Literature

Imagine living in a society of sameness where you find no color, no family connections, and no memory; a society where life is governed by rigid rules that resist change and resent questioning. Welcome to the world of Lois Lowry’s 1994 Newbery award-winning book The Giver, a powerful and controversial book about a utopian community and young boy’s dawning realizations about oppression, choices, and human connections. Paperback. 225 pages. Grade Level 7+ Learn More

This guide is the perfect resource to support Common Core Learning Standards and add rigor to your students' exploration of literature.

Recomended for grade K-3

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Pickles the cat has big paws and feels that he is meant to do big things.Even after Mrs. Goodkind takes him in he still feels unsettled. One day, hegets stuck in a tree and meets a fireman. Can Pickles impress the Chief andearn a place as Fire Cat? Level 1 I Can READ Learn More

The first book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring picks up about 50 years after The Hobitt #2430 leaves off. Unabridged for advanced readers.

Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power except one -- the One Ring that rules them all -- which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. Young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task when Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.

398 pgs

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This wonderful comprehension guide explorers the magical and enchanting storytelling of The Brothers Grimm. The guide offers engaging exercises and fun activities for nineteen classic fairy tales, such as The Traveling Musician, Rapunzel, and Tom Thumb. Can be used with either Book of Fairy Tales by Random House or The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale published by Everyman. The goal of the comprehension guide is to help students increase comprehension, expand vocabulary, identify biblical values in the literature while developing a student's appreciation and love for reading. Includes dozens of reproducible pages filled with comprehension questions, activities and answer key. Great for school and homeschool use.

Softcover 67p.

From Veritas Press

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Series: Extraordinary Lives

A bold new series of biographies for young readers focusing on the lives of inspirational historical and modern figures.

Paperback ‏ : ‎ 128 pages

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The Extraordinary Cases of Sherlock Holmes By SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE Introduction by Jonathan Stroud.

Through the foggy streets of Victorian London to the deepest countryside, Sherlock Holmes uses his unique powers of deduction in eight thrilling investigations, including the mysteries of ‘The Speckled Band’ and ‘The Reigate Puzzle’. With a captivating introduction by award-winning Jonathan Stroud

Paperback | Published by Puffin Books Apr 01, 2010 | 304 Pages | Middle Grade (10 and up)

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The Epic of Gilgames. Translated by N.K. Sandars. Miraculously preserved on clay tablets dating back as far as four thousand years, the poem of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, is the world's oldest epic, predating Homer by many centuries. The story tells of Gilgamesh's adventures with the wild man Enkidu, and of his arduous journey to the ends of the earth in quest of the Babylonian Noah and the secret of immortality. In addition to its themes of family, friendship and the duties of kings, The Epic of Gilgamesh is, above all, about mankind's eternal struggle with the fear of death. 128 pages. h Learn More

The first time Melanie Ross meets April Hall, she’s not sure they have anything in common. But she soon discovers that they both love anything to do with ancient Egypt. When they stumble upon a deserted storage yard, Melanie and April decide it’s the perfect spot for the Egypt Game. Before long there are six Egyptians, and they all meet to wear costumes, hold ceremonies, and work on their secret code. Everyone thinks it’s just a game until strange things start happening. Has the Egypt Game gone too far? 240 Pages. Grades 4-6 Learn More

An ALA Notable Children’s Book, The Eagle is the first in Rosemary Sutcliff’s Carnegie Medal-winning Roman Britain Trilogy

The Ninth Legion marched into the mists of Northern Britain—and they were never seen again. Thousands of men disappeared and their eagle standard was lost. It's a mystery that's never been solved, until now . . .

Marcus has to find out what happened to his father, who led the legion. So he sets out into the unknown, on a quest so dangerous that nobody expects him to return.

See also Volume 2, The Silver Branch (#7061) and Volume 3, The Lantern Bearers (#0379)

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The Door in the Wall Teacher Guide features teaching guidelines, notes on reading activities, lessons for the 10 chapters of The Door in the Wall including answers to The Door in the Wall Student Guide #1130, all tests, and the key to all assessments. Grade 6 Learn More

This reproducible study guide is recommended for grades 4th-6th. Suggested activities include comprehension questions, vocabulary, author and background information and more. Biblical references given. From Progeny Press. Learn More

The Door in the Wall Student Guide consists of literature guidelines and lessons for the 10 chapters of The Door in the Wall each containing reading notes, vocabulary, comprehension questions, quotations, discussion questions, and enrichment activities. The appendix includes “Hope is the Thing with Feathers ” by Emily Dickinson and “Untitled” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The answers can be found in The Door in the Wall Teacher Guide.#1131 Learn More

A nobleman named Robin has a life changing experience and is befriended by a kind monk. He has to learn patience and strength to overcome the trials he will face. Learn More

The Divine Comedy VOLUME 3: PARADISE By DANTE ALIGHIERI

Introduction by Dorothy L. Sayers and Barbara Reynolds

Translated by Dorothy L. Sayers and Barbara Reynolds

The third volume of Dante’s Divine Comedy

To the consternation of his more academic admirers, who believed Latin to be the only proper language for dignified verse, Dante wrote his Comedy in colloquial Italian, wanting it to be a poem for the common reader. Taking two threads of a story that everybody knew and loved – the story of a vision of Hell, Purgatory and Paradise, and the story of the lover who has to brave the Underworld to find his lost lady – he combined them into a great allegory of the soul’s search for God. He made it swift, exciting and topical, lavishing upon it all his learning and wit, all his tenderness, humour and enthusiasm, and all his poetry. In Paradise, Dante journeys through the encircling spheres of heaven towards God.

Paperback |Published by Penguin Classics Jul 30, 1962 | 400 Pages

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The Divine Comedy VOLUME 2: PURGATORY By DANTE ALIGHIERI

The second volume of Dante’s Divine Comedy See also Inferno ( # 5303) and Paradise (# 5307).

Beginning with Dante’s liberation from Hell, Purgatory relates his ascent, accompanied by Virgil, of the Mount of Purgatory – a mountain of nine levels, formed from rock forced upwards when God threw Satan into depths of the earth. As he travels through the first seven levels, Dante observes the sinners who are waiting for their release into Paradise, and through these encounters he is himself transformed into a stronger and better man. For it is only when he has learned from each of these levels that he can ascend to the gateway to Heaven: the Garden of Eden. The second part of one of the greatest epic poems, Purgatory is an enthralling Christian allegory of sin, redemption and ultimate enlightenment. 

Paperback | Published by Penguin Classics  | 400 Pages

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The Devil's Arithmetic (Puffin Modern Classics) By JANE YOLEN.

Hannah is tired of holiday gatherings−all her family ever talks about is the past. In fact, it seems to her that’s what they do every Jewish holiday. But this year’s Passover Seder will be different−Hannah will be mysteriously transported into the past . . . and only she knows the unspeakable horrors that await.

Paperback | Published by Puffin Books Apr 12, 2004 | 208 Pages | 5 x 7 | Middle Grade (10 and up)

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The Dark Is Rising: An Instructional Guide for Literature introduces students to the Newbery Honor and Carnegie Medal Honor Book. This resource will aid students in comprehending this intriguing story, and engage them as they analyze Will's journey to defeat the dark. Appealing and challenging cross-curricular lessons and activities were written to support this story, and incorporate research-based literacy skills to help students become thorough readers. The lessons and activities work in conjunction with the text to teach students how to analyze and comprehend story elements in multiple ways, practice close reading and text-based vocabulary, determine meaning through text-dependent questions, and much more. Add rigor to your students' explorations of rich and complex literature with this resource.

Grades 4-8

From Teacher Created Materials

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On the Midwinter Day that is his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers a special gift -- that he is the last of the Old Ones, immortals dedicated to keeping the world from domination by the forces of evil, the Dark. At once, he is plunged into a quest for the six magical Signs that will one day aid the Old Ones in the final battle between the Dark and the Light. And for the twelve days of Christmas, while the Dark is rising, life for Will is full of wonder, terror, and delight. Ages 10 and up. Learn More

Tucker is a streetwise city mouse. He thought he’d seen it all. But he’s never met a cricket before, which really isn’t surprising, because, along with his friend Harry Cat, Tucker lives in the very heart of New York City—the Times Square subway station. Chester Cricket never intended to leave his Connecticut meadow. He’d be there still if he hadn’t followed the entrancing aroma of liverwurst right into someone’s picnic basket. Now, like any tourist in the city, he wants to look around. And he could not have found two better guides—and friends—than Tucker and Harry. The trio have many adventures—from taking in the sights and sounds of Broadway to escaping a smoky fire. Chester makes a third friend, too. It is a boy, Mario, who rescues Chester from a dusty corner of the subway station and brings him to live in the safety of his parents’ newsstand. He hopes at first to keep Chester as a pet, but Mario soon understands that the cricket is more than that. Because Chester has a hidden talent and no one—not even Chester himself—realizes that the little country cricket may just be able to teach even the toughest New Yorkers a thing or two. The Cricket in Times Square is a 1961 Newbery Honor Book. Learn More

The Newbery Honor-winning The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dagliesh dramatizes a young girl’s struggle in colonial America. Eight year old Sarah Noble and her father travel through the wilderness of Connecticut in 1707 to build a new life. As Sarah and her father live in the wilderness, Sarah sometimes finds it hard to be brave when there are strange noises in the woods. However, Sarah soon makes new friends in her wilderness home, and when she must stay alone while her father goes to fetch the rest of the family, Sarah learns what it really means to be brave. The Courage of Sarah Noble Teacher Guide contains the answers to The Courage of Sarah Noble Student Guide.

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The Courage of Sarah Noble Literature Guide. This Memoria Press Literature Study Guide accompanies the sold-separately book The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh; the Memoria Press 2nd Grade Literature Teacher's Guide is also available separately (and contains the answers for this book).Literature study guides train students to become active readers. These guides focus on vocabulary, spelling, comprehension, and composition skills. Words to pronounce and spell prepare students for each chapter, and words to define build vocabulary. Comprehension questions teach students to think about what they have read and to learn to identify the important content of each story. Comprehension questions also teach students the advanced skill of composing a clear, concise answer to a question, a difficult skill at any age. Writing is thinking, and good questioning stimulates the child to think and to write. 2nd grade.

Teacher Guide also available #10304. Learn More

Ideal as a year-long program or for selective units. This packed volume takes an intense look at Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Tempest. Each of the 40 lessons opens up the world of Shakespeare, his words, and his characters. Extensive teacher support includes assessments, historical background and language study, synopses, and suggestions for engaging hard-to-reach learners. Reproducible Teacher Book. Grads 9-12. From Walch Education. Learn More

This Classical Reading Guide will help you choose the best books for K–12 reading by level, genre, and much more.

When you are choosing what books your children will read, the stakes are especially high.

In this information age, it’s sometimes hard to know how to choose from the sea of options and resources that present themselves at every turn.

That is why we have put years of research into The Classical Reader, collecting and analyzing the K–12 reading recommendations of classical educators from around the country, seeking those readings that have been important and pleasurable to generations of students.

This pithy book includes recommendations for reading at each grade level, noting each selection’s level of difficulty and genre.

This book is a valuable resource for every school and homeschool family for everything from book reports to reading for pleasure.

Though The Classical Reader physical book provides a way to keep a record of what your student has read and help you to plan future reading, we have also created a companion website! At ClassicalReader.com you can sort by level, difficulty, and genre.

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