Books & Literature
General
Facts On File : Bloom's Literary Reference Online - Examines great writers, important works, memorable characters, and influential movements and events in world literature. You'll need to enter your name, library card barcode number, and PIN to get started if you're logging on at home.
Ebsco Literary Reference Center - Information on the most studied authors and their works from antiquity to the present day. Full-text from from over 1,000 books and monographs, major literary encyclopedias and reference works, hundreds of literary journals, and unique sources. Now includes Masterplots! You'll need to enter your name, library card barcode number, and PIN to get started if you're logging on at home.
All American - 'An Internet encyclopedia designed to help you find thorough, accurate information about American literature, history, and culture.' Includes quizzes, links to additional resources, and a Glossary of Literary Terms (2001; by Mark Canada, English Professor, University of North Carolina). See also Perspectives in American Literature : A Research and Reference Guide (by Paul P. Reuben, Professor Emeritus, Department of English, California State University).
Cambridge History of English and American Literature - 'Considered the most important work of literary history and criticism ever published, the Cambridge History contains over 303 chapters and 11,000 pages, with essay topics ranging from poetry, fiction, drama and essays to history, theology and political writing.' Originally published in 1921 but still in use. (Bartleby.com; site includes advertisements)
Gale Glossary of Literary Terms - Defines hundreds of terms, from Abstract to Zeitgeist (Cengage Learning, publishing company). See also Literary Terms & Definitions (Dr. L. Kip Wheeler, Carson-Newman College), Glossary of Literary Terms (2001; by Mark Canada, English Professor, University of North Carolina), and English Literature Dictionary / Glossary for Students (ITS Tutorial School, Hong Kong).
Literary History - A large selection of links to free, high quality articles and essays about English and American authors, from the 16th through the 20th centuries. Also covers African American Writers, Postcolonial Literature, and Filipino American Literature as special topics. (By Jan Pridmore)
Literary Hit Parade - 'Did you ever want to know who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1936? What the best selling nonfiction books were in 1968?' This list of notable literary events, from 1924 to the present, organized by decades, will answer those questions and more.. (Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society).
Literary Resources on the Net - Extensive listing of literary links, grouped by period or ethnicity; also searchable by keyword. Last updated January 2006, but still has many good links. (Rutgers University)
Literature Assignment Guide - The Literature section (on the left-hand side) of this research guide offers homework help on dozens of literary works. Call numbers for books cited are for Kingwood College Library. High school and up. (Kingwood College Library)
ReadWriteThink 
- With this collection of interactive tools, students (K-12) can explore elements of books & stories; develop characters; create poems, comic strips, newspapers, flyers, & booklets; organize & outline essays; generate letters; improve vocabulary; and much more. (International Reading Association and National Council of Teachers of English)
World Literature - A web companion to The Norton Anthology of World Literature, 'designed as a springboard to help students extend their exploration of world literature and identify and frame topics for writing and research,' this site features overviews, outlines, summaries, quizzes, audio glossary, timelines,
discovery modules, and more. See also Western Literature, a web companion to The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. College level (W.W. Norton & Co.).
Invitation to World Literature 
is 'a multimedia series introducing drama, epic poetry, and novels from many times and cultures. Thirteen half-hour videos form the centerpiece of the project, and feature a mix of writers, scholars, artists, and performers with personal connections to world literature, from Philip Glass to Alan Cumming, Wole Soyinka to Kristin Chenoweth, all brought together by Professor David Damrosch of Harvard University, a world-renowned expert on world literature.' (Annenberg Foundation).
Authors
See also :
MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE
LITERARY CRITICISM
African American Literature - A selection of links to websites dealing with African American literature in general, or examining the work of individual African American authors. Last updated in 2007, so expect some broken links. (University of North Carolina)
African American Women Writers of the 19th Century - E-texts and brief biographies for more than three dozen authors. (New York Public Library)
American Authors - An alphabetical list of American authors. Each entry gives a picture and a bibliography of works by and about the author. Many entries include a biographical essay; some also offer study questions and/or links to related websites (under 'Outside Links'), but links are not updated regularly, so some may be broken. (Part of Perspectives in American Literature website, by Paul P. Reuben, Professor Emeritus, Department of English, California State University)
American Literature Websource [UPDATED LINK!] - A web companion to The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Explore different literary periods or zero in on a particular author within any period (W.W. Norton & Co.). A companion site, American Passages includes many author biographies, a timeline, instructor guides, and other materials (Annenberg Media).
American Writers - Companion website for C-Span's 'American Writers' TV series takes a look at writers from the founding of the nation through the 20th century.
Black European Writers - Explores the lives and works of authors such as Alexander Pushkin, Alexandre Dumas, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and John Archer, who had a mixed European and African ancestry. (British Library)
British and Irish Authors - Links to numerous author websites, arranged by time periods. Site is not updated regularly, so expect some broken links (Nagoya University, Japan). Contemporary Writers in the UK 'contains up-to-date profiles of many of the UK and Commonwealth's most important living writers' (British Council; non-profit organization).
Celebration of Women Writers - Biographical information, with links if available, on hundreds of women writers, living and dead, from the famous to the obscure. Includes some online texts. Browse by author name, by century, or by country. (University of Pennsylvania)
Children / YA Author Interviews : Meet the Author (Reading Rockets) 
- Video interviews with dozens of popular authors and illustrators of books for children & young adults; authors include David Adler, Avi, Eve Bunting, Katherine Paterson, Jon Scieszka, R L Stine, Laurence Yep, and Jane Yolen. AdLit.org also offers video Interviews with Young Adult Authors and Illustrators . 'The writers share stories about their own childhoods, why they were drawn to young adult literature, and how they create some of the most popular books around.' (Both from WETA Public Broadcasting)
Dante Worlds - 'A multimedia journey—combining textual commentary, artistic images, and audio recordings—through the three realms (Inferno, Purgatory, Paradise) of Dante's Divine Comedy.' Each section gives a summary analysis, brief explication of icons & allusions, illustrations, and study questions. For college and advanced high school students. (By Guy P. Raffa, Associate Professor of Italian, University of Texas)
Dr. Seuss : Who's Who and What's What
- An A to Z glossary with brief descriptions of characters, objects, places, and events in the books of Dr. Seuss. Also available as an an online publication or PDF. (Compiled by Edward Connery Lathem, Dartmouth College)
English Literature Topics Online - A web companion to The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Explore background material for different literary periods from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, or use the author index to find excerpts of works by an individual author (in PDF) from The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Includes quizzes, audio readings, and other resources. (W.W. Norton & Co.)
Literary History - A large selection of links to free, high quality articles and essays about English and American authors from the 19th and 20th centuries. Also covers African American Poets & Writers and Postcolonial Literature as special topics.
Literature by Women - A web companion to The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women. Choose a topic from the left hand menu for an essay, discussion questions, illustrations, and contexts. College level. (W.W. Norton & Co.)
LitLinks - A large, A to Z collection of short author biographies with picture and annotated links; multicultural. Includes living authors as well as authors of the past. This site must be viewed with a screen resolution of at least 1024 X 768. SEARCH FUNCTION DOES NOT WORK; USE BROWSE. (Bedford / St. Martin's Press)
Luminarium - Life, works, and analysis of Medieval, Renaissance, and 17th century English authors, including Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, and many others. (By Anniina Jokinen; site includes advertisements)
Mark Twain's Mississippi - Resources for studying Mark Twain's life & works, and the history, economics, politics, and culture of his era. Includes primary source materials as well as essays, images, audio and video. High school and up. (Northern Illinois University Libraries et al.)
Milton's Paradise Lost : Darkness Visible - Many helpful study resources for Milton's epic poem, including a plot summary, character descriptions, background essays on Milton's life & times, and a gallery of illustrations, including some interactive images. 'Darkness Visible was put together specifically for those attempting their first or second reading of Paradise Lost... to enable those new to Milton to familiarize themselves with the poet, his work, and his themes, but without patronizing the reader or shying away from more difficult ideas.' High school and up. (By members of Christ's College, Cambridge, UK)
Nobel Prizes in Literature - Information on all winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature from 1901 to the present. Click on the names to get biographies and other resources. (Nobel Foundation)
Paris Review Interviews - Contemporary authors such as Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, T.S. Eliot, William Faulkner, E.M. Forster, Ernest Hemingway, Jack Kerouac, Arthur Miller, and many others are interviewed about their careers, writing styles, and methods of work. Browse by period (beginning with the 1950s) or alphabetically. (PDF documents, no audio.)
Playwrights and Their Plays : Study Guides - Summaries of dozens of plays, plus playwright biographies, character lists, and more. The plays, by American, British, and international playwrights, range from the 16th century to the present era. Includes Shakespeare. (Utah Shakespearean Festival)
Voices from the Gaps - Biographical, critical and bibliographical information about women writers and artists of color. (University of Minnesota)
Literary Criticism
See also :
AUTHORS
IPL Online Literary Criticism Collection - A large collection of critical and biographical websites about authors and their works. Browse by author, title, nationality, or literary period. (Internet Public Library, Drexel University et al.)
Penguin Classics Reading Guides - Introductions to more than two dozen classic works of literature, placing them in historical and literary context. Includes brief author biographies and discussion questions. For additional titles, see Penguin's Great Books Discussion Guides (Penguin Group Inc.).
Spark Notes - A large collection of detailed, printable study guides for many classic literary works (Barnes & Noble; site includes advertisements). See also Cliffs Notes (Wiley Publishing, Inc.; site includes advertisements) and Cummings Study Guides, which covers dozens of plays, poetry, short stories, and novels (by author / editor Michael J. Cummings; site includes advertisements).
How to Write a Paper and Cite Sources
See also :
ENGLISH & OTHER LANGUAGES
HOW TO USE THE WEB
Assembling a List of Works Cited - Easy-to-use instructions for citing magazine articles, books, websites, and other sources in your term paper bibliography (Duke University). The Citation Machine offers an easy way to create your list of 'Works Cited' automatically. On the left-hand menu, click on a citation style (APA, MLA, etc.), and then on the type of work you are citing (e.g., book, article, web page), fill in the online form with the author, title, etc., and the Citation Machine will show you exactly how your citation should look in both MLA and APA formats; however, you will need to properly capitalize entries yourself (Landmark Project; site includes advertisements, video ads). If you don't know which style to use, see Citation Style for Research Papers, a brief guide to choosing a citation guide for your paper, plus examples of correct citation formats for different documents. Includes the MLA (Modern Language Association), APA (American Psychological Association), AMA (American Medical Association), Turabian, and Chicago formats (Long Island University).
Biography Maker - A step-by-step guide to writing a biographical report or term paper (Bellingham [WA] Public Schools). Bio-Cube is an interactive tool which helps students to develop an outline of a person whose biography or autobiography they have just read, or write their own autobiography. For grades 3 - 12 (International Reading Association & National Council of Teachers of English).
Library Research Guide [UPDATED LINK!] - A step-by-step guide to research, from choosing a topic through citing sources; college level (Duke University). Writer's Handbook is another good step-by-step guide for writing research papers, suitable for high school and college students; includes printable handouts (University of Wisconsin). See also Basic Steps in the Research Process (Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, Cambridge, MA). Younger students will find advice on how to do research, choose resources, find information, take notes, cite sources, and more, in the Oregon School Library Information System's Guides for Elementary School students and Middle & High School students; both guides include an automatic 'citation maker'. NOTE : For access to databases & premium research sources mentioned in these guides, such as EbscoHost, Student Research Center, and Searchasaurus, go to our ONLINE DATABASES page. Links to more term paper guides may be found at Guides to Writing a Term Paper & Designing a Research Project (New Jersey Digital Highway).
Paradigm Online Writing Assistant - 'An interactive, menu-driven, online writer's guide and handbook.' Explains how to find a topic, organize your essay, revise and edit your writing, and document your sources. (By Chuck Guilford, Boise State University; site includes advertisements)
Plagiarism Is No Big Deal, Is It? - This guide explains what plagiarism is and how to avoid it (Gananda NY School District). See also Avoiding Plagiarism (Purdue University).
Writing Guides - A collection of online college-level writing guides and links on a variety of topics, including Academic Essays, Avoiding Plagiarism, Critical Thinking, Reading, and Study Strategies, The Writing Process, Writing Your Research, Citing and Documenting Your Sources, Grammar and Usage, Personal and Professional Writing, Theses and Dissertations, and more. (University of Kentucky Writing Center)
Writing Handouts - Advice on organizing an essay, using quotations, paraphrase & summary, passive voice, and related subjects, plus lists of Books on Writing about Literature and Web Sites on Writing about Literature (University of Toronto). See also Writing Center Handouts. Covers a broad range of writing topics, including specific writing assignments & contexts such as book reviews, comparing/contrasting, essay exams, poetry explications, & speeches, and writing on specific subjects such as literature, history, & science (The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).
Zotero - 'A free, easy-to-use Firefox browser extension to help you collect, manage, and cite your research sources.' (Center for History and New Media)
Creative Writing & Storytelling
See also:
Poetry
Teen Zone : WRITER'S CORNER
Elements of a Story - This multimedia presentation uses the classic tale of Cinderella to explore the different parts of a story : setting, characters, sequence, exposition, conflict, climax, and resolution. For elementary and middle school students. (Annenberg Media)
Exquisite Prompt - A series of monthly writing challenges inspired by authors and illustrators like Jon Scieszka, Katherine Paterson, Kate DiCamillo, Megan McDonald, and other favorites. Use their distinctive genres, styles, themes, and influences as a starting point to create your own stories or poems. The Exquisite Prompt contest has ended, but you can still use the archived prompts to inspire your writing. For grades K-12. (Reading Rockets, WETA Public Broadcasting)
Kids' Storytelling Club - Activities and other resources to inspire & teach kids how to create their own stories. For elementary and middle school students. (Storycraft Publishing)
Lightning Bug - Creative writing companion for young adults, aimed at helping you to write a story from beginning to end. (By Martin Jorgensen; site includes advertisements)
Short Stories : 10 Tips for Creative Writers - Explains what a short story is and how it should be structured. Covers topics such as writing a catchy opening, developing characters, creating conflict & tension, and more. High school and up. (Dennis G. Jerz, associate professor of English at Seton Hill University; site includes advertisements)
Storytelling Workshop - Online workshop with storyteller Gerald Fierst. (Scholastic Inc.; site includes advertisements)
Writing with Writers - Well-known authors like Jane Yolen, Virginia Hamilton and Jack Prelutsky offer advice and activities for descriptive writing, biography, mystery, news, myth, poetry, book reviews, and more. See also Write It!. (Scholastic Inc.; site includes advertisements)
Multicultural Literature
See also:
AUTHORS
ETHNIC / MULTICULTURAL RESOURCES
INDIAN TRIBES & NATIVE PEOPLES
Multicultural Literature in the United States Today - Distinguished American writers from various ethnic backgrounds offer tales of their native lands and their experiences as Americans. Stories can be read on the website, or downloaded as a PDF file for printing. (2009; U.S. Department of State)
Recommended Literature Search - Use this site to find recommended books for a specific age group (grades K-12), about a specific culture, in a specific genre (i.e., mystery, humor, fantasy, etc.) and/or in a specific language. (California Department of Education)
Voice of the Shuttle : Minority Literatures - Extensive collection of links on African American, Asian American, Chicano/Latino, Jewish, Native American, and other minority literatures. Includes links on many individual authors. (Alan Liu et al., University of California)
Voices from the Gaps - Biographical, critical and bibliographical information about women writers and artists of color. (University of Minnesota)
Poetry
See also :
Teen Zone : WRITER'S CORNER
Fooling with Words - Readings by about 20 contemporary poets such as Amiri Baraka, Lorna Dee Cervantes, Lucille Clifton, Galway Kinnell, Stanley Kunitz, and Robert Pinsky, plus biographies, interviews, and links to additional poetry resources (PBS; site includes advertisements). See also Poetry Everywhere (PBS). For more readings by contemporary writers, see
PENNSound (University of Pennsylvania).
Gale Poet's Corner - Free online poetry resources, including activities, biographies, poems, links, quiz, and timeline. (Cengage Learning, publishing company)
Handbook of Terms for Discussing Poetry - Explains various terms used in discussing language, meter, genres and forms of poetry (By Harry Rusche, Professor of English, Emory University). Poetry Archive offers a more extensive Glossary of Poetry Terms.
IPL Online Literary Criticism Collection - A large collection of critical and biographical websites about authors (including poets) and their works. Browse by author, title, nationality, or literary period. (Internet Public Library, Drexel University et al.)
Poetry - Poetry news & events, webcasts, resources for students & teachers, and more. (Library of Congress)
Poetry Archive - Audio recordings of poems, with background material on the poets to help you understand the context for their work. Includes filmed interviews with some poets, speaking about their writing lives. You can browse poems by title, poet, theme, poetic terms or form. (Non-profit site)
Poetry Explications - 'A poetry explication is a relatively short analysis which describes the possible meanings and relationships of the words, images, and other small units that make up a poem... This handout reviews some of the important techniques of approaching and writing a poetry explication, and includes parts of two sample explications.' High school and up (University of North Carolina). See also Writing About Poetry (Purdue University).
Poetry Magic - Advice on writing poetry for the beginner or more experienced poet. (By C. John Holcombe and Patricia Contreras Torres; site includes advertisements)
Poetry Online - Full text of more than 2500 classic and contemporary poems. You can search by poet's name, poem title, first line of poem, or keyword. Also provides a glossary, timeline, and writings on poetry, including some criticism (University of Toronto).
Poetry Tool - An easily searchable database of poems and poets, which allows you to search for poems by category, occasion, title, or first line, and to search for poets by name, era, or region. Also offers podcasts, articles, and a special section of poetry for children, arranged by age groups or category. The
Poetry Guidebook explains 'How to Read a Poem (and Fall in Love with Poetry)'. (Poetry Foundation)
Poets & Poetry - From the lefthand menu, use the 'Find a Poem or Poet' feature to find biographies, photos, and other information on hundreds of poets, or search for poem texts by title or first line. Now includes
audio and video. (Academy of American Poets; formerly Online Poetry Classroom)
Read Any Great Books Lately?
See also:
Useful Websites : BOOKS, READING, & LIBRARIES
Teen Zone : LIBRARY
South Plainfield Public Schools Summer Reading Lists
South Plainfield Middle School Recommended Reads
LISTEN NJ : FREE AUDIOBOOK & eBOOK DOWNLOADS - Listen NJ offers free audiobooks and eBooks to transfer to your PC/Mac or portable device, or burn to a CD! Choose from a great collection of bestsellers, mysteries, classics, biographies, history, and lots more! NOTE : Additional eBooks which are in the public domain (no longer under copyright) may be downloaded without going through the ListenNJ checkout process! These public domain titles may be downloaded without login or checkout, and do NOT count against your regular checkout/lending options. This collection contains over 15,000 titles!
NoveList Plus and
NoveList K-8 Plus : Online readers' advisory tool that helps you find new books based on books you've read or topics in which you are interested. Part of EBSCOHost.
Want to take Novelist with you when you're browsing the stacks? You can! Novelist Plus now offers Novelist Plus Mobile, for use with your Android, BlackBerry, Dell Axim, iPhone, or Palm 750!
Click here for Novelist Plus Mobile FAQ.
Click here for a Flash tutorial.
Bartleby - A full-text, searchable database of reference books and classic works of fiction, nonfiction, and verse. Includes all the Harvard Classics. (Site includes advertisements, pop-ups)
Best Books for Young Adults - Yearly recommendations of the best fiction and nonfiction for teens. The page includes links to many additional Young Adult Book Awards and Booklists (American Library Association).
Classic eBooks from Listen NJ - Are all the copies of The Great Gatsby checked out at the library? E-books which are in the public domain (no longer under copyright) may be downloaded without going through the ListenNJ checkout process! These public domain titles may be downloaded without login or checkout, and do NOT count against your regular Listen NJ checkout/lending options. This collection contains over 15,000 titles! PROJECT GUTENBERG has the oldest and largest collection of free electronic books on the Internet. E-texts of more than 30,000 titles, produced by hundreds of volunteers (non-site includes advertisements). See also
Free Web Books (University of Adelaide Library) and
Online Books Page (Penn State University). Penn State University's Electronic Classics page provides a variety of selected PDF e-texts, with links to additional information on the authors included.
Arthur's Classic Novels includes some hard-to-find classic titles (site maintained by Arthur Wendover).
Classic Short Stories - E-texts of classic short stories by dozens of writers including Wharton, Twain, Hawthorne, Poe, Mansfield, de Maupassant, Kipling, Saki, Garcia Marquez, Chekhov and others. (By B&L Associates; site includes advertisements)
Feedbooks - A universal e-reading platform compatible with all mobile devices, and free downloads of thousands of public domain e-books. Works with Amazon Kindle, iPod / iPhone, SmartPhones / PDA and more; see main Help page for more information. Some features require free registration. If you have problems finding a specific author or title with Feedbooks' search function, use Google's Advanced Search to search within the site.
Kids' Reads - Reviews of books for kids, with author interviews, games, series lists, and more. (The Book Report Network; site includes advertisements)
Lit to Go - 'A free online collection of stories and poems in Mp3 (audiobook) format. You can download the files to your Mp3 player and listen on the go, listen to the Mp3 files on your computer, view the text on a webpage and read along as you listen, or print out the stories and poems to make your own book.' Recordings range from short poems to full-length novels (University of South Florida). For more audiobooks you can download free, check out our Listen NJ Audiobook Downloads page.
No Flying, No Tights [UPDATED LINK!] - Reviews of graphic novels, with sections for each genre (superheroes, fantasy, sf, historical, mystery, horror, romance, etc.), plus indexes of creators, titles, and publishers, and e-mail updates. Starred titles are particularly recommended for younger teens (by Robin Brenner et al., a group of graphic novel enthusiasts and library staffpeople). See also About Graphic Novels (Cincinnati Public Library) and South Plainfield Library Graphic Novels Collection.
Outstanding Books for the College Bound - Recommended reading in fiction, nonfiction, biography, drama, and poetry; updated every five years. For additional recommended books for teens, see Book Awards & Booklists. (American Library Association)
Rare Book Room - High-resolution digital images of the rare originals of hundreds of the world's great books, including books by Galileo, Newton, Copernicus, Kepler, Einstein, Darwin and others, Shakespeare Quartos and the First Folio from the Folger Shakespeare Library, Poor Richard's Almanac by Benjaman Franklin, Gutenberg's Bible of 1455, the first printing of the Bill of Rights, and the Magna Carta. (From publisher Octavo.com)
Recommended Literature Search - Use this site to find recommended books for a specific age group (grades K-12), about a specific culture, in a specific genre (i.e., mystery, humor, fantasy, etc.) and/or in a specific language. (California Department of Education)
Series & Sequels - A database containing thousands of books in series titles, for elementary through high school students. Indexed by series title, series subject, book title, and author. Just lists, no descriptions (Mid-Continent Public Library). See also Young Adult Books in Series and Sequels (Bettendorf Public Library, IA) and Kids' Reads series lists (The Book Report Network; site includes advertisements).
Summer Reading - Annual Summer Reading Lists designed to introduce new students to the intellectual life of a university. Not 'official reading lists' but a wide range of personal recommendations from faculty and staff members at University of California at Berkeley. There is a different theme for each year's list.
Teen Reads - Reviews of books for teens, often including excerpts and/or author interviews (The Book Report Network; site includes advertisements). For more teen reading sites, see our Teen Zone : LIBRARY links.
Young Adult Books Central - Targeted towards tween and teen readers, this site offers book reviews, author interviews & bios, press releases, industry news and much more on both children's and YA books. (Site includes advertisements)
Young Adults : Themed Booklists - Dozens of lists of recommended books for teens on a wide variety of themes, including biography, dragons, fantasy, ethnic heritage, everyday life, science & technology, summer reads, TV tie-ins, and many more (WETA Public Broadcasting). See also Teen Fiction and Teen Nonfiction by Theme / Topic (Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh).
Shakespeare
See also :
ARTS & MUSIC : Theater
100+ of the Best Books on Shakespeare - A bibliography of the best books on Shakespeare's work, life, and times, as well as a selection of the best online resources. (©2007, Modern Library; Random House Publishing Group)
All About Shakespeare - An overview of Shakespeare's work, life, and times, plus brief summaries of six plays. A transcript from Standard Deviants TV. (PBS)
Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Downloadable e-texts of all the plays and poems in a variety of formats including HTML, EPUB, Kindle, Plucker, QiOO Mobile, and Plain Text (Project Gutenberg). For advanced searching / navigation of the plays and sonnets, see Open Source Shakespeare, now including Mobile Open Source Shakespeare which you can use on your mobile device (George Mason University) and Shakespeare Searched, a search engine designed to provide quick access to passages from Shakespeare's plays and sonnets, with search results grouped by topic, work, and character (Clusty.com; site includes advertisements).
Discover Shakespeare - Background materials on Shakespeare's life, work, and theater, including discussions of each of the Plays. Also includes a separate section on Shakespeare for Kids. (Folger Library)
Encyclopedia Brittanica's Guide to Shakespeare - 'Why does Shakespeare stand out so far among his contemporaries? What makes his speech so compelling? Where did he obtain his depth of understanding, his wit? Who was he exactly?' This guide examines Shakespeare's life & works, the Elizabethan world and the Elizabethan theatre, with short plot summaries, essays, learning activities, multimedia files, and more. For high school students. (Site includes advertisements)
Explore Shakespeare - A series of 13 brief videos (about 3 minutes or less) addressing commonly asked questions about Shakespeare's life; transcripts included. (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, UK)
In Search of Shakespeare - 'Explore the events that shaped the man behind the words. Find out more about the people he knew and the world that he lived in...' Includes timeline, biographies, interactive game, glossary, plot summaries, links, and an audio interview. (PBS; site includes advertisements)
Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet - Information on the work, life, and times of Shakespeare, plus criticism on each of the plays as well as sonnets and poetry. (By Terry A. Gray, Palomar Community College)
Royal Shakespeare Company - Plot summaries (synopses) for some plays, games, video clips, and other resources for exploring Shakespeare.
Shakespeare and His World Learning Center - Free online seminars, articles, features, lectures, reference entries, book recommendations and links to further resources on Shakespeare. College level. (Fathom Knowledge Network)
Shakespeare : Criticism & Study - Links to many critical essays on Shakespeare; includes essays on specific plays. Links may not appear in some older browsers. (University of Victoria, Canada)
Shakespeare in American Life - Three-part radio documentary explores how the national poet of Britain, an English playwright who lived 400 years ago, became an integral part of American life and culture. High school and up. (2007, Folger Shakespeare Library)
Shakespeare on Film - A 'filmography' of all the movie adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, with brief plot outlines, links to reviews, credits, and more; many include a clip or trailer. In chronological order. (IMDB.com; site includes advertisements)
Shakespeare : Subject to Change - Multimedia presentation exploring Shakespeare's language, and how the printing, editing, and directing of his plays have altered his original texts. High school; you must enter your school's name to view the site. (Cable in the Classroom; non-profit foundation)
