Free Classic
Novels by
Ayn Rand
Enrich your classroom with free copies of Ayn Rand’s classic, thought-provoking literature
70,000+
Participating Teachers
5,000,000+
Free Books Provided
2002
Year Founded
NOVEL
Anthem
105 Pages | Available in Paperback and eBook | 8th-10th Grade | 2-4 Weeks
- Anthem is Ayn Rand’s “hymn to man’s ego.” It is the story of one man’s rebellion against a totalitarian, collectivist society. Equality 7-2521 is a young man who yearns to understand “the Science of Things.” But he lives in a bleak, dystopian future where independent thought is a crime and where science and technology have regressed to primitive levels.
- All expressions of individualism have been suppressed in the world of Anthem; personal possessions are nonexistent, individual preferences are condemned as sinful and romantic love is forbidden. Obedience to the collective is so deeply ingrained that the very word “I” has been erased from the language.
- In pursuit of his quest for knowledge, Equality 7-2521 struggles to answer the questions that burn within him — questions that ultimately lead him to uncover the mystery behind his society’s downfall and to find the key to a future of freedom and progress.
- Anthem anticipates the theme of Rand’s first best seller, The Fountainhead, which she stated as “individualism versus collectivism, not in politics, but in man’s soul.”
NOVEL
We the Living
432 Pages | Available in Paperback | 9th-11th Grade | 4-6 Weeks
- The setting is Soviet Russia, early 1920s. Kira Argounova, a university engineering student who wants a career building bridges, falls in love with Leo Kovalensky, son of a czarist hero. Both Kira and Leo yearn to shape their own future — but they are trapped in a communist state that claims the right to sacrifice individual lives for the sake of the collective.
- When Kira is kicked out of the university as an undesirable and Leo’s past makes him unemployable, life becomes a grim struggle for physical survival. Leo contracts tuberculosis but can’t get admitted to a state sanitarium, despite Kira’s best efforts. Desperate, she seeks help from Andrei Taganov, an ardent young communist whose love for Kira helps awaken him to the meaning of genuine personal values, not to be surrendered for others’ sake.
- Once these two men are destroyed — Andrei by his disillusionment with communism, and Leo by his inability to go on fighting — Kira tries to flee, but will she find it possible to defy the state’s power?
NOVEL
The Fountainhead
694 Pages | Available in Paperback | 9th-12th Grade | 4-8 Weeks
- What motivates a creative thinker? Is it a selfless desire to benefit mankind? A hunger for fame, fortune, and accolades? The need to prove superiority? Or is it a self-sufficient drive to pursue a creative vision, independent of others’ needs or opinions?
- Ayn Rand addresses these questions through her portrayal of Howard Roark, an innovative architect who, as she puts it, “struggles for the integrity of his creative work against every form of social opposition.”
- Initially rejected by twelve publishers as “too intellectual,” The Fountainhead became a best seller within two years purely through word of mouth, and earned Rand enduring commercial and artistic success.
- The novel was also a personal landmark for Rand. In Howard Roark, she presented for the first time the uniquely Ayn Rand hero, whose depiction was the chief goal of her writing: the ideal man, man as “he could be and ought to be.”
NOVEL
Atlas Shrugged
1074 Pages | Available in Paperback | 11th-12th Grade | 8-12 Weeks
- The country’s top banker — a leading oil producer — a once-revered professor — an acclaimed composer — a distinguished judge. All vanish without explanation and without trace.
- A copper magnate becomes a worthless playboy. A philosopher-turned-pirate is rumored to roam the seas. The remnants of a brilliant invention are left as scrap in an abandoned factory.
- What is happening to the world? Why does it seem to be in a state of decay? Can it be saved — and how?
- Atlas Shrugged “is a mystery story, not about the murder of a man’s body, but about the murder — and rebirth — of man’s spirit.”
- Follow along as industrialist Hank Rearden and railroad executive Dagny Taggart struggle to keep the country afloat and unravel the mysteries that confront them. Discover why, at every turn, they are met with public opposition and new government roadblocks, taxes and controls — and with the disappearance of the nation’s most competent men and women.
- Will Hank and Dagny succeed in saving the country — and will they discover the answer to the question “Who is John Galt?”
“The value is priceless”
How The Program Works
Our Free Books for Teachers program makes it easy for you to get the resources you need for your classroom.
01
Fill out our online order form
Complete our short form by telling us which books you want, how many, and where to send them. We will also help you decide which books best fit your teaching needs.
02
Receive your books & resources
After submitting your order, you will receive your books within 3 to 4 weeks. We will also provide you with a number of teaching resources to help with lesson planning.
03
Thank an ARI donor
Our donors are fans of Rand’s work, and want to give students the opportunity to read and discuss her novels in school. We ask that you write them a brief note of thanks for making your donation of books possible.
20+ Years of Supporting Teachers
The Ayn Rand Institute has provided high school and middle school educators across the United States and Canada with more than 5,000,000 free copies of Ayn Rand’s novels over the years.
Order copies for your classroom today while supplies last!
Why Teach Ayn Rand’s Novels
Since our launch of the program in 2002, more than 70,000 teachers have received free copies of Ayn Rand’s novels for their students. Learn why they continue to return to these classic texts, year after year, to help make their classrooms come alive.
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Gripping Content
Ayn Rand’s novels appeal to young readers like few other books do. They are rich with dramatic storytelling, strong and complex characters, and enduring themes. They also challenge students to think more deeply about the world, about the choices they make in their lives, and about the kind of person they want to become.
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Expert Resources
In addition to the books, we provide teachers with dozens of free resources that make it easier to incorporate the books into a curriculum and spark in-class discussion—from teachers guides and lesson plans to chapter lead-in videos and virtual classroom Q&As with our team of experts.
FAQs
Nothing! This is a donor-funded program with no financial obligation to you or your school. We provide teachers and schools with review copies of the novels as well as full classroom sets at no expense.
Unless otherwise noted, all physical shipments are sent out approximately 2 – 3 weeks before your expected teaching date. To request an order be shipped sooner (or later) than this time frame, please email us at education@aynrand.org.
Anthem is suitable for grade levels 8 – 12; We the Living for grade levels 9 – 12; The Fountainhead for grade levels 10 – 12; and Atlas Shrugged for grade levels 11 – 12.
Yes, you are encouraged to give the books to students for them to own!
All public and private schools are eligible, although the aforementioned grade restrictions and conditions apply.
Due to pandemic-related delays in the book printing industry, some titles may only be available in digital format. Our ebooks are easily accessible by teachers and students on a range of electronic devices, and have been used by thousands of teachers the past few years. If you can only use physical books, you may contact us by email at education@aynrand.org to request them. However, as our supply is limited we cannot guarantee the provision of physical books.
Yes, you may order books for your classroom. There are no restrictions with regard to what subject or class the books are used for, as long as you plan to use them with students within a year of placing your order.
Yes, librarians are allowed to order up to three copies of each novel for their school library.
Yes, you are welcome to order a free review copy of one or more titles.
Have a different question?
Write to us at education@aynrand.org. We typically respond within two to five business days.
Start Your Order Now!
We’ll walk you through selecting your books and making sure you have enough for all of the students you teach. Then we’ll ask you where to ship them and confirm your order.
Within a few days, we’ll reach out to let you know that your order is approved and ready to ship.
It's Truly Free!
Our Free Books program is made possible by the donors of the Ayn Rand Institute and especially the following individuals and organizations, who want to give students the opportunity to read and discuss Rand’s novels in school.