Whether exploring the consequences of concealing the truth or excavating the mysterious nature of truth itself, the titles in this collection discuss the intersections among honesty, factualness, legitimacy, deception, falsehood, and lies.
Publication year 2005
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science / Nature, Education, History: World, Travel Literature, Biography
Dava Sobel’s best-selling book Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time tells the story of the 18th-century contest to find a precise way to locate a ship at sea, the clockmaker who built the first timepiece that could do so, and his battle with the astronomers whose alternate method competed for the winning prize. Replete with sea disasters, brilliant scientists, and scheming politicians, Longitude won... Read Longitude Summary
Publication year 1887
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Humor, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period
Publication year 2025
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: U.S., Arts / Culture
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Action / Adventure
Written by American author Christina Henry, Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook is a 2017 dark fantasy retelling of J. M. Barrie’s original play, Peter Pan. Henry has written several dark retellings of fairy tales to date, including Alice, which is based on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll; The Girl in Red, which adapts the story of Little Red Riding Hood; and The Mermaid, which based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The... Read Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook Summary
Publication year 2003
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger
Tags History: U.S., Colonial America, Education, Education, American Literature, History: World, Biography
Love and Hate in Jamestown: John Smith, Pocahontas, and The Start of a New Nation (2003) is a narrative history of the English’s founding of Jamestown in 1606 written by David A. Price. Price is a journalist for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and other American publications. In his retelling of the story, Price seeks to puncture some of the romantic mythology surrounding the relationship between John Smith and Pocahontas, while placing their... Read Love and Hate in Jamestown Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Contemporary Literature
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags New Adult, Romance, Holidays & Occasions
Publication year 1598
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Masculinity, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Comedy / Satire, British Literature, Drama / Tragedy, Romance, Humor
Love’s Labour’s Lost is an early Shakespearean comedy, produced in the burgeoning theatrical culture of Elizabethan London. It tells the story of four Lords, led by the King of Navarre, who swear to dedicate three years to study and avoid women. However, they immediately fall in love with four ladies, led by the Princess of France. The play follows their attempts to woo the ladies, while a host of comedic characters in the subplot squabble... Read Love's Labour's Lost Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Romance, Education, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Art, Self Discovery, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: World, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Family
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Humor, Southern Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ, Bullying, Depression / Suicide, Parenting, Love / Sexuality, Social Justice, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Diversity, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1995
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Nation
Tags Education, Education, Sociology, History: World, History: U.S., Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science / Nature, Education, Technology, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Action / Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Published in 1998, Rodman Philbrick’s Max the Mighty is a novel for middle grade and young adult readers. The sequel to the award-winning book Freak the Mighty, it continues the story of Max Kane, a giant of a 14-year-old who rescues book-loving schoolmate Rachel from her abusive stepfather, after which she and Max go on the run from the authorities.Max the Mighty won a place on the National Council of Teachers of English annual annotated... Read Max the Mighty Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance, Fantasy
Publication year 1988
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Play: Drama
Originally published in 1988, M. Butterfly is a postmodern play by Chinese-American dramatist David Henry Hwang, who also wrote Yellow Face and Bondage. Hwang drew from two sources to compose his text: the 1904 opera Madame Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini and the historical espionage scandal involving French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Chinese opera singer Shi Pei Pu. The play became Hwang’s best-known work and subsequently received the Tony Award for Best Play in the year... Read M. Butterfly Summary
Publication year 1641
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Philosophy, Age of Enlightenment, Religion / Spirituality, Education, Education, French Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Meditations on First Philosophy is a philosophical treatise by René Descartes. Originally published in Latin in 1641, the text would go on to influence European and global philosophical traditions. In this work, Descartes argues for the existence of God and the immortality of the soul. Two of its major contributions to philosophy are mind/body dualism and the famous phrase “I think, therefore, I am.” The book comprises six meditations wherein Descartes seeks to doubt all... Read Meditations on First Philosophy Summary
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Education, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Philosophy, Education, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, Ancient Greece, Education, Philosophy, History: World, Classical Period, Classic Fiction
One of the founding documents of Western philosophy, Plato’s Meno recounts a dialog on the nature of virtue between Socrates and his pupil Meno, a rising star among the leaders of ancient Greece. They discuss how virtue can be recognized, where it comes from, and whether it can be taught.Meno takes place in 402 BCE in Athens; Plato, Socrates’s most famous student, in 385 BCE wrote down his recollection of the conversation. It offers a... Read Meno Summary