Of the many NBC University of the Air programs, few stand on their own right as both entertainment and education than American Novels. Like the other shows in the University series, it was designed to be used for students to earn college level credits while tuning into NBC. Very few used American Novels for credit, however, since it was a summer replacement series, and most institutions of higher learning were not using radio during their summer programs.

The theme of the stories was “books that live”. Although the books adapted for the series naturally required some condensation, the characters and stories presented display a unique view of the American experience during the nation’s formative years through the nineteenth century. Featured authors include Louisa May Alcott, Washington Irving, Mark Twain and others.