The Alchmist novel by Paulo Cohelo about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago. He follows his dreams, literally, a well as “signs” from his environment. He travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Characters: Santiago (the shepherd) Melchizedek (the king of Salem) The Englishman […]
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Theme: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany, explores the theme of the impact of fame and legacy upon a parent-child relationship. It is about the journey Albus takes while growing up, and the roles he and his best friend, Scorpius (Draco Malfoy’s son), play when dark forces,
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Theme: Lord of the Flies by William Golding, explores the theme of civilization, rules, and order; innocence lost; mob mentality; knowledge; and nature. Summary: It tells the story of a group of young boys who find themselves alone on a deserted island. They develop rules and a system of organization, but without any adults to
Theme: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, explores the theme of destiny, youth, courage and love. Summary: Sophie is the oldest of three girls and works in a hat shop. Things change when the Witch of the Waste (evil bad women) puts a spell on her that makes her old. She meets the infamous
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Theme: Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey, explores the theme of Faith and Belief. Summary: It follows the story of Lessa, a young woman with a telepathic bond to dragons. Set in the world of Pern, it is a tale of courage, adventure, and the fight against an ancient enemy. Famous Quotes: A dragon is not a
Theme: The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett, explores the social themes, like class, money and position in society among other things as well. Summary: It is a collection of four stories set on Discworld, a flat planet that is carried by four huge elephants that stand on the back of the giant turtle Great
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Theme: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin, explores the theme of Coming of Age Knowledge and Patience vs. Power and Pride Identity and the Shadow Self Duty and Destiny Cosmic Balance Summary: A Wizard of Earthsea is a simple but beautiful and magical coming-of-age story of a young wizard Ged, who starts
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Theme: The Hobbit by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, explores the theme of bravery. Summary: A well mannered Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, embarks upon a journey to take back a kingdom, and a very important jewel ,with twelve dwarves, and a wizard named Gandalf the Grey. Halfway throughout the journey, Bilbo embarks upon a magic golden
Theme: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis explores the theme of good vs. evil, betrayal and forgiveness, courage, transformation, the natural world, and magic. Summary: This novel takes readers on a magical journey through a wardrobe into the enchanting world of Narnia where four siblings must battle the evil witch
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Theme: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, explores the theme of The price of life Stretch of a lie Summary: In this novel, we follow a group of elite con artists called the Gentleman Bastards. Led by their leader, Locke Lamora (the infamous Thorn of Camorr), the story begins with the gang trying
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Theme and Summary: A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin explores the theme of Power Struggles – The fight among characters and houses for control and authority Family Loyalty – The importance of staying true to one’s family and protecting them Betrayal – Characters turning against each other for personal gain Famous Quotes:
Theme: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton explores the themes of man vs. nature, technology, and power. Summary: The main message of this novel is to show the danger of using technology in such a way. Jurassic Park follows the characters of Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler as they are flown to an island
Theme: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, explores the theme of power and authority. Summary: Fleeing her old life, Rosemary Harper joins the multi-species crew of the Wayfarer as a file clerk, and follows them on their various missions throughout the galaxy. It introduces readers to the Wayfarer, a ship
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Theme: Angels & Demons by Dan Brown, explores the theme of centuries old conflict of science versus religion. Brown proves that the two are incompatible through the use of ambigrams and the character’s polarizing views on science and religion. The story follows Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon as he investigates a murder at the CERN research
Theme: The Martian by Andy Weir, explores the theme of sense of humor, self-control, self-confidence, humility, intellectual curiosity, hard working, problem solving, courage, and integrity. Summary: It is the sheer determination and resourcefulness required for survival in the harshest of environments. Mark Watney, the protagonist, is left stranded on Mars with limited supplies and no immediate
Theme: The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne, explores the theme of the relation between humans and natural resources. Summary: It follows the adventures of a group of castaways who use their survivalist savvy to build a functional community on an uncharted island. A hot-air balloon carrying five passengers and a dog escapes from Richmond, Va., during
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Theme: Elan Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine Ella, focus on theme of the importance of agency and selflessness in the world. Ella’s inability to refuse commands parallels the experiences of young adults, especially young women, who may have little control over their own lives. Her quest to become independent functions as a coming-of-age story. Famous Quotes:
Theme: A Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne, explores the theme of: Perseverance in spite of hardships Even to the point of ignoring reason The struggle for survival in a hostile environment Summary: A geology professor, Otto Lidenbrock, and his nephew Axel discover and decode an ancient document that purports to
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Theme: The Princess Bride by William Goldman, explores the theme of Love, Loyalty, and Friendship. Summary: Within the frame stories and in The Princess Bride itself, the novel’s characters are confronted with questions of what it means to be a good friend, parent, or partner. The Princess Bride is a love story between Westley and Buttercup. Famous Quotes:
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Theme: Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry explores the themes of friendship, death, heroism, camaraderie and solidarity among colleagues, humanity and the search for meaning in life. This book illustrates the author’s view of the world and his opinions of what makes life worth living. Summary: It is a collection of philosophical musings,
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Theme: Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson explores the themes of adventure, justice, loyalty and friendship, and diversity of ethics. Summary: It is the story of Davie’s struggle to claim his inheritance and find his place in the world. Alan Breck Stewart who is a loyal Scotsman who helps Davie claim his rightful place in the
Theme: King Solomon’s Mines by H. Rider Haggard explores themes of exploration, greed, and the clash of cultures. Summary: It is a thrilling adventure novel that follows Allan Quatermain and his companions as they search for the legendary diamond mines of King Solomon in Africa. Famous Quotes: Only love and death will change all things.
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Theme: Life of Pi by Yann Martel explores the themes of spirituality and religion, self-perception, the definition of family, and the nature of animals Summary: This novel revolves around a teenage Indian boy, Pi, who becomes lost at sea after a shipwreck. Pi finds himself struggling for survival against the torrential ocean with his only
Theme: Tarzan of the Apes by E R Burroughs, explores the theme about the impact of heredity on behavior; racial superiority; civilization, especially as his struggles with his identity as a human; sexuality; and escapism. Summary: Tarzan/John Clayton is very intelligent and articulate, and does not speak in broken English as the classic movies of
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Theme: The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain explores themes of freedom, civilization, and prejudice. Summary: It is told from the point of view of Huck Finn, a barely literate teen who fakes his own death to escape his abusive, drunken father. He encounters a runaway slave named Jim, and the two embark on a
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Theme: The central theme of The Swiss Family Robinson is family. It was intended to teach his four sons about family values, good farming, the uses of the natural world, and self-reliance. Summary: The novel is about the adventures of a Swiss family—a father, a mother, and four sons—who are shipwrecked on a deserted island.
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Theme: White Fang by Jack London explores the theme of nature, the wild, and the complexities of living beings adapting to their surroundings. It also includes the power of empathy and kindness in transforming even the wildest creatures. Summary: It is the story of a wolf dog that is rescued from its brutal owner and gradually
Theme: Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome, the principal theme considered in the novel is the relationship between the city and country life. Summary: It is about three friends and a dog rowing their way along the Thames toward Oxford. This story revolves round, more or less, the adventure of three men
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Theme: She – A History of Adventure by Henry Rider Haggard, explores the theme of “an immortal woman inspired by an immortal love”. Summary: It was one of the first pieces of serial literature to reach a large popular audience. A Victorian professor and his adopted son travel to Africa in search of a lost
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Theme: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, explores the theme of love, the universe conspires, perseverance, gratitude, hope, personal legend, dreams, and life. Summary: An Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. He is both a simple sheep herder
Theme: The most important message in Harry Potter is that love and friendship triumph over anything, no matter how fear-inducing the obstacles may be. Summary: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, also called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The book is about 11 year old Harry Potter, who receives a letter saying that he
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Theme: The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi explores the theme about that people will be rewarded for being brave, loyal, and honest. Summary: A poor man named Geppetto wants to carve himself a marionette in order to make a living as a puppeteer. He is given a piece of enchanted wood, and as soon
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