Welcome to ELA at BFW!
We’ve created this website to give you a complete picture of all of the high school English offerings from Bedford/Freeman/Worth publishers. While we are primarily an AP® publisher, with titles created to meet the needs of high school students, we also offer on-level ELA programs, so this site includes all of those. Additionally, some Honors and AP® courses in high school like to adopt textbooks from the Macmillan Higher Ed (or College) English titles; this page includes information on those as well.
AP® English Language and Composition
BFW offers two different options for both AP® Courses. For AP® English Language and Composition (or AP® Lang) we offer The Language of Composition, Fourth Edition and Ideas in Argument, First Edition.
The Language of Composition
Fourth Edition © 2023
Renee Shea; Lawrence Scanlon; Robin Dissin Aufses; Megan M. Harowitz; Katherine E. Cordes; Carlos A. Escobar
What makes this book unique?
Chapters 1-3 cover the reading and writing skills key to success in the course and on the AP® Exam.
Chapters 4-9 are anthology chapters arranged by the timeless themes, such as Identity, Money, and Justice, that help bring the readings to life. Each thematic chapter offers a wide variety of classic and contemporary writing designed to foster classroom conversation, encourage students to ponder enduring questions, and promote connections not only between and among the texts themselves but also with the vibrant cultural conversations taking place in the world today.
Who likes this book best?
Teachers who want a lot of flexibility in the readings they select for each Unit.
Learn more about The Language of Composition, Fourth Edition:
Take a look at a sample chapter from the Teacher’s Edition.
Ideas in Argument
First Edition © 2022
John R. Williamson; Mary Jo Zell, Elizabeth Davis
What makes this book unique?
Each of the 9 units aligns to the College Board Framework perfectly. Therefore, each of the 9 units include focused workshops on the Big Ideas, annotated mentor texts, a pool of classic and contemporary readings, composition workshops, and AP® Exam test prep.
Who likes this book best?
Teachers who want a lot of structure in their course because they want to align to the AP® Framework for the course perfectly.
Learn more about Ideas in Argument:
Take a look at a sample chapter from the Teacher’s Edition.
What is common to both options for AP® Language and Composition?
Both books offer direct instruction on reading and writing skills to help students develop into more thoughtful readers and more sophisticated writers. Both books have an array of readings, and both have a robust set of teacher resources including a wrap-around style Teacher’s Edition, provided for each confirmed adoption. Both books also have digital assets available through our Achieve platform including adaptive LearningCurve modules, eBooks, rubrics, and organizers.
Want an even more detailed comparison?
AP® English Literature and Composition
BFW offers two different options for both AP® Courses. For AP® English Literature and Composition (or AP® Lit) we offer:
Literature & Composition
Third Edition © 2022
Renee H. Shea; Robin Dissin Aufses; Lawrence Scanlon; Katherine E. Cordes; Carlos Escobar; Carol Jago
What makes this book unique?
Chapters 1-3 cover the reading and writing skills key to success in the course and on the AP® Exam.
Chapters 4-9 are anthology chapters arranged by the timeless themes, such as Identity and Culture, that help bring our readings to life.
Each of these thematic chapters offers a wide variety of classic and contemporary writing – including fiction, poetry, drama, nonfiction, visual texts, and several full-length works – with guidance and support to help students think critically and write insightfully about great literature.
Who likes this book best?
Teachers who want a lot of flexibility in the readings they select for each Unit.
Learn more about Literature & Composition, Third Edition:
Take a look at a sample chapter from the Teacher’s Edition.
Ideas in Literature
First Edition © 2023
John R. Williamson; Mary Jo Zell, Elizabeth Davis
What makes this book unique?
Each of the 9 units aligns to the College Board Framework perfectly. Therefore, each of the 9 units include focused workshops on the Big Ideas, annotated mentor texts, a pool of classic and contemporary readings, composition workshops, and AP® Exam test prep.
Who likes this book best?
Teachers who want a lot of structure in their course because they want to align to the AP® Framework for the course perfectly.
Learn more about Ideas in Literature:
Take a look at a sample chapter from the Teacher’s Edition.
What is common to both options for AP® Literature and Composition?
Both books offer direct instruction on reading and writing skills to help students develop into more thoughtful readers and more sophisticated writers. Both books have an array of readings, and both have a robust set of teacher resources including a wrap-around style Teacher’s Edition, provided for each confirmed adoption. Both books also have digital assets available through our Achieve platform including adaptive LearningCurve modules, eBooks, rubrics, and organizers.
Want an even more detailed comparison?
11th Grade ELA
Focused on American Literature – can also be used in an AP® Lang or AP® Lit course where an American Lit focus is required
American Literature & Rhetoric
First Edition © 2021
Robin Dissin Aufses; Renee H. Shea; Lawrence Scanlon; Katherine E. Cordes
What makes this book unique?
Flexible and innovative, American Literature & Rhetoric provides everything you need to teach your course.
Combining reading and writing instruction to build essential skills in its four opening chapters and a unique anthology you need to keep students engaged in Chapters 5-10, this book makes it easy to teach chronologically, thematically, or by genre.
Learn more about American Literature & Rhetoric:
10th Grade ELA
On-level, Honors, or Pre AP®
Advanced Language & Literature
Second Edition © 2021
Renee H. Shea; John Golden; Carlos A. Escobar; Lance Balla
What makes this book unique?
Regardless of their preparation level, Advanced Language & Literature is designed to take your students to the next level. Students will find that the instruction in this book meets them where they are with differentiated texts, step-by-step instruction, and brief accessible activities, and then continues forward to challenge them to grow as readers, writers, and thinkers.
Learn more about Advanced Language & Literature, Second Edition:
9th Grade ELA
On-level, Honors, or Pre AP®
Foundations of Language & Literature
Second Edition © 2023
Renee H. Shea; John Golden; Tracy Scholz
What makes this book unique?
Regardless of their preparation level, Foundations of Language & Literature can take your students to the next level.
The first in our unified series of 9th-12th grade English textbooks, Foundations meets students where they are with differentiated texts, step-by-step instruction, and brief activities. Through careful development and constant reinforcement of foundational skills, this genre and mode-based book helps students grow as readers, writers, and thinkers.
Learn more about Foundations of Language & Literature, Second Edition:
What if my school/district wants to adopt a series or companion volumes for both AP® Lang and AP® Lit?
We've prepared a Vertical Teaming Guide that illustrates how these 5 books work together.
We’ve also prepared a Guide to how the two Ideas books work together as companion volumes.
What if my school/district wants to take a look at titles from the BFW College List?
Bedford/Freeman/Worth is the high school division of Macmillan Learning. We also have a college division, and there are many wonderful books published for the College Composition Courses that also can work with an AP® English course. Here are two of the most popular ones.
Everything’s An Argument with Readings
Ninth Edition © 2022
Andrea A. Lunsford; John J. Ruszkiewicz; Keith Walters
What makes this book unique?
A streamlined argument guide plus provocative thematic reader, Everything’s an Argument with Readings helps students understand and analyze the arguments around them as well as create their own.
Lucid explanations with contemporary examples cover classical rhetoric of oration through the multimodal rhetoric of today’s new media, with professional and student models of every type.
New coverage of lateral reading teaches students to evaluate arguments effectively and quickly, especially online. Interactive tutorials offer students more support for critical reading in an engaging digital format within Achieve with Everything’s an Argument, now available with writing assignments, reading quizzes, analysis and reflection activities, and more.
Everything’s An Argument with Readings, Ninth Edition:
The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature
Twelfth Edition © 2021
Michael Meyer; D. Quentin Miller
What makes this book unique?
The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature is a bestseller for a reason: It brings literature to life for students, helping to make them lifelong readers, better writers, and more critical thinkers in any path they choose. Classic works drawn from many periods and cultures appear alongside a strong showing from today’s authors. There is plenty of support for students, with critical reading and writing support, helpful sample close readings, writing assignments, and student papers in up-to-date MLA style.
