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Accessible from home Accessible from home with a
Downers Grove Public Library card
In-library use only In-library use only

English

Books and Literary Criticism

Databases

Accessible from home Black Literature Criticism: Classic and Emerging Authors Since 1950    
Find information and analysis of the works of such writers as Toni Morrison and James Baldwin as well as less well-known writers of note.

Accessible from home Drama For Students
Each volume examines about 15 plays that are most discussed in literature classes. Each entry includes plot summaries, major themes, critical commentary and more.

Volume 1 Volume 6 Volume 11 Volume 16 Volume 21
Volume 2 Volume 7 Volume 12 Volume 17 Volume 22
Volume 3 Volume 8 Volume 13 Volume 18 Volume 23
Volume 4 Volume 9 Volume 14 Volume 19 Volume 24
Volume 5 Volume 10 Volume 15 Volume 20 Volume 25


Accessible from home Literary Movements for Students
Discusses such movements as Greek Drama, the Harlem Renaissance, Magic Realism and Transcendentalism.

Accessible from home Literary Newsmakers for Students
Each volume of this series discusses recent literary releases such as The Memory Keeper's Daughter and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Volume 1 Volume 2 Volume 3


Accessible from home Literary Reference Center
Find literary criticism, plot summaries, book reviews, author biographies, literary journal articles as well as full-text poems and short stories in this full-text resource.

Accessible from home MagillOnLiterature Plus
Plot and character summaries, and critical analysis, of literary works.

Accessible from home NoveList Plus
Looking for a good fiction or nonfiction book? Search by subject, plot summary, and more.

Accessible from home
Student Resources in Context
Aimed at middle school and high school students, this source has information on many topics including history, literature, science and social studies from articles and reference books.

Accessible from home U*X*L Encyclopedia of World Mythology 
This source “helps students with the plot points, historical context, and mythological allusions they need to fully understand how mythologies not only reflect cultures of old but also remain meaningful in society today.”

Accessible from home Writer's Directory 
Biographies, booklists and contact information for 20,000 living authors.


Websites

Internet Public Library
Find information by author, title or literary period.

NovelGuide.com
"The premier free source for literary analysis on the web." Addresses the classics.

Sparknotes
Free alternative to Cliff's Notes. Requires free registration for detailed information. Also covers history and the sciences.

Writing a Research Paper/Citing Sources

Websites

Writing a Research Paper

A+ Research and Writing Step-by-Step
Practical help from the Internet Public Library.

Online Writing Lab
A step-by-step tutorial from Purdue University.

Citing Sources

College of DuPage

Easybib.com

NoodleTools
Fill in the blanks to get a citation in the MLA format.

Son of Citation Machine
Enter citation information to produce a MLA, APA or Chicago-formatted bibliographic reference and parenthetical citation.