Are you looking for reading material for your high schooler? This high school reading list has numerous books to choose from. There is also at least one free lesson for each book included on the list. These lessons vary from book to book. Some are comprehensive unit studies or novel guides, while others are simply a set of discussion questions.

All of the lessons below are free, but many of the corresponding books are not. You can buy used books, borrow them from the library, or click/tap on a book’s cover to purchase it on Amazon. For the older books, which are now in the public domain, I have included links to free eBooks.

SparkNotes

You’ll find that I’ve included links to SparkNotes for several of the books on this list. SparkNotes provides a full book quiz and section quizzes for each book. They also offer chapter summaries, character descriptions, and other information. Unfortunately, students sometimes use resources like SparkNotes to avoid reading the book. The chapter summaries can be beneficial if your teen is having trouble understanding a challenging novel. However, the summaries should only be read after reading that section of the book, not as a substitution for reading the book.

Glencoe Literature Library

Glencoe Literature Library is another resource that I’ve linked to for many of the books on this list. Their study guides include vocabulary, comprehension questions, active reading worksheets, writing assignments, and more. These guides were written for Glencoe’s edition of the novels, but they may be used with any edition. Other editions just won’t include the additional reading selections referenced at the end of the guides. You can skip these additional readings, or you might be able to find some of them from other sources.

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How the High School Reading List is Organized

Because recommendations vary, I have not attempted to organize the high school reading list into grade levels. Instead, I’ve divided the high school reading list into three sections based on reading level difficulty. There is nothing wrong with a senior reading books from the easier reading level or a freshman reading books from the challenging reading level. Within each section, the books are listed in alphabetical order by title. For additional book options, check out our 3rd through 8th grade reading lists.

This high school reading list does not include Shakespeare. Those resources can, instead, be found in the post Teaching Shakespeare With Free Resources.

Please note: As values, beliefs, and standards vary widely by family, I have not attempted to screen these books for appropriateness. I recommend that you read several reviews before choosing books for your teen to read. The post How to Choose Age Appropriate Books lists several resources you can use to help ensure the books you pick are suitable for your family.

 

High School Reading List: Easier Reading Level

 

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

SparkNotes– study guide
Concordia Preparatory School– study guide
Teachers Pay Teachers– final assessment

The Chosen by Chaim Potok

Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
Stone Soup– discussion guide
NovelWise– worksheets

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

SparkNotes– study guide
CliffsNotes– quiz
Teachers Pay Teachers– novel test

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Mr. Moshé’s Critically Thinking– study guide questions
SparkNotes– study guide
Liberal Studies Guides– study guide
Homeschool on the Range– unit study
Teachers Pay Teachers– plot diagram worksheet

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

SparkNotes– study guide
Teachers Pay Teachers– discussion questions
Reading Group Guides– discussion questions

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

LitLovers– discussion questions
Rooted Ministry– family discussion guide
Holocaust Museum Huston– lesson plans

A House for Mr. Biswas by V. S. Naipaul

Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
LitLovers– discussion questions

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Los Angeles County Office of Education– novel study
Teachers Pay Teachers– book quizzes
SparkNotes– study guide
Soft Schools– online quiz

My Ántonia by Willa Cather

Project Gutenberg– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
LibriVox– audiobook
Teachers Pay Teachers– novel study unit
Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide

Nectar in a Sieve by  Kamala Markandaya

Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide
Teachers Pay Teachers– final exam

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
Subplotter– comprehension questions
SparkNotes– study guide

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
Teachers Pay Teachers– reading schedule and journal prompts
SparkNotes– study guide

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

TeacherVision– book guide
Liberal Studies Guides– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide

The Pigman by Paul Zindel

Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
Teachers Pay Teachers– essay prompt
NovelWise– worksheets

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

NT Schools– reading questions
Teachers Pay Teachers– essay prompts
SparkNotes– study guide
NovelWise– worksheets

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide
NovelWise– worksheets
Teachers Pay Teachers– final test

Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples

SparkNotes– study guide
Powell’s Books– teacher’s guide

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Penguin Random House– teacher’s guide
Liberty Union High School– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide
NovelWise– worksheets

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

SparkNotes– study guide
Reading Group Guide– discussion questions
Buffalo Public Schools– novel study

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide
Liberal Studies Guides– study guide
Teachers Pay Teachers– plot worksheets
Teachers Pay Teachers– essay writing prompt

 

High School Reading List: Intermediate Reading Level

 

1984 by George Orwell

Houston Independent School District– reading questions
Clare’s ELT Compendium– comprehension questions
ProProfs– comprehension quiz
SparkNotes– study guide
NovelWise– worksheets

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
Liberal Studies Guides– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide
NovelWise– worksheets

Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
Project Gutenberg– downloadable eBook
LibriVox– audiobook
Glencoe Literature Library– study guide

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
Project Gutenberg– downloadable eBook
LibriVox– audiobook
Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
Teachers Pay Teachers– study guide
Teachers Pay Teachers– unit test
NovelWise– worksheets

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
LitLovers– discussion questions
SparkNotes– study guide

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
LibriVox– audiobook
Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide
NovelWise– worksheets

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
LibriVox– audiobook
Read Write Think– lesson plans
SparkNotes– study guide
Teachers Pay Teachers– study guide
Teachers Pay Teachers– chapter quizzes

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Project Gutenberg– downloadable Ebook
SparkNotes– online book with a modern translation
LibriVox– audiobook
Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide

Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
LibriVox– audiobook
Teachers Pay Teachers– activity pack
SparkNotes– study guide
Academics Easy– comprehension questions

The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells

Penguin Random House– reader’s guide
The Invisible Man Guide– discussion questions
CliffsNotes– quiz
Teachers Pay Teachers– study guide questions
Teachers Pay Teachers– final test

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
LibriVox– audiobook
Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide
NovelWise– worksheets

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Project Gutenberg– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
Les Miserables– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Mrs. Haines’ ELA– comprehension questions
Teachers Pay Teachers– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide

A Passage to India by E. M. Forster

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
Project Gutenberg– downloadable eBook
LibriVox– audiobook
LitLovers– discussion questions
SparkNotes– study guide
CliffsNotes– quiz

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
LibriVox– audiobook
Classics Reading Group– discussion questions
SparkNotes– study guide

The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
LibriVox– audiobook
Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
Teachers Pay Teachers– unit study guide
SparkNotes– study guide
NovelWise– worksheets

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
Project Gutenberg– downloadable eBook
LibriVox– audiobook
Mercy for Marthas– literature guide
Teachers Pay Teachers– study guide

The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis Institute– study guide and lectures
Mercy for Marthas– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
Project Gutenberg– downloadable eBook
LibriVox- audiobook
Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
Scholastic– teaching guide
SparkNotes– study guide

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book with modern translation
LibriVox– audiobook
Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
Mrs. Graves’ Website– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide
NovelWise– worksheets

Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
LibriVox– audiobook
Reading Group Guides– discussion questions
Liberal Studies Guides– study guide
Kyrene School District– essay questions
SparkNotes– study guide

 

Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
Project Gutenberg– downloadable eBook
LibriVox– audiobook
Penguin Signet Classics– teacher’s guide
SparkNotes– study guide

 

High School Reading List: Challenging Reading Level

 

The Aeneid by Virgil

Project Gutenberg– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
LibriVox– audiobook
Arts of Liberty– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide

Beowulf by Unknown

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
Project Gutenberg– downloadable eBook
LibriVox– audiobook
SparkNotes– online book with modern translation
Teachers Pay Teachers– guided reading questions
SparkNotes– study guide

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
Project Gutenberg– downloadable eBook
LibriVox– audiobook
Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
Project Gutenberg– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book with modern translation
LibriVox– audiobook
Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide

The Epic of Gilgamesh by Unknown

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
Project Gutenberg– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– study guide
American Historical Association– lesson plan
Teachers Pay Teachers– short quiz

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
LibriVox– audiobook
Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide
NovelWise– worksheets

Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
LibriVox– audiobook
Arts of Liberty– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide

The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
Creative English Teacher– lesson plans
SparkNotes– study guide

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
Project Gutenberg– downloadable eBook
LibriVox– audiobook
Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
LibriVox– audiobook
Books on Tape– discussion guide
SparkNotes– study guide
American Literature– study guide

The Odyssey by Homer

Project Gutenberg– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
LibriVox– audiobook
Wappingers Central School District– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide
Teachers Pay Teachers– final test

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
LibriVox– audiobook
SparkNotes– study guide

Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

Answers in Genesis– online book with clickable scripture references
Project Gutenberg– downloadable eBook
LibriVox– audiobook.
Fight of Faith– discussion questions
Grace Baptist Church of Victoria– audio lessons and study guide
SparkNotes– study guide

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
SparkNotes– study guide
LibriVox– audiobook
Mercy for Marthas– literature guide
NovelWise– worksheets

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
LibriVox– audiobook
Penguin Random House– reader’s guide
SparkNotes– study guide

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book with modern translation
LibriVox– audiobook
Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
SparkNotes– study guide
NovelWise– worksheets
Teachers Pay Teachers– quiz

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

Project Gutenberg– downloadable eBook
Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
Penguin Random House– reader’s guide
SparkNotes– study guide

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Internet Archive– downloadable eBook
SparkNotes– online book
LibriVox– audiobook
Glencoe Literature Library– study guide
TeacherVision– lesson plan
SparkNotes– study guide
NovelWise– worksheets

I hope your high schooler enjoys reading these books!

More Free Reading Curriculum & Resources

Free Book Guides– This page has even more book guides and novel studies for all grades.

Free Reading and Literature Curriculum– On this page, you’ll find many reading and literature curriculum options.

Free eBooks– This post tells where to find free eBooks for the entire family.

Free Audiobooks– This post shares where to find free audiobooks for all ages.

 

Note: This post was originally published on June 20, 2021, and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.