Publication year 1924
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Art, Literature, Beauty, War, Power & Greed
Tags Philosophy, French Literature, Philosophy, Arts & Culture, Classic Fiction
School Book List Titles
Browse a Collection of texts frequently assigned in literature classrooms, including well-studied classics and contemporary literature. Representitive of the breadth of the literary tradition, the School Book List Titles Collection features texts for readers of all age levels, from children's literature to plays and novels centered on adult themes.
Manifestoes of Surrealism
Mansfield Park
Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish
Martin Chuzzlewit
Mary Barton
Masterminds
Maya and the Robot
Measuring Up
Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring
Memoirs of Hadrian
Midaq Alley
Middlemarch
Midnight at the Electric
Midnight Magic
Midnight Rider
Midnight's Children
Midsummer XXVII
Miss Julie
Mockingbird
Moll Flanders
Publication year 1924
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Art, Literature, Beauty, War, Power & Greed
Tags Philosophy, French Literature, Philosophy, Arts & Culture, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1814
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Femininity, Gender Identity, Love, Conflict
Tags Classic Fiction, World History, Regency Era, Romance, Historical Fiction, British Literature
Mansfield Park (1814) is the third novel by English novelist Jane Austen (1775-1817). Set in Regency-era England, Mansfield Park is a bildungsroman, charting the life of Fanny Price from childhood to adulthood. At the age of 10, Fanny is sent from her poverty-stricken home to live with her wealthy uncle and aunt, Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram. The narrative follows the protagonist’s struggles adjusting to life at Mansfield Park, her moral challenges, and her secret... Read Mansfield Park Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Siblings, Childhood & Youth, Disability, Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Relationships, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts & Culture
Publication year 1844
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Good & Evil, Shame & Pride, Economics, Power & Greed
Tags Classic Fiction, British Literature, Historical Fiction, Satirical Literature
The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit (1844) is a novel by Charles Dickens. Dickens’s sixth novel and the last of his picaresque works, the story follows the greedy members of the Chuzzlewit family as they pursue wealth and status, offering a comedic satire of 19th-century American culture. Key themes include The Impact of Money on Relationships, The Problem of Pride and Its Consequences, and Hypocrisy and Selfishness as the Ultimate Evils.Although the novel was... Read Martin Chuzzlewit Summary
Publication year 1848
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Femininity, Family, Social Class, Equality
Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Historical Fiction, Romance, Social Class, British Literature, World History, Victorian Era
Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester is the 1848 debut novel of Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell. It tells of the Victorian working class in Manchester, England, from 1839 to 1842, focusing on the story of the eponymous young female heroine. Through the experiences of two families—the Bartons and the Wilsons—it explores contemporary political and domestic issues during a time of increased industrialization and class tensions. As with much of Gaskell’s work, Mary Barton is narrated by... Read Mary Barton Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies, Nature Versus Nurture, Appearance & Reality, Safety & Danger
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Horror & Suspense, Science & Nature, Education, Technology, Science Fiction, Children`s Literature
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Perseverance, Loneliness, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Self Discovery
Tags Science Fiction, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Coming of Age, Friendship, Community, Family, Grandparents, Fathers
Tags Immigration & Refugeeism, Food, Asian Literature, Coming of Age
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Art, Justice
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Arts & Culture
Publication year 1951
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Grief, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Aging, Death, The Past, Colonialism, Nation, Politics & Government, Art, Beauty, Fate, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality
Tags French Literature, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
The Memoirs of Hadrian is a fictional autobiography first published in French by Marguerite Yourcenar in 1951. Composed as the reflections of the real Roman Emperor Hadrian, who ruled in 117-138 CE, the book was well-received by critics and readers and is considered Yourcenar’s best work as well as one of the best 20th century French novels. The English version of the Memoirs was translated by Grace Frick, in collaboration with the author, and published... Read Memoirs of Hadrian Summary
Publication year 1947
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Place, War, Social Class, Love
Tags African Literature, Heinemann African Writers, Historical Fiction, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction
Midaq Alley (1947) is a historical realist novel by Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz, the 1988 Nobel Prize laureate in Literature. In this work, Mahfouz addresses the changes taking place in Egyptian society of the 1940s. The book tells the story of a group of neighbors living in Midaq Alley, a bustling market street, in the poor quarter of Cairo’s historic city center. The story is set at the end of World War II, during Britain’s... Read Midaq Alley Summary
Publication year 1871
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Marriage, Community, Social Class
Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Historical Fiction, British Literature, World History, Romance, Victorian Era
Middlemarch or Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life is a Victorian realist novel by George Eliot (the penname of Mary Ann Evans). Published over the course of 1871-72, the novel depicts the trials and tribulations of life in the small English town of Middlemarch. The novel has been hailed as one of the greatest works of English literature and has been adapted for radio, television, theater, and opera. Other works by Eliot include The Lifted... Read Middlemarch Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Hope, Memory, Climate, Family, Self Discovery, Science & Technology
Tags Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction, World History
Midnight at the Electric, published in 2017, is a speculative fiction novel written by Jodi Lynn Anderson and is the recipient of multiple awards and nominations. Anderson is an American children’s author who has worked as an editor for HarperCollins and a writing instructor at the University of North Carolina. Midnight at the Electric follows three protagonists across three different timelines. One of these, Adri Ortiz, lives in 2065 and has been accepted into a... Read Midnight at the Electric Summary
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Fear, Coming of Age, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Children`s Literature, Medieval
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Family, Social Class, Colonialism, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Justice
Tags Historical Fiction, American Literature
Publication year 1981
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Colonialism, Family
Tags Magical Realism, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Poverty, Social Class, World History, Religion & Spirituality, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Indian Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Midnight’s Children is a 1981 magical realism novel by British American novelist Salman Rushdie. The story follows Saleem, a child born at the moment of India’s independence who possesses strange powers. The novel won many awards, including the Booker of Bookers Prize, which was awarded to the best all-time winner of the Booker Prize on the award’s 40th anniversary. Midnight’s Children has been adapted for theater, radio, and film. This guide uses the 2006 Vintage... Read Midnight's Children Summary
Publication year 1984
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Race, Immigration, Colonialism
Tags Lyric Poem, Science & Nature, Philosophy
Publication year 1888
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Conflict, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Social Class, Power & Greed
Tags Drama, Naturalism, Scandinavian Literature, Social Class, Education, Education, Dramatic Literature, World History, Classic Fiction
Miss Julie is a naturalistic play produced in 1888 by the Swedish playwright and novelist August Strindberg. The play follows the acute romantic entanglement of the three characters: Miss Julie, a young aristocratic woman; Jean, her father’s well-read and well-traveled valet; and Kristine, the cook. Through the psychological battle of wills between Julie and the ruthless Jean, the play explores themes of Class Conflict and Social Hierarchy, Gender Roles and Power Dynamics, and The Complexity... Read Miss Julie Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Grief, Coming of Age, Disability
Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Mental Illness, Grief & Death, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1722
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Femininity, Good & Evil, Marriage, Social Class, Colonialism, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Gender Identity
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, British Literature, World History
Published in 1722, The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe tells the life story of a woman who carves her own path through late 17th-century England and North America. Like Defoe’s first novel, Robinson Crusoe, this work also tells the tale of a singular individual who overcomes adversity—in her case, extreme poverty—to become considerably wealthy. Moll Flanders is a wife, a thief, a sex worker, and an impresario. She is... Read Moll Flanders Summary