Literary Classics at Hoover

 

Author Title Description
Adams, Richard Watership Down Chronicles the adventures of a group of rabbits searching for a safe place to establish a new warren where they can live in peace.
Aesop Aesop's Fables A collection of the brief animal tales with specific morals which are attributed to a wise Greek slave. 
Alcott, Louisa May Jo's Boys The adventures and misadventures of the March family continue 10 years after Little Men at Jo's school for boys.
Alcott, Louisa May Little Men Sequel to Little Women.  Adventurous tales of Jo March continue after marriage and starting an experimental school for boys
Alcott, Louisa May Little Women Four very different March sisters grow up while their father is off to the Civil War.
Austen, Jane Emma Confident that she knows best, Emma schemes to find a suitable husband for her pliant friend Harriet, only to discover that she understands the feelings of others as little as she does her own heart.
Austen, Jane Pride and Prejudice Pride and prejudice keep Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy apart in this humorous tale set in proper 19th century English scoiety.
Austen, Jane Sense and Sensibility With limited finances, the two elder Dashwood sisters aren't god marriage prospects, or are they?
Barrett, William E. The Lilies of the Field A black soldier and a group of German-speaking nuns pair up to build a chapel in the desert having few physical resources.
Baum, L. Frank The Wizard of Oz After being transported by a hurricane to the land of Oz, Dorthy and her little dog Toto are befriended by a scarecrow, a tinman, and a cowardly lion on her journey to the Emerald City in hopes of finding her way home.
Boulle, Pierre The Bridge Over the River Kwai British Prisoners of War build a 600 foot bridge while serving in Japanese prison camps unaware that Allies plan to destroy it.
Bradbury, Ray Fahrenheit 451 In this future society where tv is promoted and books are banned, the hero discovers there is life and wisdom in books.
Bronte, Charlotte Jane Eyre An orphaned girl struggles to make it in the world, but happiness seems always to pass her by.
Bronte, Emily Wuthering Heights Catherine and Heathcliff's relationship develops in their own world.
Buck, Pearl S. The Good Earth A Chinese peasant farmer with the help of his wife becomes prosperous from working the land, but the wealthier he became, the poorer his choices
Buranelli, Vincent & Jonathan Swift Gulliver's Travels (adapted version) Lemuel Gulliver's fantastic voyages to Lilliput, a land of tiny people, Brobdingnag and its giants, and other incredible places.
Burnett, Frances Hodgson A Little Princess Sara Crewe is left impoverished when her father dies. She becomes a servant in the London boarding school where she had been a priviledged student, but maintains a positive outlook on life and is later rescued by a mysterious benefactor.
Burnett, Frances Hodgson The Secret Garden When orphaned Mary Lennox, lonely and sad, comes to live at her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire moors she finds it full of secrets.
Carroll, Lewis Alice's Adventures in Wonderland The fantastic story of Alice, who falls down a rabbit hole and meets many zany characters in a world where the rules are constantly changing.
Cather, Willa My Antonia Tells the story of an immigrant girl's experiences and hardships growing up on the Nebraska plains in the early 1900s.
Cervantes, Miguel de Don Quixote (adapted version) Inspired by books of chivalry, Don Quixote sets out in search of knightly adventure and the fair lady Dulcinea, squired by Sancho Panza.
Cleaver, Vera and Bill Where the Lilies Bloom In the Great Smoky Mountains region, a 14-year-old girl struggles to keep her family together after their father dies.
Cooper, James Fenimore The Last of the Mohicans Action-packed adventure about the wilds of the American frontier and the drama of the French and Indian War.
Crane, Stephen Red Badge of Courage A young Civil War soldier learns many lessons about himself and war.
Daniels, Patricia & Herman Melville Moby Dick (adapted version) Captain Ahab wants revenge on Moby Dick for causing loss of his leg.
Defoe, Daniel & Jn. Wyeth Robinson Crusoe An English sailor is stranded on a desert island for nearly 3 decades and struggles to survive in extraordinary circumstances.
Dickens, Charles A Christmas Carol The true meaning of Christmas is revealed through the transformation of a selfish and negative Scrooge.
Dickens, Charles A Tale of Two Cities The adventure story of a young Englishman who gives his life during the French Revolution to save the husband of the woman he loves.
Dickens, Charles David Copperfield The story of a young man's adventures on his journey from an unhappy and impoverished childhood to being a successful novelist.
Dickens, Charles Great Expectations Orphan Pip works as an apprentice in the business world of 19th century England. He falls in love with a girl from a wealthy family and gains a mysterious patron.
Dickens, Charles Oliver Twist Oliver is forced at an early age to live in a dark and dismal London workhouse run by the awful Mr. Bumble, who cheats the boys of their meager earnings.
Dumas, Alexandre Count of Monte Cristo Sentenced to life for a crime he did not commit, the hero escapes determined to exact revenge from his enemies.
Dumas, Alexandre Count of Monte Cristo Sentenced to life for a crime he did not commit, the hero escapes determined to exact revenge from his enemies.
Dumas, Alexandre The Three Muskateers Set in 1625,  D'Artagnan is travels from rural France to Paris where he meets the 3 Musketeers. Together the four battle the evil Cardinal Richileau.
Golding, William Lord of the Flies A group of English school boys are left stranded on an unpopulated island and face challenges with no form of organization or order.
Hawes, Charles Boardman The Dark Frigate In seventeenth-century England, orphaned Philip Marsham, forced to flee London after a terrible accident, faces an even more difficult situation when his ship is taken over by pirates and he is forced to become a member of their crew.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel Scarlet Letter In the early days of Puritan Boston Hester Prynne braves the stigma of adultery by wearing a scarlet "A" on her clothes while her husband secretly plans his revenge.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel The House of Seven Gables The sins of one generation are visited upon another in a haunted New England mansion until the arrival of a young woman breathes new air into their lives and home.
Heller, Joseph Catch-22 A bombardier in World War II tries desperately to escape the insanity of the war. However, sometimes insanity is the only sane way cope with a crazy situation. A parody.
Hugo, Victor The Hunchback of Notre Dame Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bellringer of Notre Dame Cathedral in medieval Paris, saves the beautiful gypsy Esmerelda from being unjustly executed.
Huxley, Aldous Brave New World Science fiction describing a utopian society where everyone is provided for but individuals realize something is missing.
Irving, Washington Legend of Sleepy Hollow Ghostly inhabitants of Tarrytown, New York around the time of the American Revolutionare headed up by the Headless Horseman himself!
Irving, Washington Rip Van Winkle A man who sleeps for 20 years in the Catskill mountains wakes to find a changed world.
Jenkins, Martin Jonathan Swift's Gulliver Retold, illustrated version of Gulliver's  fantastic voyages to Lilliput, a land of tiny people, Brobdingnag and its giants, and other incredible places.
Kipling, Rudyard Captains Courageous After being swept overboard from an ocean liner, fifteen-year-old Harvey Cheyne, spoiled son of a millionaire, is rescued by New England fishermen who put him to work on their boat.
Kipling, Rudyard The Jungle Books The tales of Mowgli, a lost boy raised by wolves in the jungles of India.
Lee, Harper To Kill a Mockingbird Attorney Atticus Finch battles racial prejudice in a small southern town during the Depression during the trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman.
Leroux, Gaston The Phantom of the Opera Under the Paris Opera House lives a disfigured musical genius who uses music to win the love of a beautiful opera singer.
Melville, Herman Moby Dick  Captain Ahab's salty saga of vengeance and obsession, set on a whaling ship in the 1800s.
Norton, Andre Shadow Hawk When his position at court is usurped by his half brother, a young Egyptian nobleman seeks to regain his standing through military victories against the enemy.
Orwell, George 1984 Everywhere Winston goes, even his own home, the Party watches him through telescreens; everywhere he looks he sees the face of the Party's seemingly omniscient leader, Big Brother. The Party controls everything. A prophetic, nightmarish vision of a dystopia.
Orwell, George Animal Farm The animals of Manor Farm oust their drunken human master and take over management of the land and conditions improve for everyone until the pigs begin to act like the former human master.
Pyle, Howard Men of Iron In seeking to avenge his unjustly accused father, young Myles Falworth is knighted and wins the friendship of King Henry IV.
Remarque, Erich Maria All Quiet on the Western Front Young Paul Baumer enlists in the German Army in World War I and takes his place with his comrades in the trenches.
Richter, Conrad A Light in the Forest Reared as an indian, 15 yr. old True Son has been taught to hate white people. When he is ordered back to his white family he wonders where he really belongs.
Saint-Exupery, Antoine de Little Prince, The A flier has a forced landing in the Sahara. He is met by the little Prince of Aseroid B612. The Prince tells the flier of his experiences on many planets with men, flowers and animals.
Shelley, Mary Frankenstein A monster assembled by a scientist from parts of dead bodies develops a mind of his own as he learns to loathe himself and hate his creator.
Solzhenitsyn, Alexander One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich A single day in the life of a prisoner in Stalin's labor camp in Siberia. Chilling tale.
Steinbeck, John Of Mice and Men The tragic story of the complex bond between George and Lennie, two migrant laborers in Central California during the Great Depression who dream of one day owning a small farm.
Steinbeck, John Red Pony Jody forges a special bond with the new hot-tempered pony from his father. He trains the horse and waits, restless to sit high in his saddle. When the pony falls ill Jody finds he has lessons to learn.
Steinbeck, John The Grapes of Wrath The epic tale of the hardships of the Joad family as they migrate from Oklahoma to California during the 1930s Dust Bowl/Great Depression.
Steinbeck, John The Moon is Down Set in Norway during World War II, Steinbeck explores the effects of invasion on both the conquered and the conquerors. Occupied by Nazi troops, a small, peaceable town comes face to face with evil imposed from the outside--and betrayal born within the close-knit community.
Steinbeck, John The Pearl For the diver Kino finding a magnificent pearl means the promise of a better life for his poor family. His dreams blind him to the greed that the pearl arouses in him and his neighbors.
Stevenson, Robert Louis Black Arrow: a Tale of the Two Roses 17 yr. old Richard Shelton joins the fellowship of the Black Arrow and participates in the War of the Roses in 15th Century England.
Stevenson, Robert Louis Kidnapped! 16 yr. old David Balfour is kidnapped by his evil uncle, but escapes and gets involved in the struggle of the Scottish highlands against English rule.
Stevenson, Robert Louis Treasure Island While going through the possessions of a deceased guest who owed them money, the owners of an inn find a treasure map that leads them to a pirate's fortune.
Stevenson, Robert Louis and Stacy Savran The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde (adapted version) A kind, well respected doctor can change into a murderous madman by taking a secret drug he has created.
Stoker, Bram Dracula Hypnotic tale of the bloodthirsty Count Dracula, whose nocturnal atrocities create suspense and horror.
Stowe, Harriet Beecher Uncle Tom's Cabin The story of American slavery and Uncle Tom, an African-American man who never lost his dignity under the most inhumane circumstances. 
Swift, Jonathan Gulliver's Travels Lemuel Gulliver's fantastic voyages to Lilliput, a land of tiny people, Brobdingnag and its giants, and other incredible places.
Tolkein, J. R. R. Lord of the Rings trilogy (Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, Return of the King)  Saga of a brotherhood of hobbits, elves, dwarves, and people, all heroes who set forth to save their world from evil. 
Tolkein, J. R. R. The Hobbit The mythical tale of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins when the wizard Gandalf chooses him for an adventure from which he may never return.
Twain, Mark A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court A blow on the head transports a yankee to 528AD where he proceeds to modernize King Arthur's kingdom.
Twain, Mark Adventures of Tom Sawyer The many adventures of the mischevious Tom and his friends as they grow up in a Mississippi River town in the 1800s. 
Twain, Mark Huckleberry Finn Floating down the Missippi, Huck and runaway slave Jim find life filled with excitement and adventure.
Twain, Mark Prince and the Pauper Young Prince Edward VI of England and a poor boy who resembles him switch places and learn about each other's very different lives.
Verne, Jules 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea The adventures of a French professor and his two companions as they sail above and below the world's oceans as prisoners on the fabulous electric submarine of the deranged Captain Nemo. 
Verne, Jules Around the World in Eighty Days. In 1872 eccentric Phileas Fogg accepts a challenge to circle the globe with unprecedented speed.
Verne, Jules Journey to the Center of the Earth A team of explorers makes an expedition into a crater in Iceland which leads to the center of the earth and to incredible and horrifying discoveries.
Vonnegut, Kurt Slaughterhouse-Five One of the world's great anti-war books. Centering on the infamous fire-bombing of Dresden, Billy Pilgrim travels through time with universal questions about life and hope.
Wells, H. G. Invisible Man A quiet English country village is disturbed by the arrival of a mysterious stranger who keeps his face hidden and his back to everyone.
Wells, H. G. The Time Machine A scientist invents a time machine and uses it to travel hundreds of thousands of years into the future, where he discovers the childlike Eloi and the hideous underground Morlocks.
Wells, H. G. War of the Worlds As life on Mars becomes impossible, Martians and their terrifying machines invade the earth. 
White, T. H. The Sword in the Stone The magical epic tale of King Arthur's Camelot: Merlin, Guinivere and Lancelot.
Wiesel, Elie Night A young, Jewish boy is a prisoner during the Holocaust.
Wilde, Oscar Picture of Dorian Gray  An incredibly handsome young man in Victorian England retains his youthful appearance over the years while his portrait reflects both his age and evil soul as he pursues a life of decadence and corruption.
 
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