Italian novelist Umberto Eco wrote, "I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren’t trying to teach us." This study guide collection gathers texts that explore what it means to be a father and what profound lessons their presence—or absence—teaches us.
Publication year 1982
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Fathers
Tags Sports, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Shoeless Joe (1982) by W.P. Kinsellais a magic realist novel that brings together stories about the Black Sox Scandal of the 1919 World Series by intermingling fantastic elements with the factual. The novel tells the story of Ray Kinsella, who lives with his wife Annie and five-year-old daughter, Karin, on a farm in Iowa, where he grows corn. The writer weaves the narrative around the importance of baseball in the collective memory of Americans, and... Read Shoeless Joe Summary
Publication year 1994
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Community, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Parenting
Publication year 2014
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Magical Realism, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Humor, British Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Slam (2007) is a young adult novel written by Nick Hornby. It tells the story of Sam Jones, a skateboarder who finds out that his girlfriend is pregnant when they are both 16 years old—his mother’s age when she had him. The novel explores themes such as Navigating Teenage Parenthood, How a Few Seconds Can Change Everything, and Relationships, Wisdom, and Growing Up.Nick Hornby is a renowned English writer known for his humorous fiction about... Read Slam Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Fame, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Prose poetry, Free verse, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Music, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1980
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
So Long, See You Tomorrow is the acclaimed final novel by American writer and editor William Maxwell. Originally published in two parts in New Yorker magazine in 1979, the book appeared the following year and received the prestigious National Book Award in 1982. Maxwell was the fiction editor of the New Yorker from 1936 to 1975, making him one of the most influential literary editors of the era. He worked closely with J. D. Salinger... Read So Long, See You Tomorrow Summary
Publication year 1962
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Relationships, Holidays & Occasions, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962) is a horror novel by American science fiction author Ray Bradbury. It tells the story of Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade, two small-town boys whose lives are threatened when a mysterious carnival arrives the week before Halloween. Bradbury, from a small Midwestern town himself, examines The Nature of Good and Evil, the human fear of mortality, and the sometimes-frightening experience of coming of age in the American Midwest. The... Read Something Wicked This Way Comes Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War
Tags History: Middle Eastern, Politics / Government, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Teams
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2002
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Fantasy, Japanese Literature, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Animals
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger
Tags Fantasy, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Chinese Literature, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure
Steelheart, a 2013 young adult sci-fi/fantasy novel by Brandon Sanderson, is the first installment of The Reckoners trilogy. The story takes place in dystopian Chicago, dubbed “Newcago,” which is overrun by evil superhumans called Epics and ruled by a functionally invulnerable tyrant named Steelheart. David Charleston, an 18-year-old boy whose father Steelheart killed 10 years before, joins a rebel group called the Reckoners hoping that they will help him take revenge on Steelheart. Borrowing elements... Read Steelheart Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Food
Publication year 2011
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: The Future
Tags Business / Economics, Technology, Science / Nature, History: World, Biography
Steve Jobs (2011) is an authorized biography written by Walter Isaacson about the life of the late Apple founder and tech revolutionary. Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs, the book is an in-depth exploration of who Jobs was, from the story of his birth and subsequent adoption to his massive success at the helm of Apple. Jobs himself personally requested that Isaacson write his biography on a phone call in 2004. By the... Read Steve Jobs Summary
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Sports
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Surviving the Applewhites is a children’s novel written by American author Stephanie S. Tolan and was first published in 2002.The narrative follows Jake Semple, a troubled teenager forced to move in with the unconventional and eccentric Applewhite family following an incident at school. Jake struggles to fit in at first but gradually sheds his past transgressions and undergoes a transformative journey toward self-discovery and redemption. The novel touches on Personal Growth and Transformation, Individuality Versus... Read Surviving the Applewhites Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Education, Identity: Race, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Social Justice, WWII / World War II, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World, Arts / Culture