This title examines the role and theme of the hero archetype in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, To Kill a Mockingbird, 12 Years a Slave, The Scarlet Letter, and Little Women. It features four analysis papers that consider the hero theme, each using different critical lenses, writing techniques, or aspects of the theme. Critical thinking questions, sidebars highlighting and explaining each thesis and argument, and other possible approaches for analysis help students understand the mechanics of essay writing. Features include a glossary, references, websites, source notes, and an index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.