Literature By Time Period

On a cold February day, Samuel was studying in his overcoat, rubbing his chilled fingers, when a loud knock at the front door startled him. His good friend Lowell Mason had come to remind Samuel of a promise. A New England pastor, he wrote the lyrics to "America, My Country 'Tis of Thee.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is the Newbery Award winning story of an African American family living in Mississipi in the early part of the 20th century. Segregation was the norm, with black and white children living in separate social strata, attending separate schools, and subject to different rules. The story explores difficult subjects such as segregation, prejudice, and the KKK. Written for grades 6-8. This story would make an excellent addition to any study of recent American history.

Against the backdrop of the French Revolution, Dickens unfolds a masterpiece of drama, adventure, and courage featuring Charles Darnay, a man falsely accused of treason. He bears an uncanny resemblance to the dissolute, yet noble Sydney Carton — a coincidence that saves Darnay from certain doom more than once. Brilliantly plotted, the novel culminates in a daring prison escape in the shadow of the guillotine.

Intended at first as a simple story of a boy's adventures in the Mississippi Valley--a sequel to Tom Sawyer--the book grew and matured under Twain's hand into a work of immeasurable richness and complexity. More than a century after its publication, the critical debate over the symbolic significance of Huck's and Jim's voyage is still fresh, and it remains a major work that can be enjoyed at many levels: as an incomparable adventure story and as a classic of American humor.

In 1520, thirteen-year-old Anne Boleyn, jealous of her older sister's beauty and position at court, declares that she will one day be queen of England, and that her sister will kneel at her feet. Though born without great beauty, wealth, or title, Anne Boleyn blossomed into a captivating woman. She used her wiles to win the heart of England's most powerful man, King Henry VIII, and to persuade him to defy everyone--including his own wife--to make her his new queen. But Anne's ambition proved to be her fatal flaw.

Book 1 of the Circle C Adventure series. Twelve-year-old Andrea Carter can't seem to stay out of trouble. Now her beloved horse, Taffy, is missing and it's Andi's fault. The daring young girl will do anything to find the thief and recover Taffy. But her choices plunge her into danger, and Andi discovers that life on her own in the Old West can be downright terrifying! 

Book 2 of the Circle C Adventure series. Andi nearly tramples her new teacher in a reckless, impromptu horse race down the main street of Fresno, California--not a good way to begin the fall 1880 school term. Her troubles multiply when she must decide if she should deliberately walk into a dangerous situation to rescue the teacher's mean-spirited, trouble-making daughter.

Book 3 of the Circle C Adventure series. Strange things are happening on the Circle C. Andi finds a stranger near death in the creek. A mysterious young woman shows up at the ranch with her three young children. And why was Andi never told the secret her family has carefully kept hidden? Angry and hurt at being left out, Andi saddles Taffy and sets out to find some answers--answers that turn her world upside down.

Book 4 of the Circle C Adventure series. When a flood damages the schoolhouse, Andi is ecstatic—until her family sends her to a stuffy San Francisco school for young ladies. The plight of a small, Chinese slave girl captures her heart, sending Andi and her new friends into the dark alleys of  Chinatown, where danger greater than she’s ever known waits to swallow them up.

Book 5 of the Circle C Adventure series. A map of old gold diggings lures Andi and her friends into the Sierras. Big brother Mitch goes along to keep them safe, but instead of gold they find heaps of trouble—trouble that leaves Mitch gravely injured. Andi needs help fast. But whom can she trust? And what good is a bag of gold when her beloved brother lies near death in the middle of nowhere? 

Book 6 of the Circle C Adventure series. Andi wants to surprise her mother with the perfect birthday gift. But working in town after school puts Andi in the wrong place at the wrong time. She witnesses a back-alley crime that places a beloved citizen at the scene. Will the price of telling the truth about what she saw be too high if it means losing Taffy forever? 

In his final quest, Gilgamesh, still mourning the death of his dear friend Enkidu, sets out to find the key to immortality. His journey is perilous. He must fight ferocious serpents and wild lions. He travels through bitterly cold caves, across scorching deserts, and over the fatal waters of the Sea of Death. Finally he arrives at the palace of Utnapishtim, the only human who knows the secret of immortality. Utnapishtim sets Gilgamesh a test to stay away for six days and seven nights, but Gilgamesh fails. His last hope, a flower of eternal youth, is eaten by the goddess Ishtar, who exacts her revenge. Finally, Enkidu comes from the underworld to show Gilgamesh true immortality: the king will be remembered for his good deeds, courage, and love for his people. This book is used in Illuminations.