Education

The Education Collection focuses on titles that explore teaching, learning, and knowledge through fiction and nonfiction genres. Offering perspectives from educators and students alike, these selections examine the formal and informal ways people gain and share knowledge and the social institutions that define education and schooling.

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Education

Tags Humor, Realistic Fiction, Education, Diversity, Bullying, Relationships, American Literature, Children's Literature, Education, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Education, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Psychology, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Psychology, Classic Fiction

The Wave is a 1981 young adult novel by Todd Strasser (originally written under the pseudonym Morton Rhue). A novelization of a teleplay by Johnny Dawkins for the 1981 made-for-TV movie of the same name, the story is a fictionalized account of a 1967 social experiment called “The Third Wave,” which took place at a high school in Palo Alto, California. In the novel, the experiment unfolds at the fictional Gordon High School. The story... Read The Wave Summary


Publication year 1903

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Education, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Victorian Period, British Literature, Music, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period


Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Education

Tags Western, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: World

The Whistling Season is one of 13 novels written by the late Ivan Doig. As with many of his other works, the story is set in Montana in the first half of the 20th century. Written in the first person, the narrative primarily takes place over the 1909-10 school year of the main character, 13-year-old Paul Milliron. Paul’s widowed father hires a housekeeper, Rose, who arrives with her brother, Morrie Morgan. Morrie, who becomes the... Read The Whistling Season Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Gender, Society: Education, Society: Class, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Finance / Money / Wealth, Poverty, Narrative / Epic Poem


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Education

Tags Humor, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2015

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government

Tags History: U.S., Technology, History: World, Science / Nature, Technology, Biography


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Education

Tags Class, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction, Indian Literature


Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Education

Tags LGBTQ, Humor, Self Help, Love / Sexuality


Publication year 1980

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Indigenous, Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Self Discovery

Tags Historical Fiction, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Asian Literature, Class, Education, History: Asian, Race / Racism

Pramoedya Ananta Toer—a famous Indonesian editor, essayist, and social activist—wrote This Earth of Mankind (1980)—the first book of his series The Buru Quartet—while imprisoned in the Buru Concentration Camp following a military coup that overthrew Sukarno, the first democratically elected president of Indonesia. Incarcerated for 14 years and prevented from having writing material, Toer memorized the books of his series and recited them to his fellow inmates each day until his release in 1979. The... Read This Earth of Mankind Summary


Publication year 2009

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Philosophy, American Literature, Self Help, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Education, Society: Community

Tags Sociology, Politics / Government, Poverty, Business / Economics, History: World, Social Justice

Tightrope: Americans Reaching For Hope (Alfred A. Knopf, 2020) is a nonfiction book written by the journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, who are also married. The book chronicles the individual impact of the American approach to poverty and offers prescriptions for how the United States can adopt a more human approach to those who are struggling with deprivation, addiction, and despair. Upon its release, the book was a New York Times best seller.Plot SummaryThe... Read Tightrope Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability, Identity: Language, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ, Fantasy


Publication year 1997

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Science / Nature, Animals, History: World


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Family, Society: Education

Tags Education, Social Justice, Parenting, Race / Racism, Education, Psychology, Psychology


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Self Discovery

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1993

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Education, Identity: Language

Tags History: World, Arts / Culture

A lifetime student of graphic arts and highly regarded artist himself, Scott McCloud first published Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art in 1993. The book is a graphic nonfiction work—literally a comic book about comics as an art form. Soon after its publication, the book began to garner extensive praise, and it continues to be well received three decades later. Understanding Comics received several awards including the Eisner Award for Best Comics-Related Book as well as... Read Understanding Comics Summary


Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Class, Society: Education, Society: Economics

Tags Sociology, Class, Race / Racism, Parenting, Poverty, Education, Education, Anthropology, Anthropology, Social Science, Psychology, Psychology


Publication year 2015

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Community

Tags Philosophy, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Arts / Culture

Unflattening began as the first comic-form dissertation at Columbia University, where Nick Sousanis completed a doctorate in education in 2014. It was published by Harvard University Press in 2015 and functions as an argument for visual thinking in teaching and learning. In 2016 the book received the further accolade of the American Publishers Award for Professional and Scholarly Excellence.In a Paris Review interview with Timothy Hodler, Sousanis cited Scott McCloud’s 1993 Understanding Comics as a... Read Unflattening Summary