CommonLit
Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Holes" by Louis Sacher
Stanley Yelnats is sent to a juvenile correctional camp for boys where each day he is forced to dig holes into a dry lake bed. Selected (8) reading passages (grades 5-8) to pair with the novel "Holes" by Louis Sacher. [Free account...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "The Hobbit" by j.r.r. Tolkien
Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit homebody, joins a party of dwarves and their wizard companion in a series of adventures to reclaim the dwarves' homeland from the great dragon Smaug. Selected (8) reading passages (grades 5-9) to pair with the...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad
In the novel "Heart of Darkness," Marlow travels up the Congo River on behalf of a Belgian trading company. Once he is far upriver he encounters the mysterious Kurtz, a man who has set himself up as a god amongst the natives. Selected...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
A coup by religious extremists helps to establish the sexually-oppressive, dystopian Republic of Gilead. Offred, a Handmaid, struggles with her role as a reproductive servant to the elite. Selected (8) reading passages (grades 9-11) to...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare
Prince Hamlet attempts to avenge his father's death by deciphering the devious plot of the new king, his Uncle Claudius - only to be tragically killed. Selected (8) reading passages (grades 9-12) to pair with the drama "Hamlet" by...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
In this novel, Louise dreams of leaving her tiny island home in Chesapeake Bay, but first she must escape the shadow of her twin sister who seems to rob her of everything. Selected (11) reading passages (grades 6-10) to pair with "Jacob...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'dell
Karana's tribe has lived on the Island of the Blue Dolphins for centuries, but a tragedy forces them to leave. When Karana gets left behind, she must learn to live alone. Selected (10) reading passages (grades 5-9) to pair with the novel...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Inside Out & Back Again" by Thanhha Lai
In this novel based on her life, Ha and her family are living in Saigon when the Vietnam war forces her family to flee to Alabama. Selected (6) reading passages (grades 5-8) to pair with "Inside Out & Back Again" by Thanhha Lai....
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Incantation" by Alice Hoffman
Estrella is a girl living in Spain during the Spanish inquisition and dealing with the secret of her Jewish heritage, an unacceptable crush, and her best friend's betrayal. Selected (6) reading passages (grades 5-9) to pair with the...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
"In the Time of the Butterflies" is the story of the four Mirabal sisters, who lived through the despotic regime of General Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. Throughout the novel that spans more than 50 years, Julia Alvarez masterfully weaves...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Grendel" by John Gardner
Selected (6) reading passages (grades 9-11) to pair with "Grendel" by John Gardner. [Free account registration required for specific tools.]
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Nick Carraway observes the wasteful lives of four wealthy acquaintances in the nouveau riche society of West Egg, Long Island. During his time there, Carraway befriends his affluent and enigmatic neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Selected (10)...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck
The Joad family leaves Oklahoma in search of work after their farm is destroyed by the Dust Bowl. They arrive in California only to find that fair jobs, food, and sympathy are scarce. Selected (9) reading passages (grades 8-11) to pair...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
In the dystopian novel "The Giver," Jonas is chosen to be the new Receiver of Memories; he meets his incumbent -- The Giver, a man who is tasked with holding onto the community's collective experiences and memories. Selected (11) reading...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
In the novel "Frightful," a peregrine falcon, has spent most of her life depending on a human and must now learn how to survive in the wild on her own. Selected (8) reading passages (grades 4-9) to pair with "Frightful's Mountain" by...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep
Moon Shadow is eight years old when he sails from the Middle Kingdom (China) to the land of the Golden Mountain (America) where he meets his father, Windrider, for the first time. In San Francisco, Moon Shadow and his father endure...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
Anne Frank's diary provides a first-person account of the struggles an adolescent girl faces as her family hides from the Nazis within the terrifying setting of an overcrowded annex. Selected (7) reading passages (grades 6-8) to pair...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller
In this play, Willy Loman, an aging traveling salesman, struggles to come to terms with his "failures," reconnect with his sons, and let go of the ideal of the American Dream. Selected (9) reading passages (grades 8-12) to pair with...
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Common Lit: "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" by Mark Haddon
Christopher Boone sets out to investigate the suspicious death of his neighbor's dog but discovers more about his own family mysteries. Along the way, readers learn about the complex beauty of autistic thinkers. Selected (6) reading...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller
In +J1105:J1113this allegorical drama, inspired by the witch hunt trials of 1692-93 and the 1950s Red Scare, the town of Salem is plagued by hysteria and accusations of witchcraft. Selected (9) reading passages (grades 8-12) to pair with...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "The Crossover" by Kwanme Alexander
Inseparable twin brothers Josh and JB love basketball, but changes in their lives begin to pull them apart. Selected (6) reading passages (grades 5-8) to pair with "The Crossover" by Kwanme Alexander. [Free account registration required...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelly
The scientist Victor Frankenstein recounts his story of bringing a creature to life and the tragedies that followed. Selected (8) reading passages (grades 8-12) to pair with the horror novel "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelly. [Free account...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
After Noah's dad is arrested for sinking a casino boat he believed was dumping sewage into the ocean, Noah must prove that his suspicions are right and stop the boat from further polluting the ocean. Selected (8) reading passages (grades...
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Common Lit: Book Pairings: "Fences" by August Wilson
The play "Fences" explores the complex relationships of a 1950s middle-class, African American family and how they deal with issues of financial hardship, infidelity, and insecurities. Selected (7) reading passages (grades 7-11) to pair...