Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Self Sacrifice
The Giving Tree
by Shel Silverstein
A timeless tale of love and selflessness between a boy and a tree.
"Once there was a tree...and she loved a little boy." So begins a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein. Every day the ... (Goodreads)
The Brothers Lionheart
by Astrid Lindgren
Two brothers experience a heroic journey to a fantastical realm in order to save their kingdom.
In an unnamed Swedish city, ten year-old Karl Lejon has found out that he is going to die from an unspecified pulmonary disease (most likely tuberculosis ). His adored big brother, 13-year-old ... (Wikipedia)
Silver Shadows
by Richelle Mead
A vampire-human hybrid's battle to save the ones she loves and uncover the mysteries of the past.
The novel starts with Sydney Sage in re-education, still in her dark cell, called reflection time by the Alchemists. She is still resisting their mind games, holding onto Adrian's love for her, until ... (Wikipedia)
Galileo
by Bertolt Brecht
Play about the life and trial of the Italian scientist Galileo Galilei.
Considered by many to be one of Brecht's masterpieces, Galileo explores the question of a scientist's social and ethical responsibility, as the brilliant Galileo must choose between his life and his ... (Goodreads)
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 1
by Hayao Miyazaki
A young princess embarks on a quest for peace, unifying the humans and the giant insects of the Valley of the Wind.
In a long-ago war, humankind set off a devastating ecological disaster. Thriving industrial societies disappeared. The earth is slowly submerging beneath the expanding Sea of Corruption, an enormous ... (Goodreads)
Love Comes Softly
by Janette Oke
A young woman's journey of resilience and faith as she navigates the struggles of frontier life.
Marty Claridge ( Katherine Heigl ) has just moved out to the West with her husband Aaron Claridge (Oliver Macready), who dies in a riding accident shortly after. Expecting her late husband's baby, ... (Wikipedia)
The Rithmatist
by Brandon Sanderson
A young student learns the arcane art of Rithmatics, using it to defend against an encroaching force of hostile creatures.
The Rithmatist follows the story of Joel, a teenage boy who is enrolled at and lives on the campus of Armedius Academy. He isn't a Rithmatist, yet is interested in the study of Rithmatist power. ... (Wikipedia)
The Hollow Boy
by Jonathan Stroud
A daring adventure to save the world from an ancient evil.
As a massive outbreak of supernatural Visitors baffles Scotland Yard and causes protests throughout London, Lockwood & Co. continue to demonstrate their effectiveness in exterminating spirits. ... (Goodreads)
The Arctic Incident
by Eoin Colfer
A daring mission to save a kidnapped friend, uncovering a dastardly plot.
The story opens at the Bay of Kola , just after the Russian Mafia have sunk the Fowl Star. Two low-ranking Mafia members discover the body of the former Irish crime lord Artemis Fowl I, who has ... (Wikipedia)
The Queen of Attolia
by Megan Whalen Turner
A young queen must face political upheaval and a dangerous enemy to protect her kingdom.
Eugenides, the Thief of Eddis, has been caught spying on the Queen of Attolia. He expects to be hanged, but the Queen instead resorts to an ancient traditional punishment for thievery and has his ... (Wikipedia)
Lysistrata
by Aristophanes
Women of Greece uniting to end the Peloponnesian War through a sex strike.
These lines, spoken by the Athenian Lysistrata and her friend Calonice at the beginning of the play, , set the scene for the action that follows. Women, as represented by Calonice, are sly hedonists ... (Wikipedia)
Shadow of the Giant
by Orson Scott Card
A revolution of conscience and courage, led by a man seeking justice in a dangerous world.
A belief is spreading in conquered China that the government has lost the Mandate of Heaven . Han Tzu meets up with Mazer Rackham , who passes him a blow dart pen, calling it the "Mandate of Heaven". ... (Wikipedia)
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
by Robert C. O'Brien
A mouse's quest for survival and freedom, aided by the extraordinary intelligence of laboratory rats.
Mrs. Frisby is the head of a family of field mice. Her son Timothy is ill with pneumonia just as the farmer Mr. Fitzgibbon begins preparation for spring plowing in the garden where the Frisby family ... (Wikipedia)
Bravo Two Zero
by Andy McNab
A thrilling account of a Special Air Service patrol mission gone wrong in the Iraqi desert.
In January 1991, eight members of the SAS regiment embarked upon a top secret mission that was to infiltrate them deep behind enemy lines. Under the command of Sergeant Andy McNab, they were to sever ... (Goodreads)
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
by Holly Black
A girl's battle to survive amidst the dangers of a vampire-filled world.
Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass ... (Goodreads)
The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness
by Timothy J. Keller
An exploration of the power of humility and surrendering one's pride and ego.
‘What are the marks of a supernaturally changed heart?’ This is one of the questions the Apostle Paul addresses as he writes to the church in Corinth. He’s not after some superficial outward ... (Goodreads)
The Return of Superman
by Dan Jurgens
Superman returns from the dead to find a world that has moved on without him. He must reclaim his place as Earth's protector.
The Return of Superman" collects "Reign of the Superman" and concludes the epic story begun in "The Death of Superman" and continued in "World Without a Superman. ... (Goodreads)
The Smoke Jumper
by Nicholas Evans
A former fire fighter finds redemption in the wilderness, learning to love and trust again.
In a searing novel of love and loyalty, guilt and honor, the acclaimed author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Horse Whisperer gives his millions of readers another hero… His name is Connor ... (Goodreads)
Foxe's Book of Martyrs
by John Foxe
A collection of accounts of Christian martyrs and the persecution they faced.
Reformation-era England—John Foxe recounts the lives, sufferings, and triumphant deaths of dozens of Christian martyrs. Some were people of rank and influence. Some were ordinary folk. Some were even ... (Goodreads)
George Washington's Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution
by Brian Kilmeade
The incredible story of the undercover espionage mission that helped secure the American Revolution.
As a Long Islander endlessly fascinated by events that happened in a place I call home, I hope with this book to give the secret six the credit they did not get in life. The Culper spies represent ... (Goodreads)
Messenger
by Lois Lowry
A young boy's mission to save his community, using his bravery and ingenuity.
Matty, who was introduced in Gathering Blue as "Matt", now lives with Seer, who was originally named Christopher and is a blind man rescued by the people of the Village years earlier. Outside the ... (Wikipedia)
Gregor the Overlander
by Suzanne Collins
A young boy's heroic quest to save his family and the world of Underland.
Eleven-year-old Gregor is left home alone in his family's New York City apartment to watch his sister and grandmother. When Gregor's baby sister Boots falls through an old air duct grate in the ... (Wikipedia)
Chosen
by P.C. Cast
A young girl's journey to save the world, discovering her powerful magical abilities.
Back at the House of Night, Zoey realizes that, as a leader of the Dark Daughters, she has to choose someone else to fill the position of Earth in her circle. Much to everyone else's displeasure, she ... (Wikipedia)
The Sleeper and the Spindle
by Neil Gaiman
A brave princess embarks on a daring quest to save her kingdom from a sleeping curse.
A thrillingly reimagined fairy tale from the truly magical combination of author Neil Gaiman and illustrator Chris Riddell – weaving together a sort-of Snow White and an almost Sleeping Beauty with a ... (Goodreads)
Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles
by Anthony Swofford
A Marine's personal account of his experiences during the Gulf War and the psychological toll of war on soldiers.
Jarhead recounts Swofford's enlistment and service in the United States Marine Corps during the Persian Gulf War , in which he served as a Scout Sniper Trainee with the Surveillance and Target ... (Wikipedia)
Zita the Spacegirl
by Ben Hatke
A young girl's intergalactic quest to save her best friend from an alien planet.
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Zita's life took a cosmic left turn in the blink of an eye. When her best friend is abducted by an alien doomsday cult, Zita leaps to the rescue and finds herself a ... (Goodreads)
The Kings of Clonmel
by John Flanagan
A story of courage and leadership, as a young man must battle to save his people from a tyrannical ruler.
While at the annual Rangers' Gathering, series protagonist Will is informed by Ranger Commandant Crowley that Ranger Halt will not be able to attend the Gathering as he is investigating things in ... (Wikipedia)
A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael
by Elisabeth Elliot
A biography of Amy Carmichael, a missionary who dedicated her life to rescuing children from temple prostitution in India.
A Chance to Die is a biography of Amy Carmichael, an Irish missionary and writer who spent fifty-three years in south India without furlough. There she became known as ''Amma,'' or ''mother,'' as she ... (Goodreads)
The World of Divergent: The Path to Allegiant
by Veronica Roth
A guide to the world of Divergent, including exclusive scenes, character profiles, and insider information on the making of the series.
A future dystopian Chicago has a society that defines its citizens by strict conformity to their social and personality-related affiliations with five different factions . That removes the threat of ... (Wikipedia)
The Iron Daughter
by Julie Kagawa
A fairy princess discovers her true power as she battles supernatural forces to save her kingdom.
From the limitless imagination of New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie Kagawa, return to the world of The Iron Fey. Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in ... (Barnes & Noble)
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