Literature
Related Topics and Subtopics:
Critical Literacy: Women in 19th-Century Literature - Introduce students to fundamental ideas of critical literacy through a reading and critical analysis of two pieces of literature from the 1800s, focusing on each author’s intent and intended audience. Students first read and discuss two chapters from a story by Louisa May Alcott. Each student then chooses a literary piece for individual analysis from the online archives of a popular magazine from that era. After reading and studying the two selections, students write an essay in which they compare each author’s purpose and voice. (O)
Wired for Books - Poems, stories, plays, essays, lectures, and interviews for children and adults. For many years, most of the best writers of the English language found their way to Don Swaim's CBS Radio studio in New York. The one-on-one interviews typically lasted 30 to 45 minutes and then had to be edited down to a two-minute radio show. Wired for Books is proud to make these important oral documents publicly available for the first time in their entirety. Listen to the voices of many of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. Wired for Books brings the literary festival to you. Listen to readings and lectures of noted writers,all featured guests of the Ohio University Spring Literary Festival. (Y, M, O, T)
The World of Peter Rabbit - For parents and teachers: Download resources and activities to share with your child. "Childrens play site" for online games featuring Peter Rabbit. (Y, T)
Wuthering Heights Study Guide - Wuthering Heights Study Guide consists of approx. 79 pages of summaries and analysis on Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. (M)
How To Do Research - From the Kentucky Virtual Library, this site is a special research portal and information literacy tutorial designed for grades K-5. Through its interactive gameboard format, the site takes students through the entire process of research from picking a topic through a self-evaluation rubric for the project. Great site! (Y)
Daily Lit - Daily Lit sends daily email installments of - you guessed it - literature. Register and choose from over a thousand free titles in dozens of categories. (M ,O, T)
Teaching Shakespeare Through Exercises on Acting and on the Basic Emotions - This article describes a college Shakespeare course employing participatory methods. Students carried out a series of exercises designed to put them in touch with the basic emotions and to approach the plays in terms of those emotions. Students carried out other exercises derived from actor training--including vocal warmups and memorizing and delivering two speeches. Various experiments are described which attempted to engage students more immediately with the plays. Plays mentioned: Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, and The Winter's Tale. (O, T)
How to Teach a Novel - This great Squidoo Lens from Keith Schoch, a New Jersey educator, will walk you through everything starting with choosing a great book. (M, O, T)
Book Adventure - Book Adventure is a FREE reading motivation program for children in grades K-8. Children create their own book lists from over 7,000 recommended titles, take multiple choice quizzes on the books they've read, and earn points and prizes for their literary successes. Book Adventure was created by and is maintained by Sylvan Learning. (Y, M)
The Mosaic Curriculum - "This signature series of free curriculum guides integrates the study of history, geography, literature, poetry memorization, world religions and more, through the use of living books, websites, hands on activities, and other resources. Free manuals include 180 detailed daily lesson plans per year, and feature needed item checklists, shopping lists, and more! The first year of ancient civilizations lesson plans is complete, and the second year of medieval lesson plans is in active development, nearing completion. A free unit study on timelines is included." There are two versions of the curriculum available, one with prehistory/evolution and one without. (Y, M, O, T)
Just One More Book - This website with a podcast is was create by the authors to tell "about the children's books we love and why we love them, recorded in our favorite coffee shop". Through this podcast and website, the site is building a lively, interactive community linking children's book authors, illustrators, readers (parents, children, librarians, teachers and literacy activists) and publishers. Busy parents and educators can now discover great read-aloud children's books while they are busy doing the many tasks that would otherwise rob them of the opportunity to research great children's books in more traditional ways. (Y, M, O, T)
Homeschooling Together - one family's attempt to make finding books and curriculum a lot easier for homeschoolers. They have categorized thousands of books, and for each book they display or link to reviews and prices from around the web and make it easy for you to check the book's availability in your local library (just follow the link on the book page and enter your zip code). The best feature of this site is the reviews by real people who have used the resources. The items are not limited to just curriculum, but also include topical books to supplement a subject. Free registration allows users to submit their own reviews. (Y, M, O, T)
Book titles to avoid - Native Americans - Despite the fine writing and exciting plots, many books about Indians foster continuations of classic blatant stereotypes. Recommended titles for reading as well as titles to avoid with explanations. (T)
The Red Road. - A pathway into Native American Literature (O, T)
American Indian Books - (Y, M, O, T)
Archaeology Expo’s Experts - Recommended Reading for Grades K-5 (Y)
Free educator guides for Walden Media movies - Interdisciplinary lesson plans written by educators for educators; Search by grade level, theme or subject; mix and match activities – there’s something for every class. Includes guides for Narnia movies, Nim's Island, The Water Horse, Mr. Magorium, and more. (M, O, T)
Book Punch - Book Punch provides interactive writing prompts about books commonly taught in schools today. It takes students through the steps of thinking and writing about well-known upper-elementary core literature. Based on their personal experiences, students write paragraphs relating to themes in the books. They also write brief responses connecting details with ideas in the book to infer a deeper meaning. Hundreds of built-in supports and tips guide students step-by-step as they work through the program. A management system automatically saves student work and allows teachers to check student progress easily and create reports. In addition, printable vocabulary activities, graphic organizers and a writing rubric are provided for each book. Get Book Punch FREE for a year!!! (M O)
Harper Collins for Teachers and Librarians - From Harper Collins Children's divisions. Includes a plan ahead calendar of holidays and events, book reviews, teaching resources and book activities. A nice resource for Authors and Illustrators too! (T)
Harper Collins - Parents - From the Harper Collins Children's division. Picture book sweepstakes, Character laptime activities and a pre-school clubhouse. (Y)
AmericanLiterature.com - American Literature is focused on the American short story. Thousands of short stories are available on the site along with author biographies. You may search by title or author and there are also several dozen popular American novels in their entirety on the site. (M O T)
The Fox and The Crow by Aesop - Free Podcasts from the Adam Smith Academy (Y, M, O, T)
The Boarding House (Part One) by James Joyce - Free Podcasts from the Adam Smith Academy (Y, M, O, T)
Blueberries for Sal Literature guide - (Y)
Cordoru Literature Guide - (Y)
Intermediate Civics (3-4): Values and Principles - Selflessness in the face of personal adversity. Alternate book list. Grades 3-4 (Y)
Kids' literature featuring Belgium - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Belgium (Y M)
Kids' literature featuring the Czech Republic - Top literature picks for children with themes related to the Czech Republic (y m)
Kids' literature featuring England - Top literature picks for children with themes related to England (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Germany - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Germany (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Greece - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Greece (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Italy - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Italy (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Russia - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Russia (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Scotland - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Scotland (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Spain - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Spain (y m)
Kids' literature featuring the Netherlands - Top literature picks for children with themes related to the Netherlands (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Wales - Top literature picks for children with themes related to (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Canada - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Canada (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Costa Rica - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Costa Rica (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Cuba - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Cuba (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Guatemala - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Guatemala (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Mexico - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Mexico (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Panama - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Panama (y m)
Kids' literature featuring the United States - Top literature picks for children with themes related to the United States (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Argentina - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Argentina (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Chile - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Chile (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Ecuador - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Ecuador (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Peru - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Peru (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Bali - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Bali (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Kenya - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Kenya (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Australia - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Australia (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Egypt - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Egypt (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Namibia - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Namibia (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Hong Kong - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Hong Kong (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Isreal - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Israel (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Malaysia - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Malaysia (y m)
Kids' literature featuring Singapore - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Singapore (y m)
Dear America Resources - "The Dear America and My Name Is America series have proven to be a welcome addition to literature written for children. The diary and journal formats allow youngsters to experience American history through the eyes of someone their own age... The Dear America and My Name Is America books are perfect for parents, teachers, librarians, and booksellers looking for fiction that blends reading motivation and American history for readers in elementary and middle school." Visit the Scholastic website for a wealth of resources to help you integrate these books (along with My America and My Name is America for younger readers) into your curriculum. My girls have both enjoyed these series and we are reading Elizabeth's Jamestown diary right now as we study colonial American history. Each guide includes an introduction for the discussion leader, a summary of the book, thought-provoking questions, student activities, and an interview with the author. (M)
Just For Kids Who Love books - Are you a kid 8 to 14 years of age? If you are, you can send messages about books and reading which I will post on this site. Other kids can read your messages and respond to them. You can also read and write book reviews as well as read previews of books. (Y M)
Screwtape Letters Worksheets - Beverly Schmitt of Love to Learn has put together a free set of worksheets, divided by chapter, to accompany a reading of the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. (M,O,T)
Paperbacks for Educators - Literature list by age, grade, theme (T)
Notebooking Pages - Debra at NotebookingPages.com has a very large collection of free resources available at her site in addition to the resources she has for sale. At NotebookingPages.com, Debra shares how to get started notebooking, gives many pages to get you started, and offers dozens of useful printables. If notebooking is a part of your homeschool, you will enjoy browsing the site for ideas and downloads. If you would like to learn more about notebooking, check out our notebooking page on TheHomeSchoolMom. (Y,M)
Activities and Lessons - From Teacher Views. Grade 3. (Y)
Jan Brett - With almost 4,000 pages of free resources using Jan's beautiful illustrations, JanBrett.com is a wonderful place to find printables of all kinds, from alphabets to art instruction sheets. The site is updated by Jan herself, and fans of her books will enjoy reading about her travels as she does research for her books. (Y, M, O, T)
Aesop and Ananse: Animal Fables and Trickster Tales - In this unit, students will become familiar with fables and trickster tales from different cultural traditions and will see how stories change when transferred orally between generations and cultures. They will learn how both types of folktales employ various animals in different ways to portray human strengths and weaknesses and to pass down wisdom from one generation to the next. Use the following lessons to introduce students to world folklore and to explore how folktales convey the perspectives of different world cultures. Grades K-2 from EDSITEment, National Endowment for the Humanities (Y)
It Doesn’t Have to End That Way: Using Prediction Strategies with Literature - After listening to a the beginning of a story, students use details in the text, personal experience, and prior knowledge to predict the way the story will end. To support their predictions, the class discusses the plot elements of the book to the stopping point as well as experiences they have had with other books in the genre and in their own lives. Students individually create illustrations of the story’s ending that reflect their predictions and share these illustrations with the class before the entire book is read again. After the entire book has been read, students compare their endings to the ending in the original story. Grades K-2 from ReadWriteThink, International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English. (Y)
What a Character! - In this lesson, students analyze how a character's personality traits, actions and motives influence the plot of a story. Students also learn how storytellers use their face, body, and voice, as well as the five senses, to enhance the telling of a story. Grades K-4 from ARTSEDGE, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. (Y)
Inferring How and Why Characters Change - Students use a think-aloud procedure to infer character traits and recognize a character's growth across a text. They also consider underlying reasons why a character has changed and learn to support those inferences with evidence from the text. (3-5) ReadWriteThink, International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English. (Y)
Web English Teacher - Children's Literature (Y,M)
The Paperback Swap - The source for free paperback books! "We are a group of real people who have formed a Club to swap paperback books with each other. No gimmicks. No spam. No advertising. No kidding... When another member requests one of your books, you mail it to them. (Y, M, O, T)
Free award-winning audio book series - "Runt the Brave" - "Driven by its merciless leader, an army of rats has besieged Tira-Nor. The city’s last hope lies with a mouse so small and so young that even his family calls him 'Runt. Winner of the 2005 Ben Franklin Award for Best New Voice in Children's Literature. (Y, M, O, T)
Charlotte's Web Unit Study - From Easyfunschool.com - About the Author, Charlotte's Web Word Search, Using Vocabulary Words, Charlotte's Web Activity Ideas, Printables, Snack Idea and Internet Lesson Plans. (Y,M)
E. B. White - From Harpercollinschildrens.com - biography (Y)
E. B. White - From Eduplace.com - Meet the Author (Y,M)
E. B. White - From abcteach.com (Y)
E.B. White - From Surfnetkids.com - Family Education: Charlotte's Web (Y,M)
White House Dream Team: Elwyn Brooks White - From Whitehouse.gov (Y,M)
Beatrix Potter - From Kids Korner (Y)
Beatrix Potter - Children's Author - Biography (Y, M, O, T)
Beatrix Potter's Naughty Animal Tales - What was Beatrix Potter's childhood like, and how does it compare to or contrast with the students' lives? Where did Beatrix Potter get the inspiration for her animal stories? What techniques did Beatrix Potter use to create her illustrations for her book (M,O)
More Than Just Bunnies: The Legacy of Beatrix Potter - Biography (M,O)
Literature unit studies - Homeschool Share is a small website that offers almost 100 literature-based unit studies, mostly for younger students.The site also includes links to resources to be used for FIAR (Five in a Row) units. Those of you who enjoy creating lapbooks™ will like this site. (T)
A Book In Time - Timeline of Historical Fiction and Nonfiction - The Ultimate History Booklist! I have featured this site before, but they recently changed their URL and that was a reminder for me to mention it again. A Book In Time is a recommended reading list for history including fiction and non-fiction books, which are listed by time period. (Y, M, O, T)
1000 Good Books - Gear up for great summer reads with this list (separated by age and category) from Classical Christian Homeschooling. "This 1000 Good Books List is by no means exhaustive. It is a listing of the books that 25 homeschooling mothers have come up with over the course of a year’s time through discussions of criteria to use in choosing a good book, and many other discussions about individual titles to include or exclude. (Y, M, O, T)
Madeline.com - The official Madeline website for Ludwig Bemelmans' classic Madeline children's books which have been loved by three generations. (Y)
A Month of Mapping Literature - "Take your students on a world tour with literature! Students read and discuss a new story or book each day. Students plot the locations of the story or book on a world map or globe." (Y, M, O, T)
Geoffrey Chaucer - This site provides materials for Harvard University's Chaucer classes in the Core Program, the English Department, and the Division of Continuing Education. (Others of course are welcome to use it.) It provides a wide range of glossed Middle English texts (Y, M, O, T)
Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture - This site from the University of Virginia presents texts related to Uncle Tom's Cabin both prior to its writing and after its publication, including the text of the book itself. (Y, M, O, T)
Young Heroes of History - - The homepage of the author of this series of Children and Young Adult historical fiction (M,O)
Why & How I Teach with Historical Fiction - Scholastic article by Tarry Lindquist (T)
Knowing Poe - The literature, life, and times of Edgar Allan Poe (O)
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe- by EasyFunSchool - Here are some activities to incorporate into a lesson or literature unit using The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. (Y,M)
Chronicles of Narnia Bible Study Course - The Magician's Nephew - By Christian Bible Studies. Free Bible-based study guide for the Magician's nephew. Use individually or as a group. (O)
English Literature Study Guide:The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - Frre online study guides by SparkNotes. (M)
Narnia Outreach - By Catholic Outreach; a fan site and resource center for parishes, schools, groups who want to use the film as a faith-formation opportunity. (M)
Literature resources for younger children - A large number of FIAR resource for specific books as well as general resources that can be used with any literature. Includes Elements of a Story Bookmark, World Traveler Passport, Classic Story Timeline, President Chart & President Disks and more. Scroll down for the links to the downloads. Requires Adobe Acrobat reader. (Y,M)
Kids' literature featuring Austria - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Austria (y m)
Kids' literature featuring France - Top literature picks for children with themes related to France (y m)
Kid's literature featuring Ireland - Top literature picks for children with themes related to Ireland (y m)
Kids' literature featuring India - Top literature picks for children with themes related to India (y m)