Language Arts: Literature & Writing Resources

Literature

Databases

databasesLibrary databases are online collections of information, organized for research. Databases contain articles, eBooks, images, maps, primary sources and more. Start your research with these general databases, available from any Denver Public Library or from home with a Denver Public Library Card.

video icon Look for the video icon to see a Denver Public Library screencast.

video icon Database Search Strategies

Literature Resource Center Find information on authors' lives and literary criticism about their work. Video Tutorial

Literary Reference Center Full-text literary database covering all genres and time periods. It includes thousands of synopses, critical essays, book reviews, literary journals and author biographies, plus full-text classic novels, short stories and poems.

Poetry & Short Story Reference Center Full-text database containing thousands of classic and contemporary poems, short stories, biographies, essays, lesson plans and learning guides. It also includes high-quality videos and audio recordings from the Academy of American Poets.

Literary Criticism eBooks Download an eBook to your computer or smartphone. Includes CliffsNotes.

Explora Middle School Find information from magazines, newspapers and reference books on a variety of topics . Includes videos, primary sources, images and biographies.

Explora High School Look up topic overviews, magazine and academic journal articles, facts and primary sources for research papers, class projects or homework. Get information from trustworthy sources that you can cite in your papers. Designed with students and educators in mind.

NoveList Plus NoveList Plus answers the question: What should I read next? Search by favorite author, title or series and find similar books.

Gale eBooks (formerly Gale Virtual Reference Library) Encyclopedias about the arts, biography, country studies, history, law, literature, religion, science, and social science. 
video iconVideo Tutorial

Other Online Resources

Crash Course YouTube Channel: Literature John Green teaches you literature!

Google Books Search Download full copies of out-of-copyright books like Dante's Inferno, Shakespeare's Hamlet and more.

Glossary of Poetry Terms

Poetry 180 A Poem a Day for American High School Students.

Sparknotes Created by a group of students at Harvard University, this site has study guides, reference tools, and classic books online - all free!

CliffsNotes: Literature Includes over 200 free “Literature Notes.”


Writing

The Writer's Handbook: Writing a Research Paper

Writing Skills Tips on writing essays, book reports and research papers.

Purdue Online Writing Lab Resources for the writing process, grammar, punctuation and more.