We will focus on seven works of American Literature: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott*, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. (Some of these books contain sensitive topics and offensive language. Please research or preview the titles to make sure they are appropriate for your student before registering for the course.) We may also read some poems and short stories during class, as time permits.

To guide our study, we will use the American Literature Bundle, which consists of individual ebook study guides on all but one of these books, from 7 Sisters Homeschool. Registered families will be sent a code for 33% off. (Note: the bundle contains 3 study guides we will not be using.)

Students will generally answer questions from the study guides as they read and then write a literary analysis essay after completing the book. Occasionally, there will also be in-class writing assignments.

In addition to the books and the ebook study guides, students will need a comprehensive writing handbook which they will consult for help with essay writing, MLA formatting, and more. I will also sometimes point students to certain sections on grammar or usage as needed. Please purchase the 13th edition of The Little Brown Handbook. (It is an older one and should be easy to find used.)

*Please note, students should read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott over the summer if they have not read it within the past couple years. When we reach that book in our course, we will review certain themes within the book but will not have time allotted for reading it. Students will be expected to already be familiar with the characters and the plot. The other works listed will be read during our MC2 school-year.