Required Reading Lists

Our Required Reading Lists Collection features poems, fiction, short stories, and other texts frequently studied in academic contexts. With texts spanning from the ancients, such as Plato, through contemporary literary giants, this well-rounded Collection represents the breadth and enduring appeal of literature and its study.

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Trust & Doubt, Hope, Fear

Tags Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Trauma & Abuse

Introduction Sold is a young adult novel published in 2006 by American author Patricia McCormick. The protagonist and first-person narrator is Lakshmi, a Nepali girl from a remote mountain village who is 13 when she is trafficked for sex to an illicit organization in a large city in India. Through a series of short, titled poems (or vignettes), Lakshmi chronicles her experiences in the brothel called the “Happiness House,” recording her experiences with the people... Read Sold Summary

Publication year 1962

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Coming of Age, Fathers, Friendship

Tags Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Science Fiction, Coming of Age, Relationships, Special Occasions, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962) is a horror novel by American science fiction author Ray Bradbury. It tells the story of Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade, two small-town boys whose lives are threatened when a mysterious carnival arrives the week before Halloween. Bradbury, from a small Midwestern town himself, examines The Nature of Good and Evil, the human fear of mortality, and the sometimes-frightening experience of coming of age in the American Midwest. The... Read Something Wicked This Way Comes Summary

Publication year 1923

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Beauty, Death, Environment

Tags Lyric Poem, Science & Nature

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is a short, structured poem written in 1922 by the American poet Robert Frost, one of the foremost poets of the 20th century. The poem was originally published in 1923 in the magazine New Republic, and then in Frost’s poetry collection New Hampshire. The poem explores themes of nature, beauty, duty, life, and death, and is written using simple and accessible language that has made it beloved by... Read Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening Summary

Publication year 1973

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Gender Identity, Community

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Race & Racism, Trauma & Abuse, Relationships, African American Literature, Education, Education, World History, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Sula, written by Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison, was first published in 1973. It was her second novel, following her 1970 debut The Bluest Eye. Morrison published both novels while still working as an editor at Random House, where she edited books by Angela Davis, Muhammad Ali, and Gayl Jones. Morrison would go on to win the National Book Critics Circle Award for Song of Solomon (1977) and the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Beloved (1987)... Read Sula Summary

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Children`s Literature, World History

Jonathon Auxier’s Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster (2018) is a work of fiction written for middle grade readers. It tells the story of the brave Nan Sparrow, a young chimney sweep who is given the gift of a golem—a protective monster—by her father figure, the Sweep. Nan navigates cruelty and poverty in her journey to achieve a fairer life for herself and her friends, forming a loving pseudo-family along the way... Read Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster Summary

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness, Race, Family, Community, Guilt

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Crime & Law, Race & Racism

Sycamore Row (2013) by John Grisham is the sequel to his debut novel and best-selling legal thriller, A Time to Kill (1989). Grisham, a practicing lawyer prior to his career as a novelist, popularized the legal thriller with his prolific work in the genre, frequently highlighting social justice and legal ethics issues. Though marketed as a legal thriller, Grisham himself makes a clear distinction between his legal thrillers and his Ford County novels—aka the Jake... Read Sycamore Row Summary

Publication year 1664

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Trust & Doubt, Religion & Spirituality, Family

Tags Comedy & Satire, Relationships, Arts & Culture, French Literature, Education, Education, Humor, Classic Fiction

Tartuffe, also known as The Imposter or The Hypocrite, is a Neoclassical comedy written by French playwright, actor, writer, and director Molière, born as Jean-Baptiste Poquelin. It was first produced in 1664 in France. While King Louis XIV and the public enjoyed the play, religious groups, including the Catholic Church and members of the upper class, condemned it for its display of a seemingly religious character who preys on those around on him for his... Read Tartuffe Summary

Publication year 2007

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Coming of Age, War, Gender Identity, Childhood & Youth, Language, Literature, Family

Tags Middle Eastern History, Military & War, Education, Education, World History, Arts & Culture, Biography

In her memoir, Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood (2007), Palestinian-American author and poet Ibtisam Barakat describes her early childhood in Palestine during the Six-Day War of 1967 and the life-changing effects that follow this pivotal event. Combining richly descriptive prose and free-verse poetry, Ibtisam shares often painful memories of childhood losses, from her home and sense of security to her childhood innocence. Writing from a child’s perspective, Ibtisam transcends politics to poignantly highlight how... Read Tasting the Sky Summary

Publication year 1817

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Death, Place, Fate, Community, Environment

Tags Lyric Poem, Science & Nature, Grief & Death, Romanticism, Education, Education, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1998

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt, Teamwork, Perseverance

Tags Self-Improvement, Psychology, Business & Economics, Philosophy, World History, Psychology, Philosophy, Politics & Government

Robert Greene (1959) is an American self-help book author with a focus on strategy and power. After training in Classical Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, Greene worked numerous jobs before pitching The 48 Laws of Power to book packager Joost Elffers in 1995. The book was inspired by Greene’s time as a writer in Hollywood, where he learned that today’s powerful people share common traits with historic princes, leaders, and tyrants. As he... Read The 48 Laws Of Power Summary

Publication year 1920

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Community, Family, The Past, Love, Gender Identity, Midlife

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Social Class, Love & Sexuality, Gilded Age, American Literature, Gender & Feminism, World History, Romance

American writer Edith Wharton’s Pulitzer-Prize winning novel The Age Of Innocence (1920) was a post-armistice reflection on the 1870s New York society of her youth. Wharton, an American who lived abroad in Paris, was already the successful author of other novels, including The House of Mirth (1905) and Ethan Frome (1911).In a The New York Times article, Elif Batuman reflects that “eventually, each classic tells two stories: its own, and the story of all the... Read The Age of Innocence Summary