List of HS English Books

List of HS English Books

HS English Book List

Course descriptions can be found on https://www.setonhome.org/high-school/english/

* Based on our experience, students who read the books in bold do better on their book analyses and tend to enjoy the books more.

Literature and Composition I

Required Texts: The Lilies of the Field by William E. Barrett, Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare.

Book Analysis Books

1st Quarter:

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
An Old-Fashioned Girl 
by Louisa May Alcott
The Red Badge of Courage
 by Stephen Crane (for mature readers)

2nd Quarter:

Shane by Jack Schaefer

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand (Brian Hooker translation)

 

3rd Quarter:

No book analysis due; research essay due this quarter.

4th Quarter:
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

 

Literature and Composition II 

Required Texts: Animal Farm, A Tale of Two Cities

Book Analysis Books

1st Quarter:

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini
The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas

2nd Quarter:

The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
My Antonia by Willa Cather (for mature readers)
Lay Siege to Heaven [St. Catherine of Siena] by Louis de Wohl

 

Literary Interpretation 

(No Book Analysis Assignments; all students must read these texts)

1st Quarter:

The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne

2nd Quarter:

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis; The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder

3rd Quarter:

The Ballad of the White Horse by G.K. Chesteron

4th Quarter:

A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt; The Song at the Scaffold by Gertrud von Le Fort


British Literature 

Required Texts: Prose and Poetry of England by Seton, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot.

Book Analysis Books

1st Quarter
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Importance of Being Earnest
 by Oscar Wilde       
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw

2nd Quarter
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott

3rd Quarter
Silas Marner by George Eliot

Out of the Silent Planet
 by C.S. Lewis
The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith


Honors World Literature

Required Text: World Literature by Seton

Book Analysis Books

1st Quarter:
Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni
The Song of the Cid translated by Burton Raffel

2nd Quarter: 
The Song of Bernadette by Franz Werfel

Cry, the Beloved Country
 by Alan Paton
The Odyssey by Homer

Honors American Literature

Required Text: American Literature by Seton

1st Quarter: 
Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain 
Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington

2nd Quarter: 
Little Women
 by Louisa May Alcott 
The Robe
 by Lloyd C. Douglas
So Big
 by Edna Ferber (for mature readers)

3rd Quarter: 
The Virginian by Owen Wister 
Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson

4th Quarter: 
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott
Jo’s Boys by Louisa May Alcott

 

 

 



    • Related Articles

    • What does British Literature consist of and how is similar to other Seton English courses?

      The British Literature course is a survey course that studies British literature beginning with Beowulf and proceeding to contemporary literature in the 20th century. We have a lecture series that students have access to on SetonOnline in which a ...
    • HS Academic Counselors Contact Info

      English: Mr. Sean O'Connor: soconnor@setonhome.org, 540-622-5529; Mr. Alex Clark : alexclark@setonhome.org, 540-878-5759 HS English Group Email / Phone: hsenglish@setonhome.org, 540-622-5560; History / Social Studies: Mr. Sean Hilbert: ...
    • What is Literature and Composition II?

      Literature and Composition II is a robust, English course that follows Literature and Composition. Within this course, students study various works of literature, learn how to recognize literary elements like theme, conflict, character traits, etc., ...
    • Seton HS Reading Lists

      If a student or parent is interested in supplemental reading, here are three reading lists and the HS English Book List which includes all titles covered in our core HS English courses.
    • How to Change Book Analysis Titles during Online Enrollment (HS English)

      If you are enrolling online, you can select titles for the book analysis assignments by looking at the "Courses and Credits" (left-hand side) and viewing the HS English course: As you can see above, Literature and Composition has book analysis ...