How do we uphold goodness in a world where it can seem impossible? What are the consequences to the human heart when we fail to live up to the ideals of goodness? These are some of the questions posed by the texts in this collection which explores the theme of Good & Evil.
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Southern Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Publication year 1995
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature
Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, originally titled Northern Lights in the UK, is a young adult fantasy novel that follows 11-year-old Lyra Belacqua with her dæmon, Pantalaimon (Pan), a spiritual animal counterpart. They travel north from an alternate version of Oxford to find her friend, Roger, with the help of the gyptians, witches, and Iorek, the armored bear. Along the way, Lyra confronts unimaginable horrors, like children being severed from their dæmons by Mrs. Coultier’s... Read The Golden Compass Summary
Publication year 1961
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Arts / Culture, Ancient Egypt, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction
Young Ranofer’s dreams of becoming a goldsmith seem impossible because of his abusive half-brother’s influence unless he can prove the man is a thief in Eloise Jarvis McGraw’s esteemed middle-grade historical mystery, The Golden Goblet (1961). As Ranofer struggles to escape from Gebu’s evil control, he learns valuable lessons about friendship, courage, and the importance of doing the right thing. Vivid historical details of life in 1400 BC Egypt and a thrilling puzzle complement powerful... Read The Golden Goblet Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger
Tags Crime / Legal, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Biography, Health / Medicine, History: U.S., Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber is a true crime biography of the life of Charles Cullen, one of the most prolific serial killers in US history. Graeber is an American journalist who spent time as a medical student before moving on to journalism, writing for many prolific news outlets. His joint history in medicine and writing provides him with the necessary expertise to explain the intimacies... Read The Good Nurse Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Diversity, Grief / Death, Mental Illness, Parenting, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1943
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
German playwright Bertolt Brecht began writing The Good Woman of Setzuan in 1938 but did not finish the play until 1941, when he was living in exile in the United States due to Nazi rule and World War II. The play first opened in Switzerland in 1943 with a score by Huldreich Georg Früh, but the most commonly produced and studied iteration of the play featured music by German composer Paul Dessau. Brecht’s career came... Read The Good Woman Of Setzuan Summary
Publication year 1880
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Classic Fiction, Prose poetry, Narrative / Epic Poem, Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Russian Literature, History: World, Philosophy
“The Grand Inquisitor” is an embedded narrative, or a story within a story, contained in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s 1880 novel The Brothers Karamazov. In the novel, “The Grand Inquisitor” is a prose poem composed by the character Ivan Karamazov. Its fictional author, who writes this poem in an increasing state of despair, recites this work to his younger brother, the novice monk Alyosha. “The Grand Inquisitor” imagines Jesus Christ coming to Seville at the time of... Read The Grand Inquisitor Summary
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Children's Literature
In The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, an orphan boy is raised by ghosts in a cemetery, where he learns how to become invisible, haunt people’s dreams, and face his destiny. Published in 2008, this fantasy-adventure novel for middle-grade and young-adult readers became a #1 New York Times bestseller. It won the Newbery and Carnegie medals for best children’s book, the first time a work has received both awards. It also garnered a Hugo Award... Read The Graveyard Book Summary
Publication year 1945
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Allegory / Fable / Parable, Christian literature, Religion / Spirituality, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
C.S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce, first published in serial form in 1945 and as a novel the following year, explores an unnamed narrator’s experiences in Heaven and Hell. Although Lewis is best known for his contribution to children’s literature in The Chronicles of Narnia series, he also wrote many works of adult fiction and nonfiction. Almost all of his published work is either explicitly or implicitly religious in nature; many of his nonfiction works are... Read The Great Divorce Summary
Publication year 1990
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2004
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags History: World, Science / Nature, Technology, History: U.S., Health / Medicine
The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History is a 2004 nonfiction work by American historian John M. Barry. It traces the history of the worst pandemic in world history, the influenza pandemic of 1918 and 1919. Barry approaches the subject with a broad audience in mind, placing the story of the flu inside the broader story of medical and scientific history. While focusing on the men who fought the pandemic, Barry... Read The Great Influenza Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 1973
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Auto/Biographical Fiction, Incarceration, History: World, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Politics / Government, Russian Literature, WWII / World War II, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Action / Adventure, LGBTQ, Children's Literature
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, History: U.S.
The Heretic’s Daughter (2008) is the debut novel of author Kathleen Kent. Upon publication, it immediately made the New York Times bestseller list. Kent followed this title with two other best-selling historical fiction works: The Traitor’s Wife (2010) and The Outcasts (2013). She also wrote a crime fiction trilogy that was nominated for an Edgar Award. A resident of Texas, Kent was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters in 2020 for her contribution to... Read The Heretic's Daughter Summary
Publication year 1853
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Religion / Spirituality
The Historian (2005), Elizabeth Kostova’s best-selling novel, blends fact and fiction to reinvent the myth of the iconic vampire Dracula, or Vlad Ţepeş. In this retelling, the unnamed narrator accompanies her ambassador father, Paul, across Europe in the early 1970s as he tells her the story of his near encounter with the vampire. He tells her the Prince of Wallachia lives, 500 years after his death. Paul’s mentor, Dr. Rossi, was conducting research on Dracula... Read The Historian Summary
Publication year 1937
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Military / War, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction
J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is a classic high fantasy adventure novel first published in 1937. Tolkien (1892-1973) was an English writer, philologist, and professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University, as well as a close friend of fellow writer C. S. Lewis. The Hobbit is the first published work recounting tales from Middle Earth, Tolkien’s fantasy world with fictional races of hobbits, elves, dwarves, and more. After fighting in World War I, Tolkien worked... Read The Hobbit Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ
Publication year 1954
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Christian literature, Children's Literature, Religion / Spirituality
The Horse and His Boy, published in 1954, is the fifth of the seven books that comprise C. S. Lewis’s young readers series The Chronicles of Narnia. The first of the books, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, was published in 1950. Lewis published an additional book in the series each year through 1956. The Horse and His Boy was published in 1954. Lewis later requested the reading order of the books be changed... Read The Horse And His Boy Summary