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 2017

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear

Tags Lyric Poem, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Black Lives Matter, African American Literature


Publication year 1927

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Immigration, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class

Tags Classic Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Action / Adventure, Satire, Class


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Fantasy, Action / Adventure

Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Among the Hidden is a young adult dystopian novel that follows the story of Luke Garner, a child whose existence is illegal due to a population law that prohibits people from having more than two children. He meets a fellow third child for the first time and learns about the history and structure of his country’s dystopian society. Among the Hidden was first published in 1998 and is Haddix’s fourth full-length novel... Read Among the Hidden Summary


Publication year 1980

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Society: War, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, WWI / World War I, Arts / Culture, History: World, Classic Fiction

A Month in the Country is a fiction novel published in 1980 by the British author J.L. Carr, a retired schoolteacher and publisher. The novel tells the deceptively spare tale of Thomas Birkin, a veteran of World War One who, having just returned from overseas, accepts summer employment to restore a mural. Dating back nearly five centuries, the mural adorns the wall of an old country church in northern England. During the weeks he painstakingly... Read A Month in the Country Summary


Publication year 1925

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Published in 1925, Theodore Dreiser’s realist novel An American Tragedy is one of the author’s most critically acclaimed works. Set in the 1920s in Kansas City, Chicago, and small-town New York state, the historical fiction novel is the story of how Clyde Griffiths, the son of poor, itinerant preachers, kills Roberta Alden during a boat trip in the Adirondack Mountains.This guide is based on the Kindle edition published by Rosetta Books.Content Warning: This novel contains... Read An American Tragedy Summary


Publication year 1939

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Society: Colonialism

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modernism, Classic Fiction

Published in 1939, And Then There Were None is a mystery novel by Agatha Christie, best-selling novelist of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. With over 100 million copies sold, And Then There Were None is the world’s best-selling crime novel as well as one of the best-selling books of all time. It has had more adaptations than any other work by Agatha Christie, including television programs, films, radio broadcasts, and most... Read And Then There Were None Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: War

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction

Book DetailAn Ember in the Ashes, published by Razorbill in 2015, is the first in Sabaa Tahir's An Ember in the Ashes series. The novel debuted at number two on the young adult New York Times best seller list and was also a USA Today and international bestselling book. In addition, TIME magazine named it one of the 100 Best Fantasy Books of all Time. It won the People’s Choice Award for favorite fantasy in... Read An Ember in the Ashes Summary


Publication year 1734

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Philosophy, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, Neoclassical, Didacticism, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Animals, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, History: World, Arts / Culture


Publication year 2018

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Nation

Tags Social Justice, Race / Racism


Publication year 1993

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Play: Drama, LGBTQ, History: U.S.

Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes by the American playwright Tony Kushner is an epic story that spans two plays – Millennium Approaches, first produced in 1991, and Perestroika, which debuted in 1992. The entire two-part work premiered on Broadway in 1993. Angels in America is Kushner’s most well-known work and is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most significant American plays of the 20th century. Angels in America... Read Angels in America Summary


Publication year 1879

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Class

Tags Classic Fiction, Russian Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance

Anna Karenina is Leo Tolstoy’s second novel, following War and Peace (1869). Serially published in 1877, Anna Karenina depicts the efforts of its titular character to escape an unhappy marriage to her older, civil servant husband and pursue a love affair with a young and dashing count, Alexei Vronsky. The novel is a sweeping family drama exploring Tolstoy’s interest in marriage, family, agrarian politics, and gender roles. The work is also a portrait of Russian... Read Anna Karenina Summary


Publication year 1908

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman

Anne of Green Gables is a world-renowned classic children’s novel first published in 1908 by Canadian author L. M. Montgomery. Set in the latter part of the 19th century in fictional Avonlea, a small town on Prince Edward Island, Canada, the story follows the accidental arrival of a precocious 11-year-old orphan girl, Anne Shirley, at Green Gables, the family homestead of middle-aged siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. Many mishaps, adventures, and ultimate successes follow Anne... Read Anne Of Green Gables Summary


Publication year 1890

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: War, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Fame

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, American Civil War, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Military / War, American Literature, History: World

Ambrose Bierce, an American writer and Civil War veteran, wrote “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” in 1890. Bierce’s story was first published in The San Francisco Examiner and later became part of his collection Tales of Soldiers and Civilians published in 1891. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is considered one of Bierce’s best works for its use of the stream-of-consciousness narrative technique and the hero’s journey as well as its exploration of death... Read An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge Summary


Publication year 2003

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger

Tags Animals, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Social Justice


Publication year 1938

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Self Discovery

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Philosophy, Education, Education, Philosophy, Politics / Government

Anthem is a short novella written by Ayn Rand and published in 1938. Rand is known for her polarizing fiction, which includes the well-known novels Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. She is also known as the founder of a controversial philosophy known as Objectivism. In 1987, Anthem won the Libertarian Futurist Society’s Hall of Fame Award. Since its publication, the novella has been met with mixed reviews due to the controversy around its Objectivist themes... Read Anthem Summary


Publication year 1924

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Race

Tags British Literature, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, History: World

E. M. Forster’s A Passage to India, published in 1924, tells a story of the power of colonialism, the tension between spirituality and morality, and the inescapability of evil. Forster wrote this historical fiction novel after traveling to India in 1912 and volunteering in Egypt during World War I. A film adaptation of the novel directed by David Lean premiered in 1984 and received multiple Academy Award nominations. This summary uses the 75th Anniversary edition... Read A Passage to India Summary


Publication year 1756

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Art, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Age of Enlightenment, Literary Criticism, Gothic Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Food, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Realistic Fiction, Food, Children's Literature, Jewish Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Society: Community

Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World