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 1997

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Sports, Realistic Fiction, Humor


Publication year 1860

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Identity: Femininity

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Victorian Period, British Literature, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Disability, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Self Discovery, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1668

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class

Tags Play: Comedy / Satire, Classic Fiction, French Literature

The Miser, by Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (better known by his stage name, Molière) was written in 1668 and was first performed at the theatre of the Palais-Royal in Paris on September 9th, 1668. The five-act play, which takes much of its inspiration from Plautus’ Latin comedy Aulularia (or The Pot of Gold), is a comedy centered on a penny-pinching old miser, Harpagon, who schemes to make more money by arranging marriages for himself and his two... Read The Miser Summary


Publication year 1868

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period

The Moonstone is a Victorian mystery novel by the English writer Wilkie Collins. It was originally published in serial installments between January and August 1868. The Moonstone is sometimes considered one of the first detective novels in English, with its suspenseful and dramatic plot building on the success Collins had achieved with an earlier mystery novel, The Woman in White (1860). Throughout The Moonstone, Collins explores the themes of Public Reputation Versus Inner Nature, The... Read The Moonstone Summary


Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Travel Literature, Classic Fiction

The Mosquito Coast, published in 1981 by Paul Theroux, is an adventure story narrated by 13-year-old Charlie Fox, the son of a brilliant inventor who uproots his family to establish a self-sustaining settlement in the jungles of Honduras. Writing in the tradition of novels like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Robinson Crusoe, The Swiss Family Robinson, and Lord of the Flies, Theroux cited the Jonestown Massacre and the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith as influences in... Read The Mosquito Coast Summary


Publication year 1875

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place

Tags Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Fantasy, Survival Fiction, French Literature


Publication year 1870

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature, Historical Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period

The Mystery of Edwin Drood is the final novel written by English novelist Charles Dickens. Dickens completed about half of the novel before he died in June 1870, and he had already begun publishing the novel in serial form. Because the novel revolves around the mysterious disappearance, and possible murder, of the titular character, many individuals have speculated about how Dickens would have resolved the mystery had he completed the text. In the existing portion... Read The Mystery of Edwin Drood Summary


Publication year 1838

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Masculinity

Tags Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, American Literature, History: World, Fantasy

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1838) is Edgar Allan Poe’s only complete novel. The first two installments were published in 1837 in the Southern Literary Messenger magazine, where Poe was an editor. After leaving the Messenger, he continued working on the novel intermittently until it was published as a complete text in 1838. It brings together various literary genres—including the adventure story, coming-of-age narrative, and scientific guidebook— and infuses them with an... Read The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket Summary


Publication year 1883

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Immigration / Refugee, Lyric Poem


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Society: Colonialism

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1910

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class

Tags Classic Fiction, German Literature


Publication year 1901

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Economics, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Historical Fiction, Social Justice, Naturalism, Technology, Business / Economics, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government


Publication year 1952

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Masculinity, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags American Literature, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction, Education, Education

In The Old Man and the Sea, a 1952 adventure novella by American author Ernest Hemingway, an aging fisherman pits his life and wits against a giant fish as he battles to catch it and then protect its flesh from ravenous sharks. With its themes of endurance, perseverance, and respect for one’s opponent, this simple, straightforward narrative is widely regarded as an American classic and one of the greatest sea stories ever told.The book helped... Read The Old Man and the Sea Summary


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 2006

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia

Tags Free verse, Southern Literature


Publication year 1842

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Classic Fiction, Russian Literature, Satire, Education, Education, History: World

Nikolai Gogol’s short story “The Overcoat” is one of the best-known and most anthologized examples of Russian fiction. Numerous authors have cited “The Overcoat” as influencing Russian surrealism, short fiction, and satire. In 1941, the Russian American author Vladimir Nabokov referred to “The Overcoat” as “the greatest short story ever written” (Nabokov, Vladimir. “The Art of Translation.” The New Republic, 4 Aug. 1941). Likewise, one of the most famous apocryphal sayings in Russian literature (attributed... Read The Overcoat Summary


Publication year 1999

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships


Publication year -1

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Fathers, Society: War, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Play: Tragedy, Ancient Greece, Play: Historical, Military / War, History: European, Politics / Government

Written and first performed in 472 BC, the ancient Greek tragedy The Persians by Aeschylus is the oldest extant example of the genre. Known as the father of Greek tragedy, Aeschylus was also a veteran of the Greco-Persian wars, on which The Persians is based. Because it depicts recent events, The Persians stands out from other plays of the genre, which for the most part focus on the distant past or mythological heroes. The approach was a... Read The Persians Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Art, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Historical Fiction, Arts / Culture, Race / Racism, History: World