Popular Study Guides

The Popular Study Guides Collection brings together a selection of our most-visited Guides in one convenient place. Featuring titles ranging from classic literature with enduring appeal to popular book club picks, this Collection represents a diverse array of literature readers can't get enough of.

Shadow Jumper

by J M Forster

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure

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She Stoops to Conquer

by Oliver Goldsmith

Publication year 1773

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Humor, Classic Fiction, Play: Comedy / Satire, British Literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy

She Stoops to Conquer is a play by British writer Oliver Goldsmith, first performed in 1773. The play is a comedy of manners and a romance set in 18th-century England. Goldsmith was an Anglo-Irish poet and dramatist and this play is his most popular and well-known work, with performances still regularly occurring in the 21st century. In 1778, John O'Keeffe wrote a successful sequel to the play, entitled Tony Lumpkin in Town. She Stoops to... Read She Stoops to Conquer Summary

Shirley

by Charlotte Brontë

Publication year 1849

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community

Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Historical Fiction, Romance, Gender / Feminism, British Literature, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period

Shirley is a historical novel by Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855). Written in 1849, it is Brontë’s second novel and followed the overwhelming success of Jane Eyre (1847). It was also very popular when it was published. Set in Yorkshire in 1812-1813, a time of financial depression, its setting engages directly with the Luddite uprisings in the North of England, when textile workers protested the unemployment caused by new mechanical equipment in mills and factories. Shirley follows... Read Shirley Summary

Shooting an Elephant

by George Orwell

Publication year 1936

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government, Biography

“Shooting an Elephant,” is an essay by British author George Orwell, first published in the magazine New Writing in 1936. Orwell, born Eric Blair, is world-renowned for his sociopolitical commentary. He served as a British officer in Burma from 1922 to 1927, then worked as a journalist, novelist, short-story writer, and essayist for the remainder of his career, going on to produce celebrated works such as Animal Farm (1945) and 1984 (1949). Before penning this... Read Shooting an Elephant Summary

Short

by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Disability

Tags Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Grief / Death

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Siege and Storm

by Leigh Bardugo

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: War, Self Discovery, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Leadership/Organization/Management, Love / Sexuality, Military / War, Politics / Government, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Religion / Spirituality, Romance

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Siren Song

by Margaret Atwood

Publication year 1974

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mythology, Love / Sexuality

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Sisters

by Raina Telgemeier

Publication year 2014

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

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Slam, Dunk, & Hook

by Yusef Komunyakaa

Publication year 1991

Genre Poem, Fiction

Tags Lyric Poem, Sports, Race / Racism

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Sold

by Patricia McCormick

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Fear

Tags Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Introduction Sold is a young adult novel published in 2006 by American author Patricia McCormick. The protagonist and first-person narrator is Lakshmi, a Nepali girl from a remote mountain village who is 13 when she is trafficked for sex to an illicit organization in a large city in India. Through a series of short, titled poems (or vignettes), Lakshmi chronicles her experiences in the brothel called the “Happiness House,” recording her experiences with the people... Read Sold Summary

Solo

by Mary Rand Hess, Kwame Alexander

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Fame, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Prose poetry, Free verse, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Music, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Solo Summary

Song of the Hummingbird

by Graciela Limón

Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, Education, Education

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Sonnet 130

by William Shakespeare

Publication year 1609

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Lyric Poem, Play: Comedy / Satire, Relationships, Love / Sexuality

William Shakespeare is the author of “Sonnet 130.” The sonnet is one of 154 sonnets that Shakespeare published in 1609 under the title Shakes-spears Sonnets. The first 126 sonnets address a young man, while Sonnets 127-152 focus on a mysterious woman. As with “Sonnet 130,” the sonnets about the enigmatic woman concern ideas of love and beauty and directly undercut typical representations of both. Thus, “Sonnet 130” is satire; it makes fun of how adored... Read Sonnet 130 Summary

Sonnet 18

by Francesco Petrarch

Publication year 1330

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Lyric Poem, Renaissance

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Sorrow Is Not My Name

by Ross Gay

Publication year 2011

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Animals, Philosophy, American Literature

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Space Case

by Stuart Gibbs

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Humor, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature

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Speaker for the Dead

by Orson Scott Card

Publication year 1986

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure

Speaker for the Dead (1986) is the second book in the Ender sextet written by Orson Scott Card. Card is a renowned American science fiction author and has won numerous awards for his writing, including four for Speaker of the Dead—the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the Nebula Award for Best Novel, the Science Fiction Chronicle Reader Award for Best Novel, and the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.Speaker for the Dead is set... Read Speaker for the Dead Summary