Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness.
Seeking an elusive white trader, Marlow journeys up an African river.

Crane, Stephen. Red Badge of Courage.
Young Henry Fielding joins the Union forces in the Civil War.

Dostoyevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment.
An impoverished student in St. Petersburg dreams of committing the perfect crime and believes he is exempt from moral law.

Golding, William. The Lord of the Flies.
Marooned on a tropical island, a group of schoolboys tries to set up a civilized society with savage results.

Hesse, Herman. Siddhartha.
Emerging from a kaleidoscope of experiences and pleasures, Siddhartha ascends to a state of peace and mystic wholeness.

Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World.
Feelies, the drug Soma, and orgie porgies replace learning and real happiness in the dehumanized world of the future.

Knowles, John. A Separate Peace.
In a New Hampshire boarding school during World War II, Gene causes an accident that cripples his friend Finny.

London, Jack. Call of the Wild.
A sled dog becomes the leader of a wolf pack in this tale of the Klondike.

Orwell, George. Animal Farm.
Determined to live in happy democracy after taking over the farm, the animals find that some are still "more equal than others."

Plath, Sylvia. The Bell Jar.
An autobiographical novel about a brilliant and beautiful young girl who is slowly breaking down.

Remarque, Erich M. All Quiet on the Western Front.
Paul Baumer, a young German soldier in World War I, experiences pounding shellfire, hunger, sickness, and death.

Smith, Betty. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
Francie Nolan struggles to grow up and thrive in a New York slum.

Steinbeck, John. East of Eden.
The lives of two California families intertwine as good clashes with evil.

Tolkein, J. R. R. The Lord of the Rings.
Middle Earth becomes the battleground between good and evil as Frodo struggles to destroy the ring of power and greed.

Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Huck Finn's adventures include journeying down the Mississippi River with a runaway slave, being kidnapped by his drunken father, and working with a fraudulent Duke.

Walker, Alice. The Color Purple.
After living as a victim of her father and her husband for many years, Celie evolves into a strong, independent woman.