Go Down, Moses is the 1942 novel by William Faulkner in which "The Bear" first appeared in its entirety. Each of the stories within the novel center around the McCaslin clan, starting with Uncle Buck and Uncle Buddy and ending when "Uncle Ike" is an old man.

Jack London's 1910 novel White Fang tells the story of a boy coming of age in the wilderness of Alaska near the turn of the century. The enduring lessons of the wilderness are taught by a very special dog who is also part wolf.

Published in 1845, the autobiographical Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is a good starting point for investigating slavery from the slaves' point of view. Douglass's account is relevant to the plight of all slaves in any time period.

Faulkner was an influential figure for Nobel prize-winner Toni Morrison. Her 1977 novel...