Many web sites are available for more information to guide you in your
reading. A good place to begin is http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_L/les_miserables1.asp or http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/lesmis/
REALISM
2. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane (~160 pages)
Published thirty
years after the Civil War, The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane’s most famous work, is a study in psychological
realism. It tells the story without a trace of romanticism. The novel presents the conflicting emotions and subjective perceptions
of Henry Fleming, a young Civil War soldier, during his first battle. The story follows his psychological turmoil, from the
excitement of patriotism to the bloody realities of battle and his flight from it. The Red Badge of Courage is best
known for its honest portrayal of war while it explores the complex nature of courage and heroism.
Many web sites are
available for more information to guide you in your reading. Try
http://www.bookrags.com/notes/rbc/BIO.htm
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/redbadge/
http://www.slideshare.net/mumphrey/vocabulary-for-the-red-badge-of-courage-presentation
(a vocabulary slide show)
MODERNISM
3. The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck (~112 pages)
Occupied
by enemy troops, a small, peaceable town comes face to face with evil imposed from the outside—and betrayal born within
the close-knit community. As he delves into the motivations and emotions of the enemy commander and the traitor, Steinbeck
uncovers profound, often unsettling truths about war—and about human nature. Few literary works of our time have demonstrated
so triumphantly the power of ideas in the face of cold steel and brute force.
For more help, try the following sites:
http://www.articlemyriad.com/176.htm
http://www.msjnet.edu/uploaded/Students/SummerReading2009/moon.pdf
http://www.funtrivia.com/trivia-quiz/Literature/The-Moon-Is-Down-168076.html
(an online quiz)
For additional support, I have an eboard account. The site is 
