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.

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Self Discovery, Loneliness, Appearance & Reality, Teamwork

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, World History

Publication year 1927

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Indigenous Identity, Race, Death, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Place, Friendship, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, American Literature, Religion & Spirituality, World History, Classic Fiction

Death Comes for the Archbishop (1927) is a novel by American author Willa Cather. The story is loosely based on the experiences of Priests Jean-Baptiste Lamy and Joseph Projectus Machebeuf as they sought to establish a Catholic diocese (an ecclesiastical district under the control of one particular bishop) in the newly acquired territory of New Mexico.A major figure in American literature, Cather is best known for the novels O Pioneers! (1913), The Song of the... Read Death Comes for the Archbishop Summary

Publication year 2018

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Politics & Government, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Memory, Grief, Justice

Tags Race & Racism, Social Justice, Trauma & Abuse

Publication year 1982

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Community, Femininity, Gender Identity, Language, Religion & Spirituality, Mothers

Tags Prose, Asian Literature, Gender & Feminism, Education, Education, Arts & Culture, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s Dictee (1982) is a hybrid form of prose poetry, autobiography, ethnography, criticism, and fictional experiments. Cha was a Korean American visual artist, poet, and filmmaker. She was tragically murdered only a week after the book was published. The book went out of print for several years before interest in Cha’s work was revived in the 1990s by feminist authors, such as Norma Alarcón. Cha’s work was honored with an exhibition including... Read Dictee Summary

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Family, Fathers, Education, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Perseverance, Love, Nostalgia

Tags Relationships, Agriculture, Lyric Poem, Education, Education

Publication year 1957

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Love, Nostalgia, Social Class, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Romance, Russian Literature, Military & War, World History

Introduction Doctor Zhivago is a 1957 novel by Russian author Boris Pasternak. Set during the early 20th century, the story follows the titular Yuri Zhivago as he deals with revolution and social upheaval in his native country. As well as being widely praised following its publication, the novel has been adapted numerous times for the screen, most famously in a 1965 film—for which Pasternak cowrote the screenplay—directed by David Lean and starring Omar Sharif and Julie... Read Doctor Zhivago Summary

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Coming of Age, Family, Nostalgia, Childhood & Youth

Tags Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Religion & Spirituality

Doll Bones (2013) is a middle grade novel written by Holly Black and illustrated by Eliza Wheeler. It blends gothic, horror, and fantasy elements. The novel follows three friends, Zach, Poppy, and Alice, as their make-believe games take a turn for the supernatural, sending them on an eerie quest to return a haunted doll to a gravesite before it wreaks havoc on their lives. The novel explores the challenges of growing up and the strain... Read Doll Bones Summary

Publication year 1848

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Loneliness, Love, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Death, Place, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Marriage, Mothers, Social Class

Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, British Literature

British author Charles Dickens, a notable figure in the canon of modern English literature, is a Victorian novelist famous for such stories as Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, and A Christmas Carol. A prolific author who blends sentiment, comedy, and social realism with a satiric edge, Dickens was enormously popular in his lifetime and deeply influential in the development of the English novel. Dombey and Son is considered one of his more mature if less popular... Read Dombey and Son Summary

Publication year 1951

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Grief, Perseverance

Tags Classic Fiction, Education, Education, British Literature, World History

“Do not go gentle into that good night” is an iconic poem by 20th-century Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, who occupied a special place in the public imagination for his magnetic readings and the revival of Romantic themes in his poetry. This poem, which appeared in his 1952 collection In Country Sleep, remains a favorite in anthologies and popular culture for its universal content and unforgettable dual refrain. “Do not go gentle into that good night” is... Read Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night Summary

Publication year 1605

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Aging, Friendship

Tags Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Social Class, Philosophy, Politics & Government, Renaissance, Religion & Spirituality, Satirical Literature

Don Quixote is a novel in two parts by Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes published between 1605 and 1615. The novel portrays the life of a middle-aged Spanish man who decides to become a knight, just like the characters in the works of fiction he loves. Considered to be a foundational work of Western literature and one of the first modern novels, Don Quixote is one of the most translated books of all time. It... Read Don Quixote Summary

Publication year 2009

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Self Discovery

Tags Humor, Realistic Fiction

Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not-So-Fabulous Life by Rachel Renée Russell (Simon & Schuster, 2009) is a young adult graphic novel told in diary entries about a 14-year-old girl’s journey through her first month at a new school. The book was both a New York Times and USA Today best seller. It also won the Children’s Choice Book of the Year Award for the fifth/sixth grade division (2010) and was nominated for Book of the... Read Dork Diaries Summary