"We look at the world once, in childhood," writes poet Louise Glück. "The rest is memory." As adults, our childhood may lie in the past, but its influence never leaves us. This collection gathers texts that depict and examine the innocence and insights of childhood and youth.
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1976
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants
Tags Realistic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
Irene Hunt’s 1976 middle grade novel The Lottery Rose focuses on a young boy named Georgie who hides the evidence of his abuse and neglect at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend, Steve. After Georgie wins a rosebush at his local grocery store, he becomes attached to the shrub and passionately cares for it. Georgie’s life changes when the court system places him in an all-boys Catholic school, where he meets adults who... Read The Lottery Rose Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Magical Realism
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Animals
Tags Animals, Fantasy, Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags History: World
Publication year 1998
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Psychology, Parenting, Science / Nature, Sociology, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Social Science, Psychology
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Grief / Death, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1908
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music, Natural World: Animals
Tags Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Animals, Relationships, Class, Music, Parenting, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1976
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Disability, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1961
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Post-War Era
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961) is a novel by Scottish writer Muriel Spark. It explores the relationship between a group of six female students and their eccentric teacher, Jean Brodie, over the course of roughly 15 years. Using nonlinear narrative techniques, including flashbacks and flash forwards, the novel examines the influence of adults on adolescents, particularly in the context of their sexual and spiritual development. Set in Edinburgh in the 1930s and early... Read The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Summary
Publication year 1881
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, American Literature, History: World
The Prince and the Pauper: A Tale for Young People of All Ages is Mark Twain’s first historical fiction novel, published in 1881 in Canda and in America the following year. Set in 16th-century England during the reigns of King Henry VIII and Edward VI, the novel revolves around two identical boys: Henry’s heir, Prince Edward, and Tom Canty, a London beggar. After a chance meeting, the two decide to exchange roles, leading to a... Read The Prince and the Pauper Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags LGBTQ, Education, Education, Biography
The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood is a memoir published in 2014 by Richard Blanco, President Barack Obama’s inaugural poet, whose works include “América” (1998), “The Island Within” (2012), and “One Today” (2013). Blanco describes his childhood living in Miami with parents and grandparents who’d immigrated to America from Cuba. It offers a picture of his family’s nostalgia for Cuba and his simultaneous struggle to relate to a world he’s never seen. His... Read The Prince of Los Cocuyos Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Military / War, Arts / Culture, Education, Gender / Feminism, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, African Literature, History: African , Children's Literature
Publication year 1933
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Classic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Animals, American Literature, Historical Fiction
The Red Pony by John Steinbeck was published in installments from 1933 to 1936, as a novella in 1937, and in a short story collection, The Long Valley, in 1945. Steinbeck drew upon his experience living in the Salinas Valley. The four stories that make up The Red Pony are considered works of classic literature and bildungsroman, or coming-of-age stories. Steinbeck also wrote the screenplay for the 1949 film adaptation of The Red Pony, and... Read The Red Pony Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Philosophy, Children's Literature, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1998
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships, Gender / Feminism, Depression / Suicide
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, American Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
The Road is a dystopian fiction novel published in 2006 by American author Cormac McCarthy. McCarthy penned 12 novels, three short stories, and several plays for screen and stage. His works, including Blood Meridian and No Country for Old Men, are known for violence; postapocalyptic, western settings, and a lack of punctuation characteristic of McCarthy's writing. Widely considered one of the greatest novels of the 21st century, The Road won the Pulitzer Prize and the... Read The Road Summary
Publication year 1926
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Class, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Classic Fiction, British Literature, Modernism, Finance / Money / Wealth, Class, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Fantasy
D. H. Lawrence published “The Rocking Horse Winner” in 1926, just four years before his death in 1930. He had written a story, “Glad Ghosts,” for inclusion in Lady Cynthia Asquith’s supernatural fiction anthology Ghost Book. She did not like the story, partly because of the celebration of male sexuality and other erotic undertones. Lawrence wrote “The Rocking Horse Winner” for her instead. Lawrence sets the story in a haunted house, appropriate for a “ghost”... Read The Rocking Horse Winner Summary