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.

The Skin I'm In

by Sharon G. Flake

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Self Discovery, Shame & Pride, Grief, Family, Coming of Age

Tags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Race & Racism, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read The Skin I'm In Summary

The Someday Birds

by Sally J. Pla

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Disability, Childhood & Youth, Environment

Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Children`s Literature, Animals, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read The Someday Birds Summary

The Song of Roland

by Anonymous

Publication year 1095

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Wins & Losses, Safety & Danger, Religion & Spirituality, Loyalty & Betrayal, Good & Evil, War, Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Medieval, Narrative Poem, Military & War, European History, Trauma & Abuse, French Literature

Composed at the turn of the 12th century, La Chanson de Roland (translated as The Song of Roland) recounts the events surrounding the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778 CE. The Song of Roland is likely the oldest surviving poem in French and was immensely popular across Europe during the Middle Ages. The poem establishes many tropes and themes that have come to characterize medieval chivalric romances, but Roland is also an epic poem in... Read The Song of Roland Summary

The Sorrows of Young Werther

by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Publication year 1774

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Grief, Love, Mental Health, Self Discovery

Tags Classic Fiction, Romanticism, German Literature, Education, Education, World History, Romance

The Sorrows of Young Werther (in German, Die Leiden des jungen Werthers), written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, is a semi-autobiographical epistolary novel published in 1774. The story unfolds through a series of letters penned by the eponymous protagonist, Werther, and mainly chronicles his experiences in the small town of Wahlheim. Werther, a sensitive and idealistic young man, arrives in the town and becomes enamored with Lotte, a local magistrate’s daughter. His unrequited love becomes... Read The Sorrows of Young Werther Summary

The Spanish Tragedy

by Thomas Kyd

Publication year 1587

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Grief, Justice

Tags British Literature, Classic Fiction, Tragedy, Elizabethan Era

The Spanish Tragedy, written and performed between 1587 and 1590, is an Elizabethan revenge tragedy by Thomas Kyd. The play explores the dilemmas of Hieronimo, who plots for revenge after his son Horatio is murdered. Surrounded by the intrigue and deception of the Spanish court, Hieronimo’s quest raises questions about the nature of justice and the profound impacts of grief and loss. The Spanish Tragedy was a huge hit for Kyd’s audiences, performed at least 29... Read The Spanish Tragedy Summary

The Story of an Hour

by Kate Chopin

Publication year 1894

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Gender Identity

Tags Classic Fiction, Symbolic Narrative, Gender & Feminism, Dramatic Literature, Education, Education, American Literature, World History

Vogue magazine first published American author Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” in 1894. It was published under the alternate title “The Dream of an Hour.” Some contemporary readers consider the story an early example of flash fiction, a term used for very short prose narratives. The story exemplifies psychological fiction, in which the action of the plot concerns the emotions and thoughts of the protagonist. One of Chopin’s best-known and most popular works... Read The Story of an Hour Summary

The Story of Doctor Dolittle

by Hugh Lofting

Publication year 1920

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Animals, Environment, Friendship, Self Discovery, Colonialism

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Animals, Action & Adventure

The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting is a classic children’s book first published in 1920. Lofting, an English author and former civil engineer, crafted his tale of an eccentric doctor who learns to talk to animals by drawing on his experiences in the British Empire during World War I. Lofting’s story, which began as letters home to his children to escape the harsh wartime realities, belongs to the fantasy genre and has captivated... Read The Story of Doctor Dolittle Summary

The Terrible Two

by Mac Barnett, Jory John

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Conflict, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Perseverance, Revenge, Forgiveness, Teamwork, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Wins & Losses, Family, Appearance & Reality, Animals, Hate & Anger, Childhood & Youth, Education

Tags Action & Adventure, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education

... Read The Terrible Two Summary

The Thing Around Your Neck

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Publication year 2009

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Immigration

Tags African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, African Literature, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Relationships, Gender & Feminism

The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was published in 2009. Adichie had previously published two novels, making this text her third book and her first short story anthology. Some of the stories had been published previously in publications like The New Yorker and The Iowa Review. The book received praise, situating Adichie as a rising star of Nigerian literature. These short stories deal with problems of political conflict, immigration, artistic integrity, and... Read The Thing Around Your Neck Summary

The Third Policeman

by Flann O'Brien

Publication year 1967

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Death, Appearance & Reality, Justice

Tags Irish Literature, Fantasy, Humor, Absurdism

The Third Policeman is the second novel by Flann O’Brien, the pseudonym for Irish writer Brian O’Nolan, written in 1939/1940 but only published posthumously in 1967. It was originally rejected by the publishers of his acclaimed first novel, At Swim-Two-Birds (1939) and was largely forgotten until after his death. The novel is an absurdist, darkly comic novel narrated by an unnamed rural Irish “scholar” whose obsession with the eccentric thinker de Selby intersects with him... Read The Third Policeman Summary

The Three Musketeers

by Alexandre Dumas

Publication year 1844

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Wins & Losses, Power & Greed, Loyalty & Betrayal, Teamwork, The Past, Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Revenge

Tags Action & Adventure, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, French Literature, European History, Military & War, Love & Sexuality, World History

The Three Musketeers (1844), by French novelist and playwright Alexandre Dumas, is a novel that borrows tropes from the swashbuckling genre, historical fiction, and romance to recount the adventures of a group of king’s guard who face off against the machinations of nefarious political factions set on destabilizing the monarchy. It was first published through serialization in 1844 to great popularity. Though set in the mid-1600s, the novel connected with the philosophical underpinnings of the... Read The Three Musketeers Summary

The Tin Drum

by Gunter Grass

Publication year 1959

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Regret, War, Family, Memory

Tags Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Military & War, Trauma & Abuse, German Literature, Classic Fiction

The Tin Drum is a 1959 novel by German author Gunther Grass. In the novel, a man named Oskar tells the story of his life, particularly focusing on his experiences during World War II. The novel employs satire, absurdism, magical realism, and allegory to wrestle with the pain and trauma of life under Nazi rule. The Tin Drum was adapted into an Oscar-winning film in 1979 and has been hailed as a landmark in literary... Read The Tin Drum Summary