How to play Name That Book
Each round has ten questions. You see a short plot summary of a famous book, poem or play, written without the title, the author or any character names. Read it, then choose the right title from four choices. The wrong choices come from the same shelf, and on Hard they come from the same period too, so you have to think about the story itself and not just which title sounds familiar.
Press Play to start right away with all books on Easy. To choose a shelf, open Options under the Play button: Shakespeare, Classics (English-language books written before 1950), World literature (great books from other languages and countries), Children's books, Modern (books from after 1950 that many students read in middle and high school) or All books, and Easy for the best-known titles or Hard for a tougher mix. Shelves with only a handful of books mix in titles from the other difficulty, so two rounds in a row never look the same.
After you answer, a library card shows the title, the author (with a portrait when one is on file), the year it first appeared, and a lightbulb note on why the book matters. On a computer, press 1 to 4 to answer, H for a hint and Enter for the next book.
Scoring and hints
- A right answer without a hint is worth 10 points, so a perfect round scores 100.
- Stuck? The Hint button shows the name of one main character. A right answer after a hint is worth 5 points.
- Turn on Timer bonus for a 30-second clock on each book. A right answer then earns 10 points plus up to 10 more for speed, so a perfect fast round scores 200. If the clock runs out, the book counts as missed.
- A wrong answer scores 0, but you still see the full reveal card, so you learn the book anyway.
- Your best score for each category and difficulty is saved in this browser. The quiz also remembers which books you have seen lately and serves fresh ones first.
Why knowing famous stories helps
Writers and speakers borrow from famous stories all the time. A news article might call a long, risky trip an odyssey, describe a no-win rule as a catch-22, or warn about a Big Brother state. If you know the stories behind these phrases, you understand more of what you read and you catch jokes and references that other readers miss.
Plot summaries are also good practice for your own writing. Each one boils a long book down to two or three sentences that name the setting, the main conflict and what is at stake. That is the same skill you use to write a strong essay introduction or a quick book report.
In debate, literature is a deep store of examples. A speaker arguing about surveillance can point to the world Orwell imagined. Someone arguing about civil disobedience can bring up a sister in ancient Greece who defies the king's order, and an argument about prejudice can call on a trial in a small Alabama town. A well-chosen story makes a point easy to picture and hard to forget.
Frequently asked questions
How are the books chosen?
The quiz includes more than 200 books, poems and plays that are widely read and taught around the world, from ancient Greek epics to recent young adult novels. They come from many countries and include works by both women and men.
Do the summaries give away the endings?
We try hard not to. Each summary sets up the story and its main conflict but leaves out the big twists, so the quiz will not spoil a book you have not read yet.
What year is shown for each book?
The year the work first appeared, usually its first publication. For plays it is the first performance, and for very old works such as Shakespeare's plays and Greek epics the date is an estimate, marked with c. for circa.
Is Name That Book free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no account. Your best scores and recently seen books are saved only in this browser on this device.
Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Project it on a screen and let teams call out answers, or have students play on their own devices as a warm-up before a literature unit or a debate practice.