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750 BCE
The Iliad-Homer
"The great war epic of Western literature.."
"Dating to the ninth century B.C., Homer’s timeless poem still vividly conveys the horror and heroism of men and gods wrestling with towering emotions and battling amidst devastation and destruction, as it moves inexorably to the wrenching, tragic conclusion of the Trojan War. " ("The Iliad") -
700 BCE
The Odyssey- Homer
"An epic of Odysseus' 10-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War." ("The Odyssey") -
441 BCE
Antigone- Sophocles
"With the character of Antigone, the reader of the Oedipus Trilogy might get a false impression of watching a young girl grow up, as in a novel or a true series of related plays. " ("Antigone") -
Romeo and Juliet- William Shakespare
"A long feud between the Montague and Capulet families disrupts the city of Verona and causes tragic results for Romeo and Juliet. " ("Romeo and Juliet") -
Jane Eyre- Charlotte Brontë
"While the novel's longevity resides partially in its social message, posing questions still relevant to modern readers, its combination of literary genre keeps the story entertaining and enjoyable. " ("Jane Eyre") -
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer- Mark Twain
"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, first published in 1876, is a child's adventure story; it is also, however, the story of a young boy's transition into a young man." ("The Adventures of Tom Sawyer") -
The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn- Mark Twain
"Consisting of 43 chapters, the novel begins with Huck Finn introducing himself as someone readers might have heard of in the past. " ("The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn") -
The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald
"F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel,The Great Gatsby, follows Jay Gatsby, a man who orders his life around one desire: to be reunited with Daisy Buchanan, the love he lost five years earlier. Gatsby's quest leads him from poverty to wealth, into the arms of his beloved, and eventually to death" ("The Great Gatsby") -
Of Mice and Men- John SteinBeck
"A parable about what it means to be human. Steinbeck's story of George and Lennie's ambition of owning their own ranch..." ("Of Mice and Men") -
1984- George Orwell
"In 1984, Orwell creates a technologically advanced world in which fear is used as a tool for manipulating and controlling individuals who do not conform to the prevailing political orthodoxy.( ""1984") -
To Kill A Mocking Bird- Harper Lee
"Told through the eyes of Scout Finch, you learn about her father Atticus Finch, an attorney who hopelessly strives to prove the innocence of a black man unjustly accused of rape; and about Boo Radley, a mysterious neighbor who saves Scout and her brother Jem from being killed." ("To Kill a Mockingbird") -
A Wrinkle in Time series- Madeleine L'Engle
" A Wrinkle in Time, one of her earlier novels, is a blend of science fiction and fantasy, aimed at a young adult audience."("A Wrinkle in Time") -
Harry Potter series- J.K. Rowling
" {J.K Rowling} books have created a fantastic world — filled with wizards and muggles — that has completely revitalized a love of reading in both kids and adults." ("Harry Potter") -
Life Pie- Yann Martel
"The son of a zookeeper, Pi Patel has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior and a fervent love of stories. When Pi is sixteen, his family emigrates from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship, along with their zoo animals bound for new homes." ("Life of Pi") -
Percy Jackson and the Olympians- Rick Riordan
Inspiration came from his son Haley, "It took about three nights to tell the whole story, and when I was done, Haley told me I should write it out as a book...I had a lot to do already, but I somehow found the time to write the first Percy Jackson book over the next year." ("Percy Jackson and the Olympians") -
Finding Manana- Mirta Ojito
"A vibrant, moving memoir of one family’s life in Cuba and their wrenching departure. "("Finding Manana") -
The Hunger Games series- Suzanne Collins
"The author of the famous The Hunger Games series, Suzanne Collins is an American novelist and television writer. Suzanne developed an early interest in writing as a young girl." ("Hunger Games") -
Kane Chronicles- Rick Riordan
A trilogy starting with the Red Pyrimid. This is part of the plot for the first book, "Since their mother’s death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane..." ("Kane Chronicles.") -
Heros of Olympus series- Rick Riordan
Starts off with the Lost hero and ends with the Blood of Olympus. This quote is part of the plot for the first book,"Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently she’s his girlfriend Piper, his best friend is a kid named Leo..” ("The Heroes of Olympus") -
A Stolen Life- Jacyee Lee Dugard
"Dugard's memoir is written by the 30-year-old herself and covers the period from the time of her abduction in 1991 up until the present." ("A Stolen Life")
