Poetry
“Hope” is the thing with feathers
“Hope” is the thing with feathers
Renewal
Why this was selected
Twelve lines that people return to in hard weeks. Short enough to read twice in one sitting and talk about for twenty minutes.
The Literary & Resource Library
Short reads, chosen by hand, with a note on why.
Filter by theme, format or the time you have. Open any work for an excerpt or summary, discussion prompts, and a printable reflection sheet.
Showing all 12 works
Every work is reviewed by two curators.
Solitude, from Walden
Solitude
Why this was selected
Useful for separating being alone from being lonely. We pair it with Mary Oliver so readers hear two centuries on the same question.
Essay
Learning to Read
Learning to Read
Identity
Renewal
Why this was selected
A first-hand account of reading as a way to understand your own situation. Strong for conversations about information and self-advocacy.
Poetry
Mother to Son
Mother to Son
Renewal
Identity
Why this was selected
A parent talking straight to a child about keeping going. Works well read aloud in caregiver and teen pairs.
Short Fiction
Eleven
Eleven
Identity
Why this was selected
Captures how you can be many ages at once. Young readers often say it describes a feeling they never had words for.
Short Fiction
The Lesson
The Lesson
Peer Influence
Identity
Why this was selected
A group of kids, a trip downtown, and a narrator who refuses to let an adult see she's been changed. Great for talking about pride inside a friend group.
Thank You, Ma'am
Renewal
Peer Influence
Why this was selected
A story about being treated with more respect than you expected. Opens up talk about second chances without lecturing.
Poetry
We Real Cool
We Real Cool
Peer Influence
Advisory
Why this was selected
Eight short lines about a group of young men skipping school. The rhythm pulls you in, then the last line lands hard.
Graphic Excerpt
Hey, Kiddo (chapter excerpt)
Hey, Kiddo (chapter excerpt)
Renewal
Identity
Advisory
Why this was selected
A graphic memoir about growing up with a parent in addiction, raised by grandparents. Honest about recovery as something families live through together.
Graphic Excerpt
American Born Chinese (opening chapters)
American Born Chinese (opening chapters)
Identity
Peer Influence
Why this was selected
Three storylines about wanting to be someone else to fit in. Funny enough that the hard parts don't feel like homework.
Joyas Voladoras
Solitude
Renewal
Why this was selected
Starts with hummingbirds and ends with the human heart. A short essay that makes people go quiet in a good way.
Poetry
Wild Geese
Wild Geese
Solitude
Renewal
Why this was selected
Often the most requested poem in our groups. Permission to stop trying to be perfect, in under twenty lines.