"We look at the world once, in childhood," writes poet Louise Glück. "The rest is memory." As adults, our childhood may lie in the past, but its influence never leaves us. This collection gathers texts that depict and examine the innocence and insights of childhood and youth.
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Fantasy, Christian literature, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1995
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 2000
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Identity: Language
Tags Arts / Culture, Self Help, Biography
Stephen King’s 2000 memoir, On Writing, details King’s formation as an author and provides writing advice. The memoir is divided into five sections: “C.V.,” “What Writing Is,” “Toolbox,” “On Writing,” and “On Living.”In “C.V.,” King provides a curriculum vitae describing how he was formed as a writer. He begins in his early childhood and describes his life with his mother, Nellie, and older brother, David. King’s father is not in the picture, and the family... Read On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Relationships: Teams
Tags History: U.S., Sports, Biography
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community
Tags Music, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1985
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Food
Tags Lyric Poem, Narrative / Epic Poem, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Food, Poverty, American Literature
Publication year 2019
Genre Memoir in Verse, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Biography, Mental Illness
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Food
Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Animals, Food, Relationships
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Art, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1997
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Climate, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Disability, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Music, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Natural World: Food, Society: Education
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Agriculture, History: U.S., Great Depression, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
Karen Hesse’s Out of the Dust is a historical middle-grade novel in verse first published in 1997. Through 110 first-person free verse poems, the narrative tells the story of two years in the life of Billie Jo Kelby, young daughter of a struggling farming family in the Oklahoma Panhandle in the mid-1930s. After a tragic accident results in the death of Billie Jo’s mother and baby brother, she and her father must find a way... Read Out of the Dust Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Disability, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Disability, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, History: World
Paperboy by American author Vince Vawter explores themes of The Acceleration of the Civil Rights Movement, The Treatment of People With Speech Disorders, and Independence in Childhood through its singular voice. Published in 2013, Paperboy was a Newbery Medal Honor Book in 2014. Vawter, who worked for more than 40 years in the newspaper business, wrote Paperboy as a lightly fictionalized version of his own childhood, which contributes to the text’s authenticity. This guide references... Read Paperboy Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Community
Tags Realistic Fiction, Poverty
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Publication year 1980
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships
Publication year 2023
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Arts / Culture, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Grief / Death, Relationships
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family
Tags Gender / Feminism, History: World, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ
Publication year 1994
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family
Tags Free verse
Publication year 1986
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Fathers, Identity: Language, Society: Immigration, Natural World: Objects, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Food
Tags Lyric Poem, Ekphrastic, Free verse, Relationships, Immigration / Refugee, Arts / Culture, Confessional, Asian Literature