Popular Study Guides

The Popular Study Guides Collection brings together a selection of our most-visited Guides in one convenient place. Featuring titles ranging from classic literature with enduring appeal to popular book club picks, this Collection represents a diverse array of literature readers can't get enough of.

Publication year 2011

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Animals, Philosophy, American Literature


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Humor, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature


Publication year 1986

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure

Speaker for the Dead (1986) is the second book in the Ender sextet written by Orson Scott Card. Card is a renowned American science fiction author and has won numerous awards for his writing, including four for Speaker of the Dead—the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the Nebula Award for Best Novel, the Science Fiction Chronicle Reader Award for Best Novel, and the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.Speaker for the Dead is set... Read Speaker for the Dead Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, History: World


Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Identity: Disability

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Fear

Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Asian Literature, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1972

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Philosophy, Psychology, Anthropology, Science / Nature


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Gender

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Realistic Fiction


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt

Tags Sports, Realistic Fiction, African American Literature, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

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


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Realistic Fiction, Sports, Romance, Music


Publication year 1992

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Education, Identity: Race, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Historical Fiction, Social Justice, WWII / World War II, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World, Arts / Culture


Publication year 2024

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Identity: Femininity, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction


Publication year 1791

Genre Poem, Fiction

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Mythology, Romanticism / Romantic Period


Publication year 2017

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Immigration

Tags Immigration / Refugee, Social Justice, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education, History: World, Politics / Government

Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions is Valeria Luiselli’s 2017 book-length essay exploring the influx of undocumented child migrants from Latin America that began in 2014. Through her work as a volunteer translator, Luiselli became intimately aware of what these children experienced, and the essay argues that their inhumane treatment at the hands of American bureaucracy is an unjust denial of due process and the core principles of the American Dream... Read Tell Me How It Ends Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1990

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Self Help, Relationships, Psychology, Christian literature, Love / Sexuality


Publication year 1883

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Fathers

Tags Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Action / Adventure, Italian Literature, Children's Literature, History: World

Set in the Tuscan region of Italy in the 1800s, by Carlo Collodi’s classic children's fantasy novel The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883) follows the misadventures of a living wooden puppet and his poor puppeteer father. The story was initially published as a serial in a weekly children's magazine; due to reader demand, it was later turned into a book. The Adventures of Pinocchio, translated into more than 260 languages, is considered one of the most... Read The Adventures of Pinocchio Summary