Literature and Composition Texts
Literature and Composition Study Guide
In Literature and Composition, students will study nine full-length works of fiction and six short stories. Students who choose the Honors option will read eighteen full-length works of fiction and twelve short stories. A brief chapter in the study guide provides instructions for the additional writing that will round out the honors grade.
Each of the Literature and Composition texts below is linked to the edition I prefer at Amazon. These are affiliate links, of course — that means I get a few cents from each book purchase, but it doesn't change your cost at all. You can read more about how I choose editions to recommend at "Focus Texts for Excellence in Literature." You may go to the Excellence in Literature curriculum home page for more information about the entire curriculum.
Literature and Composition, English 2: Focus and Honors Texts
Each book below is linked to edition I prefer at Amazon. These are affiliate links, of course — that means I get a few cents from each book purchase, but it doesn't change your cost at all. .
Module 1: Robinson Crusoe by Daniel DeFoe
Honors: The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss or The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel DeFoe
.
Module 2: Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Honors: “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau and “Self-Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson
.
Module 3: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Honors: The Man in the Iron Mask or The Three Musketeers by Dumas
.
Module 4: The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Honors: Manalive by G.K. Chesterton
.
Module 5: Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
Honors: The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
. .
Module 6: Death Comes to the Archbishop by Willa Cather
Honors: Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett
.
Module 7: Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
Honors: King John by William Shakespeare
.
Module 8: Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
Honors: Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare or Rob Roy by Scott
.
Module 9: The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Honors: Kim by Rudyard Kipling
. Visit my blog to read about how I chose the literature for Excellence in Literature. This link will open in a new tab, so you don't have to worry about losing your place here. .Additional Suggested Resources
The Excellence in Literature Handbook for Writers is a reference book that includes instructions on how to construct logical arguments (theses), write essays, and work with grammar, punctuation, and style. 420 pages, paperback.