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 1955

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure

In 1954, writer and scholar of English literature J. R. R. Tolkien published The Fellowship of the Ring, the first of three volumes in his novel The Lord of the Rings. Considered a founding text of high fantasy, The Lord of the Rings is widely regarded as a modern classic. The saga’s roots in epic poetry, philology, and mythology have influenced both academia and popular culture, inspiring scholarship, Tolkien societies, and film adaptations, including Ralph... Read The Fellowship of the Ring Summary


Publication year 1946

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Animals

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem


Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Inspirational, Magical Realism, Religion / Spirituality, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a novel by best-selling writer Mitch Albom. Published in 2003, it sold more than 10 million copies and appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2004, the story was adapted into a made-for-television movie starring Jon Voight. In 2018, Albom penned a follow-up called The Next Person You Meet in Heaven. The novel follows the story of Eddie, a man who believes his life was... Read The Five People You Meet In Heaven Summary


Publication year 1956

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Classic Fiction, Satire, Grief / Death, Military / War, Magical Realism, Post Modernism, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World

Published in 1956, The Floating Opera is a literary novel by John Barth. Barth’s first novel, The Floating Opera focuses on Todd Andrews as he makes plans to commit suicide in the late 1930s, utilizing first-person nonlinear storytelling and humor to meditate on life and death. Following its publication, the novel was nominated for the National Book Award. Barth has published numerous novels since, becoming a seminal figure in postmodern American literature. Plot SummaryTodd Andrews narrates... Read The Floating Opera Summary


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Fame, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The Past

Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Humor

In 2014’s The Fourteenth Goldfish, by Jennifer L Holm, an aging scientist turns himself into a teenager who must re-enter middle school alongside his granddaughter while they plot to get him back into his lab to finish his brilliant work. A humorous science-fiction novel for middle-grade readers, The Fourteenth Goldfish is the first in a two-book series.   New York Times Bestselling author Holm has written nearly 60 books for young readers, including the May Amelia... Read The Fourteenth Goldfish Summary


Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Play: Comedy / Satire, Classic Fiction, Ancient Greece, Classical Period, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy, Humor

Frogs is an ancient Athenian comic play by Aristophanes (446-386 B.C.E.). It was first performed in 405 B.C.E. for the Lenaia, an annual sacred festival held in January in honor of the god Dionysus. According to ancient sources, Frogs (which won first prize) was held in such high regard that it was honored with a second production, an unusual event since comedies and tragedies were produced for competition at sacred festivals and rarely staged again... Read The Frogs Summary


Publication year 1986

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender

Tags Romance, Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, American Literature, French Literature, History: World

The Garden of Eden is a novel by American author Ernest Hemingway, who is regarded as one of the most important writers of the 20th century. Hemingway had worked on the novel for 15 years at the time of his death in 1961. It was published posthumously in 1986. Though controversial, the novel has been heralded as an important example of Hemingway’s work and was adapted into a film of the same name in 2008... Read The Garden of Eden Summary


Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Japanese Literature, Action / Adventure

The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn (1999), by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler, is the first novel in the Samurai Detective young adult series, currently comprised of seven books. The novel follows Seikei, the son of a merchant who aspires to be a samurai, as he helps the judge investigate the theft of a ruby from a samurai lord. It explores the themes of Personal Ambition Versus Societal Expectations, The Deceptiveness of Appearances, and The Importance... Read The Ghost In The Tokaido Inn Summary


Publication year 1986

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem


Publication year 159

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Humor, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Relationships, Animals, History: European, Ancient Rome


Publication year 1904

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, American Literature, History: U.S., History: World

The Golden Bowl is a 1904 novel by Henry James. The novel explores the intricacies of marriage and affairs in the early 19th century through the affair of Amerigo and Charlotte, who were once in love but too poor to marry. Amerigo instead marries Maggie, and Charlotte marries Maggie’s father, a wealthy American museum curator. While Amerigo is at first happy with his new wife, the time she spends with her father creates an opportunity... Read The Golden Bowl Summary


Publication year 1962

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags Gender / Feminism, Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Post Modernism, British Literature, Depression / Suicide, Love / Sexuality, Mental Illness, Relationships, Cold War, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World

Considered the most influential of Doris Lessing’s many novels, The Golden Notebook explores the development of a young writer. Anna Wulf has published one novel, Frontiers of War, to great acclaim, but she now finds herself uncomfortable with what she sees as its sentimentality and romanticization of war. Thus, she remains mired in a kind of writer’s block. She still writes in her notebooks, but she cannot bring herself to return to writing novels—especially in... Read The Golden Notebook Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride

Tags Lyric Poem, Finance / Money / Wealth


Publication year 1836

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

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

The Government Inspector is a satirical stage play by Russian-Ukrainian author Nikolai Gogol, originally published in 1836 and later revised in 1842. Also known as The Inspector General, the play is a comedy of errors based on a supposed anecdote relayed to Gogol by the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. In a small unnamed Russian town, a young dissolute government clerk, Khlestakov, is mistaken for an awaited government inspector. Khlestakov uses the situation to his advantage... Read The Government Inspector Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

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


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Health / Medicine, British Literature, Children's Literature, Grief / Death, History: World

The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel (2013) is a middle grade historical fiction novel by American author Deborah Hopkinson. Hopkinson is a prolific writer of books for young readers and has published over 70 books, including biographies, picture books, middle grade historical fiction, and long-form nonfiction. The Great Trouble explores themes of class disparity and scientific inquiry and is set against the background of the 1854... Read The Great Trouble Summary


Publication year 2002

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Music

Tags Lyric Poem


Publication year 1973

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Auto/Biographical Fiction, Incarceration, History: World, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Politics / Government, Russian Literature, WWII / World War II, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography


Publication year 1940

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags American Literature, Southern Literature, Southern Gothic, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1996

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Society: Education

Tags Lyric Poem, Education, American Literature