Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit homebody, joins a party of dwarves and their wizard companion in a series of adventures to reclaim the dwarves’ homeland from the great dragon Smaug.

For this book, we offer a mix of literary and informational texts to support your upcoming novel unit. These lessons are designed to build students’ reading comprehension and engagement.

8th Grade Poem

Travel

Robert Louis Stevenson 1913
Passage Summary:

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist, and travel writer. In this poem, the narrator speaks of his wish to travel the world, one day, when he is "a man."

When and How to Pair:

Introduce this poem to students after they have read chapter two of The Hobbit in order to help them to identify themes in the novel and make thematic connections across texts. Pair “Travel” with Chapter 2 and ask students to discuss the themes of journeying and adventure in both texts — would Stevenson’s poem appeal to Bilbo’s Tookish side? What convinces Bilbo to leave his home in the Shire?

8th Grade Short Story 980L

The Three Questions

Leo Tolstoy 1885
Passage Summary:

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) was a famous Russian author, perhaps best known for his novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina. In this short story, a king looks for three answers to three questions in order to make himself a better ruler.

When and How to Pair:

Introduce Tolstoy’s parable “The Three Questions” after students have read Chapter 5. Have students read this text in order to conduct a comparative character analysis of the Hermit and Bilbo. After reading both texts, ask students to evaluate how both the Hermit and Bilbo use their wits.

8th Grade Religious Text 970L

The Story of David and Goliath

The Book of Samuel 1611
Passage Summary:

In this passage, the translation taken from the New King James Version Bible, the young and small shepherd David takes up the giant enemy warrior Goliath's challenge for battle in a true underdog fashion.

When and How to Pair:

Have students read this text after they have completed Chapter 8 of The Hobbit, in order to introduce them to the idea of “the unlikely hero” as a literary motif. Pair “The Story of David and Goliath” with Chapter Eight, and ask students to compare these two unlikely heroes, David and Bilbo, and to discuss how they are able to defeat their much larger foes. How has Bilbo been changed by his confrontation with the spiders, and why do you think this change takes place?

9th Grade Poem

The Soldier

Rupert Brooke 1914
Passage Summary:

In "The Soldier" (1914) by Rupert Brooke, a young English soldier reveals his dying wish - to be remembered and honored. Rupert Brooke's poetry is a reflection of the mood in England leading up to WWI. 

When and How to Pair:

Introduce this poem after students have completed Chapter 17, following the destruction of Laketown in chapter fourteen, and the Battle of the Five Armies in chapter seventeen. This pairing will help provide insight into the character of Bilbo Baggins, as well as Tolkien’s own experiences with World War I. Pair “The Soldier” with Chapter 17, and ask students to compare Bilbo’s experiences in battle with that of the speaker in the poem — how does Bilbo’s longing for the Shire resemble the soldier’s memories of England?

8th Grade Myth 1150L

The Golden Touch

Nathaniel Hawthorne 1851
Passage Summary:

This text is Hawthorne's retelling of the classic myth of King Midas, whose greedy wish for a "golden touch" ends up taking away what is most valuable to him. 

When and How to Pair:

Introduce Hawthorne’s retelling of the myth of King Midas after students have read Chapter 17 of The Hobbit. Have students read “The Golden Touch” to provide insight into the shared theme of greed. Ask students to analyze the consequences of greed in “The Golden Touch” and compare them with the effects of greed on the characters of Thorin and Smaug in The Hobbit.

8th Grade Poem

O Captain! My Captain!

Walt Whitman 1865
Passage Summary:

A sailor grieves the loss of his captain in this poem that symbolizes the American experience of making it through the Civil War.

When and How to Pair:

Introduce the poem after finishing Chapter 18 of The Hobbit in order to have students draw thematic comparisons across genre and form. Pair “Oh Captain! My Captain!” with Chapter 18, and ask students to discuss the aftermath of the Battle of the Five Armies. How does it compare to the Whitman poem, a work inspired by the death of Abraham Lincoln?

8th Grade Poem 1090L

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost 1916
Passage Summary:

Published in 1916, this poem is one of the most frequently cited and most misunderstood of Frost's poems.

When and How to Pair:

Introduce “The Road Not Taken” after students have finished reading The Hobbit, in order to analyze grand themes through a comparative study across genres. Ask students to discuss the idea of journeys as a theme in both texts — how do Bilbo’s choices shape his journey and, eventually, himself?

9th Grade Informational Text 1010L

The Hero's Journey

Jessica McBirney 2017
Passage Summary:

In the informational text "The Hero's Journey," Jessica McBirney discusses a common structure among many stories across genres.

When and How to Pair:

Have students read this text after finishing the book, as insight into the structure and plot of this literary pattern. Pair “The Hero’s Journey” with The Hobbit and ask students to compare Bilbo’s journey with that of the archetypal hero – is Bilbo Baggins a hero?