Literature Study Guides

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Set in 1980s El Paso, the novel follows Ari Mendoza and Dante Quintana from the first awkward meeting at a public pool to a deep, defining friendship that forces both boys to confront family pain, sexual identity, and grief; after a painful separation born of silence and fear, they slowly find honesty, reconciliation, and a hopeful path toward self-acceptance and love.

Circe

by Madeline Miller

Circe follows the life of the witch-nymph Circe, who is born among gods but shunned for her differences; she learns herbal magic, is exiled to the island Aiaia, and over centuries encounters mortals and heroes, including Odysseus, with whom she has a son. Through exile, love, motherhood, and tragic loss she transforms from a fearful, hidden figure into someone who chooses human connection and, ultimately, mortality in order to claim agency and belonging.

Cloud Atlas

by David Mitchell

Cloud Atlas is a linked collection of six stories set from the 19th century to a distant post-apocalyptic future. Each story is discovered by the protagonist of the next, creating a chain that shows how actions, ideas, and testimonies travel through time. The narratives vary in style and genre but are united by recurring motifs and moral questions about power, freedom, and the endurance of art. Many characters suffer under systems of exploitation, some resist, and their preserved records ultimately influence and give hope to those who come after them.

Ghost Boys

by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Ghost Boys follows Jerome, a twelve-year-old Black boy shot and killed by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a weapon; as Jerome’s spirit observes the aftermath, he meets other victims of racial violence, most notably Emmett Till, and watches his family, community, and the officer’s household grapple with grief, truth, and the search for justice, while the novel ties individual loss to a longer history of systemic racism and insists on the moral power of naming and remembering.

March (trilogy)

by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell

March is a three-volume graphic memoir by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell that chronicles Lewis's journey from a childhood in rural Alabama to his leadership in the 1960s civil rights movement. Through black-and-white illustrations and first-person narration, the trilogy covers his training in nonviolent protest, organizing with SNCC, participation in sit-ins and Freedom Rides, his speech at the 1963 March on Washington, and the brutal events of Selma that helped secure the Voting Rights Act. The books honor the sacrifices of ordinary activists, show how disciplined activism can change laws, and connect historical struggle to ongoing efforts for justice.

New Kid

by Jerry Craft

New Kid follows Jordan Banks, an aspiring young cartoonist who transfers to a predominantly white, elite private school and must navigate microaggressions, code switching, and strained friendships while using his art to make sense of belonging and identity; over the school year he confronts prejudice, finds allies, and grows more confident in asserting who he is.

The Art of War

by Sun Tzu

The Art of War is a concise, chaptered manual by Sun Tzu that teaches how to assess situations, plan carefully, and use strategy, deception, and intelligence to win conflicts with minimal cost; it moves from principles of evaluation and logistics to battlefield tactics and finally to the use of spies, emphasizing adaptability, leadership, and the avoidance of unnecessary fighting.

The Collected Poems of Maya Angelou

by Maya Angelou

The Collected Poems of Maya Angelou gathers poems from across the poet's life to present a journey from personal pain and memory to strength, activism, and spiritual insight; using vivid imagery, rhythmic language, and recurring motifs, Angelou addresses identity, race, love, motherhood, and resilience while transforming private experience into public affirmation.

The Crossover

by Kwame Alexander

The Crossover is a novel in verse following twin brothers Josh and JB Bell, young basketball stars whose close bond frays as adolescence brings rivalry, romance, and academic pressure, then shatters further when their father suffers a life-changing heart crisis. Narrated by Josh, the book traces his struggle to reconcile pride and jealousy with fear and grief, and shows how basketball and poetry help him process loss and grow into a more mature sense of self and family.

The Invisible Bridge

by Julie Orringer

The Invisible Bridge traces the life of Andras Levi, a Jewish Hungarian student whose promising studies and romance in prewar Paris are interrupted by the rise of fascism; as persecution spreads he and his family are forced into labor, deportation, and exile. The novel follows their struggle to survive the physical and moral horrors of war, the losses they endure, and the fraught effort to rebuild identity and remember what was lost. Through intimate scenes of art, love, and daily endurance, the book explores how memory and creativity help sustain human dignity in the face of violence.

The Mahabharata

by Vyasa

The Mahabharata follows the long-standing conflict between two branches of the Kuru family, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, whose rivalry over kingship leads from political intrigue and a humiliating dice game to exile and finally a catastrophic war at Kurukshetra. Alongside epic battles the text explores deep moral questions, most famously in the Bhagavad Gita where Krishna advises Arjuna on duty and righteousness. After victory, the Pandavas rule but renounce power, and the story concludes with their final journey and reflection on dharma, fate, and the cost of war.

The Midnight Library

by Matt Haig

The Midnight Library follows Nora Seed, a woman distraught with regret, who finds herself in a metaphysical library between life and death. Guided by Mrs. Elm, she can open books that let her live alternate versions of her life based on different choices. As Nora inhabits many possible lives she learns that no single path is perfect, that success does not guarantee happiness, and that meaning often comes from ordinary connections and choices. With this insight she returns to her original life, choosing hope, self-compassion, and the possibility of change.

The Poet X

by Elizabeth Acevedo

The Poet X follows Xiomara Batista, a Dominican American teenager in Harlem who uses a secret notebook of poems to process conflicts with her religious mother, her emerging sexuality, and the pressures of adolescence; after a relationship with a boy leads to an unplanned pregnancy, Xiomara must make a private, consequential choice, and through poetry and performance she ultimately claims her voice and a greater sense of agency.

The Popol Vuh

by Anonymous

The Popol Vuh is the K'iche' Maya creation and ancestral book that recounts the gods' repeated attempts to create worthy humans, culminating in people made from maize; it also tells the saga of the Hero Twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, who overcome the lords of the underworld through cleverness and ritual, and it closes by linking these myths to the genealogies and social origins of the K'iche' people.

The Ramayana

by Valmiki

The Ramayana by Valmiki follows Prince Rama, his wife Sita, and brother Lakshmana through exile, Sita's abduction by the demon king Ravana, and Rama's struggle to restore righteousness; aided by allies such as the monkey hero Hanuman, Rama defeats Ravana and returns to be crowned king, but ongoing questions about honor lead to Sita's exile and the birth of their twin sons, Luv and Kush, before Sita ultimately returns to the earth and Rama completes his earthly role. The epic explores duty, devotion, leadership, and the moral challenges of upholding social order.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Evelyn Hugo, a legendary but private Hollywood star, hires writer Monique Grant to tell the full truth of her life. Through Evelyn’s account we follow her rise from poverty to stardom, her seven marriages—many strategic—and her enduring, forbidden love with fellow actress Celia St. James, along with the loyal friendship of Harry Cameron. The story examines how fame and fear of exposure force Evelyn into compromises, how her choices protect and hurt the people she loves, and why she ultimately decides to reveal everything to Monique, a confession that reshapes both women’s lives.

The Sun and Her Flowers

by Rupi Kaur

Rupi Kaur's The Sun and Her Flowers is a five-part poetry collection that charts a journey from heartbreak through grief and cultural reflection to healing and renewal. Using spare free verse and floral imagery, Kaur moves from the pain of loss to a reconnection with family, heritage, and self, ultimately arriving at resilience and cautious hope. The poems address love, migration, identity, the female body, and the steady work of becoming whole again.

They Both Die at the End

by Adam Silvera

In a near-future New York where a service tells people the day they will die, two teenage boys, shy Mateo and outspoken Rufus, meet through an app designed to pair people for their last 24 hours. Over the course of one intense day they venture through the city, confront past hurts, fall in love, and choose meaningful actions that reveal who they truly are. The novel follows their emotional journey to its inevitable end, exploring how connection, courage, and small acts of kindness give life weight even when time is short.

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