English Department Recommended Summer Reading:
Ultimately, reading is an important skill that students should continue to develop over the summer with books they have chosen for themselves. While we don’t have a specific summer reading curriculum, we recommend students read at least two to three books of their choosing to exercise their reading muscles and foster a love of reading.
Our Summer Reading Philosophy:
The Newton North English Department believes in fostering a love for reading and learning that extends beyond the classroom and throughout the year. However, we have made the intentional decision not to assign mandatory summer reading. This choice is rooted in our commitment to equity, inclusivity, and respect for the diverse circumstances of all our students. Our rationale:
- Summer means different things for our students: some engage in activities and attend camp, while others take vacations or travel, care for siblings or grandparents, or seek employment. By valuing the diverse experiences students have over the summer, we honor different ways of knowing and learning.
- Our goal is to begin a new school year by building relationships and creating welcoming, inclusive class communities. In our experience, a mandated and assessed summer reading curriculum can divide rather than unite a class in September because not all students have equal access to books, libraries, or digital reading materials, and we register new students to our school over the summer. All students deserve a fresh start in September.
- We determine students’ reading curriculum throughout the year, so we believe summer is a time to support their agency and choice. We want students to choose books that interest them — summer is the perfect time to explore new genres, binge a book series, or finally read something that has been on their “must read” list. When students are excited about what they're reading, they're more likely to engage deeply and meaningfully. They’re also more likely to become lifelong readers.
- The selections reflects a wide range of critically acclaimed titles that fall into different genres, reading levels, and topics of interest. Please note that, like much of the literature we teach during the year, mature themes and content are included in some of these recommendations. As such, we encourage students to research titles before opting into them.
