Each study guide includes essays, an in-depth chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quiz. Study guides are available in PDF format.
The Ballad of Birmingham is a poem written by Dudley Randall in 1965.
In the poem, a young girl joins a protest on the streets to fight for racial equality. However, her mother stresses that white police brutality makes it unsafe for her to...
Eden Rock is a poem written in the 20th century by English poet Charles Causley. The poem is from his anthology collection, A Field of Vision (1988).
The poem itself is both a message and a vision of life after death. It describes a family where...
Blowin' in the Wind is a folk song by American singer-writer Bob Dylan and produced by John Hammond. The song was released in 1963 by Columbia Records after recording took place a year earlier in New York. The song was eventually included in...
The History Teacher was written by former US Poet Laureate Billy Collins as part of his anthology collection Questions About Angels (1991).
In the poem, a teacher fails to do his job properly as a history teacher, and instead decides to create his...
Strange Fruit is a song written by Abel Meeropol, and a version of it was recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939. Laura Duncan performed the song at a protest in New York City in the 1930s, and the song has since been covered by key musicians, such as...
Bringing Up Baby is an American screwball comedy film released by RKO Radio Pictures in 1938. The story was based upon the short story by Hagar Wilde which was originally published in Collier's Weekly magazine on April 10, 1937.
The film revolves...
Ernest Cline's well-known science fiction novel, Armada, departs from other cliche novels of this genre to freshly examine the familial bond of love and relationships in a dangerously alarming environment thwarting humankind's existence. The book...
Sounder is a young adult novel written by author William Armstrong. The book was published in 1969, telling the story of an unnamed African-American boy and his family, who suffer from hunger and poverty.
Interestingly, Armstrong does choose to...
Savage Sam is a children's story written by Fred Gipson, published in 1962. It follows on from Gipson's story Old Yeller, accompanying the Coates family on another adventure.
The book is set during the 1800s, on a ranch in Texas owned by the...
Ready Player Two is a science-fiction novel written by Ernest Cline and released in 2020. The sequel to the blockbuster novel Ready Player One was released in 2011. Cline had been planning a sequel for years, but he took his time writing this...
Old Yeller is a popular children's book written by author Fred Gipson and illustrated by Carl Burger. It was published in 1956 but remains a well-loved book today. The book was made famous by Walt Disney's film adaptation in 1957.
The story is set...
Calico Joe is a novel written by John Grisham, inspired by baseball. Published in 2012, the book mixes fact and fiction and is overall a great read for lovers of the sport. The novel is about pursuing a career in baseball and follows a...
A Life Sentence is a literary fiction novel by Adeline Sergeant, an English writer from the 19th century. The novel follows a trial for a murder of a respected member of the community called Mr. Vane, who left a widow and children behind. The...
Originally titled “Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios”, the movie is based on a French play called “La Voix humaine” from the 1930. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is a Spanish dark comedy movie released in 1988.
The movie follows...
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a mixture of comedy and horror based on the musical and the book of the same title, directed by Jim Sharman. The movie is a satiric take on the movies from the first half of the twentieth century, with horror and...
“Sunshine State” is a short story which is a part of the collection called “Everything Change an Anthology of Climate Fiction” written by Adam Flynn and Andrew Dana Hudson and published in 2016. The authors categorize the story in the so-called...
Introduction
The relationship between art and religion has been a topic of great interest and debate for centuries. In the context of Christianity, the discussion of art and its relationship to the Bible has been particularly significant. Francis...
The “Spider and the Fly” and other poems is a picture book by Mary Howitt. The book’s genre is imaginary. “Spider and the Fly” is a warning narrative about flattery. Howitt personifies both the spider and the fly to caution people against falling...
Arthur O’Shaughnessy was a British poet and zoologist, known also for his significant work with reptiles which would result in his name a part of scientific names of several types of reptiles. In the poetry department he is most known for his poem...
Phillip K. Dick was one of the most prominent American science fiction authors. Ubik is a science fiction novel published in 1969 and is revered as one of the greatest of the author’s science fiction work.
It is set in a futuristic world in the...
Bronwen Wallace was a Canadian whose work in poetry impacted many people during the last two decades. Most of his work touch on women's roles. Wallace articulates the emotions that are concealed underneath the surface of everyday activities. The...
Sarah Kay is an American poet, known in particular for her spoken word poetry. She was born in 1988 and has founded a group called V.O.I.C.E, which seeks to educate people using spoken word poetry. Kay has performed spoken word poetry herself for...
The House That Jack Built is a psychological horror art film directed by Lars von Trier, and was released on 14 May 2018 at the Cannes Film Festival. The film stars a large ensemble cast, including notable actors Matt Dillon, Uma Thurman, and...
The Lodger and Other Stories is a collection of stories written by Svava Jakobsdottir, an Icelandic author who is known for her use of magical realism, and her exploration of Icelandic culture. She specifically explores the shift the country has...
