Big read

Readings of excerpts from and critical analysis of Hemingway's A farewell to arms, a novel about the tenuous nature of love in time of war told through the story of Lieutenant Henry, an American, and Catherine Barkley, a British nurse, who meet during World War I.

Ursula K. Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea (1968) is arguably the most widely admired American fantasy novel of the past fifty years. The book's elegant diction, geographical sweep, and mounting suspense are quite irresistible. Earthsea, composed of an archipelago of many islands, is a land of the imagination, like Oz, Faerie, or the dream-like realm of our unconscious. Earthsea may not be a "real" world but it is one that our souls recognize as meaningful...

Readings of excerpts from and critical analysis of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, a novel about a future American society that embraces hedonism and bans critical thought through reading.

Readings of excerpts from and critical analysis of Willa Cather's novel about the spirited daughter of a Bohemian immigrant family planning to farm on the untamed land of nineteenth century Nebraska.

Readings of excerpts from and critical analysis of Jack London's tale of an unusual dog--part St. Bernard, part Scotch shepherd--that is forcibly taken to the Klondike gold fields where he eventually becomes the leader of a wolf pack.

Includes interviews, commentaries and excerpts from the novel, providing first-hand accounts of why The Grapes of Wrath remains so compelling seven decades after its initial publication. Teacher's guide contains ten lessons, each with a focus topic, discussion activities, writing exercises, and homework assignments. Also includes capstone projects, suggested essay topics, handouts with more background information, and bibliographical references. Lessons...

Readings of excerpts from and critical analysis of Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club, a novel about four mothers, four daughters, and four families whose paths cross in 1949 in San Francisco as four Chinese women begin meeting to eat dim sum, play mahjong, and talk.

Discusses the theme and characters in Ozick's novel and includes excerpts from the book and background information on the author.