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 1888

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Play: Drama, Naturalism, Scandinavian Literature, Class, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, History: World, Classic Fiction

Miss Julie is a naturalistic play produced in 1888 by the Swedish playwright and novelist August Strindberg. The play follows the acute romantic entanglement of the three characters: Miss Julie, a young aristocratic woman; Jean, her father’s well-read and well-traveled valet; and Kristine, the cook. Through the psychological battle of wills between Julie and the ruthless Jean, the play explores themes of Class Conflict and Social Hierarchy, Gender Roles and Power Dynamics, and The Complexity... Read Miss Julie Summary


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Disability

Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Mental Illness, Grief / Death, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1722

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Gender

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

Published in 1722, The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe tells the life story of a woman who carves her own path through late 17th-century England and North America. Like Defoe’s first novel, Robinson Crusoe, this work also tells the tale of a singular individual who overcomes adversity—in her case, extreme poverty—to become considerably wealthy. Moll Flanders is a wife, a thief, a sex worker, and an impresario. She is... Read Moll Flanders Summary


Publication year 1939

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Play: Drama, German Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction

Mother Courage and Her Children (1939) is a play by German author Bertolt Brecht (1898-1980). It tells the story of Anna Fierling, nicknamed Mother Courage, a peddler who travels across Europe during the Thirty Years’ War. It is a drama that questions the justification of warfare, revealing the hypocrisy of a war fought on religious grounds. As the war unfolds, Mother Courage struggles to keep her business afloat and her three children safe. The play... Read Mother Courage and Her Children Summary


Publication year 1971

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Mothers, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Animals, Technology, Grief / Death, Agriculture, Parenting, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Sociology

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is a children’s science fiction novel written in 1971 by Robert C. O’Brien. It tells the story of a field mouse whose son becomes ill as moving day approaches, so she enlists the help of a group of highly intelligent experimental rats for help. Robert C. O’Brien was inspired to write the Rats of NIMH after a visit to the National Institute of Mental Health’s experimental rat compound... Read Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Summary


Publication year 1990

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature


Publication year 1939

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Lyric Poem, Education, Education, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1816

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Romanticism / Romantic Period


Publication year 1918

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Immigration

Tags American Literature, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

IntroductionMy Ántonia, first published in 1918, is the third novel in what reviewers sometimes refer to as “The Prairie Trilogy” or “The Great Plains Trilogy” by celebrated American author Willa Cather (1873-1947). The other two books, O Pioneers! (1913) and The Song of the Lark (1915) also feature strong female characters from immigrant families in a Great Plains setting but are otherwise unrelated. My Ántonia is considered one of Cather’s most outstanding novels for its... Read My Antonia Summary


Publication year 1901

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Femininity

Tags Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Romance, History: World, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2018

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Immigration

Tags Immigration / Refugee, Latin American Literature, Children's Literature, Mental Illness, Biography


Publication year 1948

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction, Animals

In Ruth Stiles Gannett’s classic children’s adventure, My Father’s Dragon (1948), nine-year-old Elmer Elevator runs away to rescue a baby dragon held captive by the animals of Wild Island. Elmer must navigate a dense jungle and outwit fearsome adversaries, including tigers, a rhinoceros, and a lion in his expedition and, hopefully, realize his own dream of flying. As Elmer follows his quest, Gannett explores themes of courage, cleverness, and social sensitivity. My Father’s Dragon received... Read My Father's Dragon Summary


Publication year 2004

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Relationships


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Grandparents, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, African American Literature, Children's Literature, History: World


Publication year 1942

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Mythology, Classical Period, Education, Education, History: World, Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Originally published in 1942, Mythology is primarily a compendium of Greek and Roman myths, with a brief final section on Norse mythology, written by American educator and classicist Edith Hamilton. Hamilton engages with the myths as both a storyteller and a literary critic. She organizes and retells the myths narrated in ancient sources, and she assesses those ancient sources as works of literature. Her approach is grounded in the assumptions that Greek and Roman civilizations... Read Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes Summary


Publication year 1880

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Society: Class, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Realism, Realistic Fiction, Naturalism, Class, History: European, French Literature


Publication year 1779

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Play: Historical, Religion / Spirituality, Relationships, Elizabethan Era, Drama / Tragedy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1836

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags Philosophy, Science / Nature, American Literature, Transcendentalism, Education, Education, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1938

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery

Tags Existentialism, Philosophy, French Literature, Classic Fiction, History: World, Philosophy

Nausea is a philosophical novel by the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. Originally published in 1938, the novel was first translated to English in 1949. Nausea takes place in the fictional French city of Bouville (“Mud Town”) and follows the day-to-day life of the reclusive historian Antoine Roquentin. Antoine lives completely alone, without friends or family, as he researches and writes a book on an 18th-century French aristocrat, the Marquis de Rollebon. Antoine’s daily interactions with... Read Nausea Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Race, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Regret

Tags Race / Racism, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction