Explore Gothic Literature with Novels for Students

| By Sarah Robertson | Gothic literature is a genre that relies on dark, disturbing imagery; atmospheric settings; and unnerving plot points to induce discomfort in the reader. The genre has shown a remarkable persistence and ability to evolve since its inception in the nineteenth century, and it typically strives to unsettle the reader, often … Read more

Why Read Science Fiction and Fantasy?

Explore the Novels for Students series | By Sarah Robertson | Incorporating science fiction and fantasy into the classroom has the power to open other worlds for students to explore, allowing for new creative ways of thinking. By reading books set in places that don’t look like the world we live in, students can learn … Read more

Incorporate Graphic Novels into Your Classroom with Gale’s Novels for Students

| By Sarah Robertson | In graphic novels, words and illustrations are interwoven in an imaginative symbiosis, which can be used to present both fiction and nonfiction to students in a uniquely engaging way. The power of this literary form derives from the rich interplay between text and image. The ability of graphic novels to … Read more

Why Incorporate YA Literature into the Classroom?

| By Sarah Robertson | A genre of fiction geared toward preteen and teen readers, young adult (YA) literature explores the experiences and challenges of coming of age. Themes in YA literature include young love, identity, social conflicts, and family relationships, all explored through the unique lenses of young protagonists. Straddling the realm between fiction … Read more

The “Best Of” Novels for Students

| By Michelle Lee, Sr Content Developer | The Novels for Students series has been providing readers with a guide to understanding, enjoying, and studying novels for over 20 years.  The series, which has covered over 850 novels across 60 volumes, is specifically designed to meet the curricular needs of high school and undergraduate college … Read more

“The Hate U Give” Featured in Novels for Students, Volume 59

| By Traci Cothran | There are a bazillion novels published each year, and every once in a while, one of them is truly magical.  That’s the case with The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.  This debut novel is extraordinary in so many ways – amazing writing, relatable characters – most especially because it … Read more

For Students to the Rescue! Fear Not the Required Readings for High School

| By Nicole Albrecht |

The look in my students’ eyes, when I would pass out the first set of novels for the school year, would convey an array of emotions from fear, apathy, excitement, genuine interest, and, my favorite, rebellion. Introducing a novel to a high school English class can be a teacher’s worst nightmare, but I enjoyed every minute of it because it was a challenge to me. A challenge to change their mind about not only reading in general, but how they see the world after they are finished reading a particular work. I didn’t always feel this way about introducing a novel to my students, in fact, in the beginning of my teaching career, I would lose sleep for several days prior to introducing a novel. I felt this way because I knew how it felt for students to “fear the novel” and I remembered how I felt when my own high school teachers would introduce one.

I grew up with a love for reading—it was a chance to experience life from another perspective, to walk in someone else’s shoes, and upon finishing the story, become a new person with a new way to look at the world. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I started to loathe reading novels and I actually stopped reading altogether during this time.

Read moreFor Students to the Rescue! Fear Not the Required Readings for High School