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At the start of a new season and school year for many, we’re turning to the classics to make that transition a little smoother. From classics that should be on every syllabus to works we celebrate during and beyond Hispanic Heritage Month, we have something for students, teachers, and readers of all ages. Let us know on social media which of the classics you’re picking up this season (we’re @PenguinClassics everywhere).
Whether you’re returning to a classroom this September or looking to switch up your syllabus, we recommend these classics that represent the vast diversity and timelessness of classic literature: Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, Passing by Nella Larsen, Monkey King by Wu Cheng’en, and The Penguin Book of Migration Literature.
Hispanic Heritage Month runs from mid-September to mid-October, and Penguin Classics is proud to publish an ever-expanding list of beloved Latinx authors. Here are a few books we’re celebrating this month: Mr. President by Miguel Ángel Asturias; A Nation of Women by Luisa Capetillo; Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya; and In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez.
Arthur Miller returns to Broadway this season with the fifth revival of Death of a Salesman. Starring Wendell Pierce and Olivier Award-winner Sharon D Clarke as Willy and Linda Loman, with Tony Award winner André De Shields in a supporting role, this production recenters this dark and electrifying story from the perspective of an African American family. Revisit or discover Miller’s seminal deconstruction of the American Dream as this exciting revival brings a new interpretation of this Pulitzer Prize–winning play.
Still looking for more syllabus ideas? Check out our 75 classics for 75 years list for a curated list of our quintessential classics, some familiar and some surprising. Keep track of how many of these timeless reads you have yet to enjoy with our handy checklist and let us know which well-known story is still unchecked on your list.
