American Literature and Composition

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American Literature and Composition

Course option: Live

Grades: 10th-12th | Successful completion of English 1

Course dates: August 24, 2026 - May 7, 2027

Course length: Traditional, full year

Live Sessions - attendance required: Tuesdays | 12-1 p.m. Eastern

Course size: 12-15 students

Instructor: Tara Limoco

Cost: $749

Tara Limoco - Introduction to Literature & Composition, American Literature & Composition, Honors English Literature & Composition 1, College Essay Writing Intensive taralimoco.bluetent[at]gmail.com

More about Tara Limoco

When she was a child, Tara’s mother often scolded her to “put down that book and go outside!” Tara’s love of reading started very early, from reciting preschool nursery rhymes, to devouring book after book during summer afternoons, to making the public library her sanctuary as a teen. All that reading, plus the encouragement and support of a few special teachers along the way, led to an equally strong love of writing and eventually a desire to inspire a love of the written word in others.

Tara graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Education, with certifications in English language arts, drama, and speech for middle and high school levels, as well as kindergarten through twelfth grade reading. She taught English in rural, urban, and suburban schools, coached a high school speech team, and, as part of a team of dedicated educators, wrote and executed the charter for a residential facility for special needs students.

Working on a school charter with this group of educators proved to be the most meaningful education experience of her career, as they learned from and leaned on each other in the complex, arduous process of building a school from scratch--creating a vision and mission; planning curriculum, schedules, and procedures; connecting with a unique population of students; and finding ways to ignite excitement in learners who had never experienced it before.

Tara eventually left the classroom for an even more exciting adventure– homeschooling her three children. She and her children grew alongside each other, explored their interests, followed their curiosity, and practiced learning as an active, cooperative process. School was not limited to reading, writing, and math. They made gallons of maple syrup in their backyard, created art in a variety of media, explored the historical, scientific, and cultural sites of their region, grew a garden, started a student-run baking business, and enjoyed countless other experiences together.

In addition to these teaching experiences, Tara taught language arts, cooking, art and book club for a homeschool co-op, tutored reading, writing, and math, and test prep, and was a contributing writer for the Cincinnati Moms Collective blog. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and baking–especially sourdough bread, gardening, West Coast Swing dancing, painting, writing, and of course, lots of reading.

Tara believes that words and the stories they create, whether real or imagined, hold great power. Parts of the world and human experience become available to us through reading and writing that would not be otherwise. Reading, writing, and communication are the greatest tools for connection available to us. For Tara, the joy of teaching is in facilitating these discoveries and connections, opening the world to her students.

Required Resources

6 student selected novel
All other reading material will be provided by the instructor
APA/MLA Style Reference for Writing Quickstudy Guide ISBN: 142324835X

We will explore six major themes of American literature. I have included a list of suggestions, but you are encouraged to make your own choices for books in each category. These should be books you truly want to read, and they do not have to be on this list.

The American Dream

The Distance Between Us – Reyna Grande
Dreams from My Father – Barack Obama
The Four Winds – Kristin Hannah
Make Your Home Among Strangers – Jennine Capó Crucet
Behold the Dreamers –Imbolo Mbue
Enrique’s Journey (original or YA Version) – Sonia Nazario
We Are Not From Here – Jenny Torres Sanchez
All My Rage – Sabaa Tahiz
Hidden Figures – Margot Lee Shetterly
The Bean Trees – Barbara Kingsolver

Humanity, Nature, and the Power of Place

Snow Falling on Cedars – David Guterson
Life of Pi – Yann Martel
Into the Wild – John Krakauer
Anthropocene Reviewed – John Green
This One Summer – Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki
World of Wonders – Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Braiding Sweetgrass – Robin Wall Kimmerer
The Secret Life of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd
Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens
The Light Pirate - Lily Brooks-Dalton
Parable of the Sower -
The Warmth of Other Suns - Isabel Wilkerson

Coming of Age

The Wild Robot – Peter Brown
The Outsiders S.E. Hinton
A Long Way from Chicago – Richard Peck
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter – Erika L. Sánchez
The Perks of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe – Benjamin Alire Saenz
Hey, Kiddo – Jarrett J. Krosoczka
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Betty Smith
Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
Grace Year – Kim Liggett
Long Way Down – Jason Reynolds
Brown Girl Dreaming – Jacqueline Woodson

Liberty, Justice, and Equality

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
Just Mercy – Bryan Stevenson
March (book 1) – John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell
The Hate You Give – Angie Thomas and Amandla Stenberg
Nickel Boys – Colson Whitehead
Stamped – Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
Fences – August Wilson
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl – Harriet Jacobs
James – Percival Everett
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn –Mark Twain

Wealth, Power, and Classism

Trust – Hernan Diaz
Little Fires Everywhere – Celeste Ng
Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
The Prince and the Dressmaker – Jen Wang
The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
The Help - Kathryn Stockett
Such a Fun Age - Kiley Reid
The Vanishing Half – Brit Bennett
Pontiac - Jim Schultz
The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald

Personal Identity and Community Diversity

The Namesake – Jhumpa Lahiri
Seedfolks – Paul Fleischman
Americana – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Joy Luck Club – Amy Tan
American Street – Ibi Zaboi
I Was Their American Dream – Malaka Gharib
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian – Sherman Alexie
There There – Tommy Orange
Bread Givers – Anzia Yezieska
Passing – Nella Larson
The Best We Could Do – Thi Bui
Fun Home: A Trajicomed – Alison Bechdel
Between the World and Me – Ta Nehisi Coates

Course Details

This online live American Literature course is designed for high school homeschoolers in grades 9–12 who are ready to explore the diverse voices and stories that have shaped the American experience. Live weekly meetings will offer time for face-to-face conversations, questions, skills development, assignment clarification, and addressing other student concerns as needed.

Through thematic novel study, short fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, students will engage deeply with questions of identity, place, society, and belief. They will analyze literature across major American movements—from Puritan sermons and Romantic poetry to Harlem Renaissance essays and postmodern prose. Students will write scholarly essays and complete creative projects that demonstrate both insight and originality.

A Journey Through American Voices

What is the American Dream? What defines an American? How do race, religion, gender, geography, and ideology shape who we are and what we write?

In this course, students will self-select novels across seven thematic categories:

The American Dream
Humanity, Nature, and the Power of Place
Coming of Age
Liberty, Justice, and Equality
Wealth, Power, and Classism
Personal Identity and Cultural Diversity

Literary Movements Students Will Encounter

In addition to their novel choices, students will read short stories, poems, and essays by key writers that exemplify the major movements in American Literature. Some of the authors they will encounter include Anne Bradstreet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allen Poe, Zora Neale Hurston, Mark Twain, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Steven Crane, Kate Chopin, and Flannery O’Connor.

Each weekly reading assignment will be accompanied by a discussion, designed to foster literary insight, peer engagement, and critical thinking.

Colonial & Puritan Writing
Enlightenment & Revolutionary Era
Romanticism & Gothic
Transcendentalism
Realism & Naturalism
Modernism
The Harlem Renaissance
Postmodernism & Contemporary Voices

Deep Reading, Thoughtful Response

Students will complete essays and projects to enhance their understanding of the literature they read and hone their ability to express ideas with eloquence, thoughtfulness, creativity, and insight.

Each assignment will receive detailed, instructor-written feedback and guidance for revision.

Brief, targeted activities will reinforce students’ understanding of literary elements, vocabulary, and writing skills.

Purposeful Practice

Every assignment—whether a discussion post, a short reflection, or a major essay—is designed with purpose: to develop reading insight and a deeper understanding of American literature’s role in shaping and reflecting our culture. Students will practice annotation, interpretation, argumentation, and creativity—building confidence in their ability to understand and write about literature with voice and purpose.

Format

Instruction is delivered through a dedicated online classroom. Live weekly meetings will include short lessons, discussion of reading assignments, and time for questions and feedback. The class will engage throughout the week in our online forum for discussion, short skills-based assignments, and peer feedback.
This is a teacher-graded course. Weekly assignments may include self-graded, peer reviewed, or automatically graded components, but essays and projects will receive detailed, individualized feedback from the instructor. The instructor is available for student questions and support during office hours or by request.
Office Hours: TBD
Average Weekly Time Commitment: 6–8 hours.

Course Goals

Reading American Literature in Context: Students will read and analyze a broad range of American literature—including novels, short fiction, poetry, essays, and speeches—situating texts within their historical, cultural, and literary contexts. Students will examine how American writers across time respond to questions of identity, belief, power, place, and the American experience.
Literary Analysis Across Movements & Themes: Students will analyze and compare texts across major American literary movements, tracing how themes, styles, and ideas evolve from the Colonial period through contemporary literature. Emphasis is placed on recognizing patterns, connecting history and culture to literature, and the evolution of American thought and writing.
Scholarly Writing & Argumentation: Students will produce thesis-driven analytical essays, developing textually supported arguments enlightened by historical context and strengthened with critical reasoning. Instruction emphasizes structure,clarity, voice, revision, and academic integrity, preparing students for college-level writing.
Inquiry, Discussion & Independent Thinking: Students will engage in discussion, inquiry, and independent exploration–asking meaningful questions, responding thoughtfully to peers, and exploring thematic interests through self-selected reading, research, and creative projects.