Sometimes circumstances arise when you cannot acquire a class book for the first day of seminar on a new text; for those rare times, you can find PDF copies of the first readings here. Also, you will find Public Domain copies of the full texts here when available, though these should only be used in emergencies. Remember that if you have any financial hardship, the front office can provide your family with a full set of physical books for the year.
The books below are listed in the order that we will be reading them together.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
ISBN: 9780743273565
Walden and Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau
ISBN: 9780140390445
My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass
ISBN: 9780140439182
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
ISBN: 9780486280615
My Antonia by Willa Cather
ISBN: 9780486282404
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
ISBN: 9780142000670
The Tempest by Shakespeare
ISBN: 9781501130014
Syllabus: One act per day
The following reading assignments may be given to you in class as printed handouts for homework or in class group readings dependent on time available in the school year:
Tyrany of the Majority by Alexis de Tocqueville
The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula K. LeGuin
Audio books can be a helpful aid to reading, especially when working through epic poetry, which was composed musically with the intention of being heard. Audio books can also help with pacing your reading speed — some students might take two hours carefully reading a text that only takes 45 minutes when performed. When using audio books for your homework, you must still annotate your physical book. you must still annotate your physical book.
Audible: Typically has the class translations, but is not free. New accounts often give a free credits. With the app, books can be listened to on a smartphone. Also, with Whispersync when you also own the Kindle copy of the same book, it will sync the reader to the words highlighted on the page.
Play Store for Android devices
App Store for Apple devices
Hoopla: Free with a public library card. With the app, books can be listened to on a smartphone.
Play Store for Android devices
App Store for Apple devices
Libby: Free with a public library card. With the app, books can be listened to on a smartphone.
Play Store on Android
App Store for Apple devices
Librivox: Free public domain texts produced by fans, often with much lower quality readings.