Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Survival Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1970
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment
Tags Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Southern Literature, Classic Fiction
James Dickey’s 1970 novel Deliverance explores themes of masculinity, the relationship between images and reality, and ideas about civilization and nature through the experience of four urban men on a canoe trip gone awry. Dickey, an influential American poet and novelist, was born in 1923 in Atlanta, Georgia. His poetry is known for its vivid imagery and exploration of nature and the human condition. Before turning to writing full time, Dickey served in World War... Read Deliverance Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Historical Fiction
Publication year 1968
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Natural World: Environment
Tags Science / Nature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Travel Literature, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction, Biography
Desert Solitaire is Edward Abbey’s 1968 memoir of his six months serving as a park ranger in Utah’s Arches National Park in the late 1950s. Throughout the book, Abbey describes his vivid and moving encounters with nature in her various forms: animals, storms, trees, rock formations, cliffs and mountains. He communicates an uncommon reverence for nature, and an unmistakable disdain for tame, cultured humanity, including the vast majority of the tourists who visit the park... Read Desert Solitaire Summary
Publication year 1992
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Historical Fiction, Children's Literature
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure
Divergent is the first installment in a science-fiction trilogy, and is narrated by a 16 year old girl called Beatrice Prior. The setting is a futuristic city which, though not specified in the novel, closely resembles Chicago. The city has been split into five factions: Abnegation, Dauntless, Erudite, Amity, and Candor. The idea behind this split is that human conflict has not been caused by political ideology, race, religion, or nationalism but by differences between personality... Read Divergent Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Fantasy, Humor, Action / Adventure, Animals, Children's Literature
Publication year 2018
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Disability, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Family
Tags Humor, Animals, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature
Publication year 2021
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family
Tags Humor, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Animals
Publication year 1985
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Action / Adventure, Animals, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature
Dogsong, first published in 1985, is a young adult novel by American author Gary Paulsen, who wrote Dogsong while he was training his dog sled team for his first Iditarod run. It was awarded the Newbery Honor Award in 1986. Paulsen, who was a popular author of young adult and children’s contemporary literature, is best known for books in the coming-of-age genre, often dealing with surviving the wilderness and embracing nature. He authored more than... Read Dogsong Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Animals
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, 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 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Fantasy, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (Harper Collins, 2014) is the first installment in the 4-book Dorothy Must Die series, followed by The Wicked Will Rise. The story follows a girl from Kansas through a dystopian land of Oz in which Dorothy rules with an iron will and unforgiving hand. Dorothy Must Die is set in the world of the Oz books by L. Frank Baum and was a New York Times bestseller. Danielle Paige... Read Dorothy Must Die Summary
Publication year 1936
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, American Literature, Classic Fiction
Double Indemnity (1936) is a crime thriller novel by American novelist, journalist, and screenwriter James Mallahan Cain. Double Indemnity follows Walter Huff, an insurance agent who is seduced by Phyllis Nirdlinger into killing Phyllis’ husband for an insurance fraud scheme to collect 50 thousand dollars. “Double indemnity” is a clause in a life insurance policy that doubles the policy’s value if the policyholder dies in an accident. James M. Cain was a pioneer of American... Read Double Indemnity Summary
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1968
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Relationships, Science / Nature, Technology, American Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1992
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, History: European, Health / Medicine, History: World
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Economics, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mythology, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature
Publication year 1976
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure