology, Business & Economics, Leadership
Publication year 1868
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Social Class, Childhood & Youth, Loyalty & Betrayal, Fate, Wins & Losses
Tags Classic Fiction, Coming of Age, Historical Fiction, American Literature, Social Class, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History
Ragged Dick; or, Street Life in New York with the Boot Blacks was Horatio Alger, Jr.’s first bestselling book. Ragged Dick was serialized in 1867 in the monthly American children’s magazine, Student and Schoolmate, prior to its successful publication as a novel in 1868. The first volume in a six-volume series, Ragged Dick established Alger’s primary theme of a boy’s rise from humble beginnings to prosperity and respectability. Alger’s “rags to riches” narrative built on... Read Ragged Dick Summary
Publication year 1977
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Perseverance, Fear, Love, Childhood & Youth, Fathers, Siblings, Friendship, Mothers
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Children`s Literature
Publication year 1979
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Childhood & Youth, Family, Social Class
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Children`s Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1984
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Perseverance, Childhood & Youth, Self Discovery
Tags Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Family, Childhood & Youth, Grief, Perseverance
Tags Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Sports, Historical Fiction, African American Literature
Publication year 1983
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Mothers, Childhood & Youth
Tags Existentialism, Race & Racism, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Part 1Twyla and Roberta, the two main characters in Toni Morrison's short story, "Recitatif," meet at the Saint Bonaventure orphanage (St. Bonny's) as 8-year-old girls. When Twyla first arrives at the shelter and sees Roberta, who is another race (the reader is not told which girl is white and which girl is black), Twyla immediately tells the staff, "My mother won't like you putting me in here" (243). Twyla's mother has warned Twyla about people... Read Recitatif Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Conflict, Fear, Forgiveness, Loneliness, Love, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Mothers, Self Discovery, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger
Tags Romance, New Adult
Publication year 2019
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes War, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Childhood & Youth, Death, Animals, Place, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Nation, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Wins & Losses
Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Children`s Literature
Publication year 1994
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Femininity, Family, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Childhood & Youth
Tags Psychology, Gender & Feminism, Parenting, Women`s Studies, Education, Education, Sociology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Self-Improvement
Reviving Ophelia was written in 1994 by Mary Pipher, a psychologist who works with women and teen girls, studying the ways cultural norms impact their mental health. The book comprises a collection of Pipher’s essays, which are based on the interviews and focus groups with adolescent girls she conducted with her daughter, Sara Pipher. She wrote the collection to bring awareness to the cultural trauma and dysfunction experienced by adolescent girls and to assist girls... Read Reviving Ophelia Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Family, Friendship, Childhood & Youth, Self Discovery, Literature
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Bullying
Publication year 2008
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Friendship, Conflict, Apathy, Fear, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Regret, Childhood & Youth, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Masculinity, Appearance & Reality, Education, Family, Siblings, Mothers, Fathers, Daughters & Sons
Tags Humor, Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2015
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Friendship, Coming of Age, Perseverance, Fear, Conflict, Hate & Anger, Childhood & Youth, Teamwork, Loyalty & Betrayal, Self Discovery, Truth & Lies
Tags Realistic Fiction, Sports, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Memory, Nostalgia, Regret, Femininity, Gender Identity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Appearance & Reality, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Politics & Government, Justice
Tags Children`s Literature, Action & Adventure, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Grandparents, Childhood & Youth, Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Conflict, Nostalgia, Memory, Love, Loneliness, Joy, Literature, Good & Evil, Fame, Justice, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Safety & Danger, Religion & Spirituality, Order & Chaos, Appearance & Reality, Animals, Environment, Plants, Food, Place
Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Crime & Law, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature
IntroductionEmma Donoghue’s Room is a 2010 novel about a boy named Jack who lives in a single room with his mother, Ma. Room is a crime thriller novel that explores themes of trauma, innocence, and adaptability through the eyes of five-year-old narrator, Jack. Room has received many awards, including the ALA Alex Award, the Indies Choice Book Award for Fiction, and The New York Times Book Review Best Book of the Year award. Room was... Read Room Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Beauty, Death, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age
Tags Horror & Suspense, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Gothic Literature
Publication year 1970
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Perseverance, Loneliness, Childhood & Youth, Animals, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Safety & Danger
Tags Children`s Literature, Animals, Fantasy, Classic Fiction