How To Use This Web Site Directory
 Sites for Teachers |
This directory is designed so that teachers can quickly find resources that will help them teach literature in their secondary English classrooms (grades 6-12). The directory includes both online and print resources (most free, some priced).
Report Bad Links: You can report any "bad links" by simply clicking on the tiny "x" that appears to the right of each listing. One Page Per Author Name: You can view resources related to a specific author by selecting that author's last name from the alphabetic lists. (Note that this entire site was redesigned in September 2006; all earlier links should be redirected, either to the author page or to an index page listing multiple authors with the same last-initial.)
Site Updates: Unfortunately, some web sites change often. Some book publishers re-arrange their web sites every year or so, and when this happens, all links to teacher's guides and study guides for that publisher stop working. A number of colleges and universities allow their students to post lesson plans online, but those are often purged after a year or two. Several times per year, non-working web sites are "purged" from this directory, and new sites are added whenever time is available to find them.
Web Links: Many web links are free, but some are simply links to a place where you can buy the item listed (either as a printed book or booklet, or as a downloadable file, usually in PDF format). The free web links include a very wide range of resources:
- Lesson Plans and Unit Plans for classroom instruction;
- Teaching Ideas (usually less detailed than a Lesson Plan);
- Teacher’s Guides and Reader’s Guides, usually from publishers;
- Study Guides created by teachers, students, or others;
- WebQuests designed by teachers or students to allow students to explore information (on the internet) related to a book;
- Quizzes, including “Accelerated Reading” (AR) quizzes;
- Questions, including discussion questions, review questions, and comprehension questions;
- Book and movie listings, to allow you to browse or buy a title.
Publishers and Booksellers: As noted in the prior paragraph, I use "affiliate links" to many merchants, and I also actively seek to obtain complete catalog information from publishers of lesson plans, study guides, and teachers' aids. Please send me email if you would like more information about:
- Getting your products listed, if you are a publisher,
- Getting "paid" affiliate links to your web site under each listing, or
- Sponsoring this site (advertising).
Buying Books Online:
- Prices vary widely between merchants. Some merchants who offer generous discounts on bestsellers will charge list price (or even a surcharge) for some of the “obscure” material used by teachers in the classroom. For example, Amazon charges a surcharge for the low-cost “Dover Books” version of classic literature; it charges list price for NCTE books, with delivery time of 4 to 5 weeks. (Members get nice discounts on books purchased directly from NCTE.)
- Availability: Pay close attention to each merchant’s information about product availability. As noted, some items at Amazon wo'’t be shipped for 4 to 6 weeks. Most merchants offer express or overnight delivery of items, for an extra cost. Some items (especially used items purchased through Amazon's Marketplace) are being shipped by smaller companies or individuals, who usually ship in a day or two, but some shippers are slower.
- ISBNs and editions: Every version of a book has a unique “International Standard Book Number” or ISBN. Most books are available in at least two versions (hardcover and paperback), but popular and classic books might be available in dozens of different editions. Most links are to the ISBN for a recent paperback edition of each title, but some links may be to hardcover or out-of-print editions. Most booksellers will display a list of other editions that are available, often at much lower prices. Always scan the list of "other editions" to find cheaper copies of the same book!
- Getting the “Right” Version or Product: The used books sold through Amazon's Marketplace (and on eBay, Alibris, and elsewhere) are being sold and shipped by other booksellers. The quality and reliability of these merchants varies widely. In some cases, merchants may incorrectly list an item’s ISBN: I once ordered (through Amazon) a used copy of a Center for Learning curriculum guide for Animal Farm and instead received a copy of the novel. I ordered a used copy of Short Stories for Creative Language Classrooms through Amazon.com, and received the book but not the cassette tape that was listed as included. (In each case, the merchants offered refunds, but I lost valuable time to acquire the intended item.) I have purchased many hundreds of books online, with very few mistakes like these, but when mistakes do happen, they can screw up the most careful plans.
- Shipping Costs: Be careful: some sellers of used items charge a hefty fixed fee for shipping each item purchased. It is these “shipping and handling” fees (which far exceed actual postage) that account for much of the profit of online booksellers. Amazon charges a fixed shipping fee of $3.99 per book (paperback or hardcover), with no discount even when multiple items are purchased from the same seller. Note that some Amazon Marketplace merchants (like Alibris) charge lower shipping rates (especially for multiple-item orders) if you order directly instead of using Amazon’s Marketplace! Finally, be careful when bidding on eBay: every seller chooses their own shipping fees, and some charge outrageous amounts. (You can change your eBay settings so that the shipping charge is shown in a separate column in search-results, and if no shipping price appears in that column, you will usually find the seller's charges outrageous.)
- Finding Rare Titles: If you want to obtain an out-of-print item, you can probably get it online. In general, you should always search at least Amazon and eBay for an item before giving up; Alibris.com is another site worth checking.
- Shop Smart: When I was rushed to find materials for a novel, I sometimes chose to save time instead of money, by ordering items at list price from Amazon instead of shopping around. Often I paid extra for rush delivery, but usually didn’t even use the item until several weeks later. You can find many books at lower prices through BookCloseouts.com.
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