About
The library leaders are excited about continuing our sponsored summer reading program this year!
Returning Urban students (current grades 9-11) will select a book to read over the summer from the list below. Each of these titles is sponsored by student leaders or an Urban adult. You will pledge to read a book over the summer. In the fall, we'll convene the reading groups to have a book club-style meeting that will last about 45 minutes. We hope this program will promote reading for fun and inter-grade camaraderie.
Take a look at the books on the list by browsing the titles below. The form for book group selections is now closed. Please email slevin@urbanschool.org if you have any questions. Reading groups will be limited to around 15 readers, so you may not get your first choice BUT THE SOONER YOU RESPOND, THE MORE LIKELY YOU'LL BE TO GET ONE OF YOUR TOP CHOICES. Happy reading!
The form is now closed.
Fiction
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong by Ocean Vuong returns with a bighearted novel about chosen family, unexpected friendship, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive.
The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers; Shawn Harris (Illustrator) by An enthralling novel for all ages by award-winning author Dave Eggers, told from the perspective of one uniquely endearing dog--featuring beautiful artwork from Caldecott honoree Shawn Harris.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah by "A young woman becomes a member of the hidden French resistance to the Nazis during World War II, risking her life repeatedly to save Allied soldiers. Her sister, trying to survive while raising her child in the French countryside, has her own war to fight. This novel is an exciting and emotional page-turner that will make you think about heroism, bravery, and the choices we each make to meet our circumstances."
No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai by "I chose the book No Longer Human because I hear it's a very psychological book. It holds its place as the number one selling book in Japan so i want to see what the hype is all about. The main character is also similar to me in age so I'd like to see if I can relate to him."
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan by "I picked Small Things Like These because it’s short but really powerful. It’s one of those quiet stories that sticks with you, and the way it explores kindness and moral choices in a small town is really impactful."
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson by " I chose this book because it explores the power of finding your voice in the aftermath of trauma, and I think it opens up important conversations about consent, silence, and healing."
Nonfiction
The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley by "The Autobiography of Malcolm X, written with journalist Alex Haley, is a first person account of the Black Muslim minister, civil rights activist and Nation of Islam spokesperson's life. This book recounts Malcom X's story of his childhood in Michigan, his criminal past in Boston and New York, and his conversion to Islam, and eventual break from the Nation of Islam. When mentioned, people usually describe the book as beautifully written and deeply moving."
Becoming Earth by Ferris Jabr by Becoming Earth is an exhilarating journey through the hidden workings of our planetary symphony—its players, its instruments, and the music of life that emerges—and an invitation to reexamine our place in it. How well we play our part will determine what kind of Earth our descendants inherit for millennia to come.
Coming Home by Brittney Griner with Michelle Burford by From the nine-time women’s basketball icon and two-time Olympic gold medalist—a raw, revelatory account of her unfathomable detainment in Russia and her journey home.
The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean by The Disappearing Spoon masterfully fuses science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, and discovery -- from the Big Bang through the end of time.
Listening in the Dark edited by Amber Tamblyn by Edited by award-winning author, activist, and actress Amber Tamblyn, Listening in the Dark is a compilation of some of today’s most striking women visionaries across industries—in literature, science, art, education, medicine, and politics—who share their experiences engaging with their own inner wisdom in pivotal, crossroad moments.
*excerpts from* Love in a F*cked-Up World by Dean Spade by "Love in a F-ed Up World is part manifesto, part self-help book, and part call to action to combat cultural scripts and dominant systems of power that influence our interpersonal relationships. If the personal is political, then part of engaging in successful resistance is pursuing the same values of decolonization, justice, and freedom within our personal lives, and preventing social issues from ripping apart movements. Dean Spade offers tools to help reckon with prevailing cultural myths that isolate us and prevent community building, like the idea that one romantic partner will be the solution to all of our problems. This book calls out the fundamental entanglement between healing and intimacy with political resistance, pushing us to navigate interpersonal challenges in a way that will prepare us for changing the world."
We Will Not Cancel Us by adrienne maree brown by Cancel culture addresses real harm...and sometimes causes more. It’s time to think this through.
In We Will Not Cancel Us, movement mediator adrienne maree brown reframes the discussion for us, in a way that points to possible paths beyond this impasse.
sci-fi/dystopia/speculative
Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert by Bob the Bob the Drag Queen by An inventive, wondrous novel about American hero Harriet Tubman that remixes history into a fresh, dynamic novel about love, freedom, salvation, and hip-hop.
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin by ISBN: 0547773749This is fantasy at its best--dragons, wizards, and adventure by young Ged, who becomes a wizard with some missteps along the way. The masterful sci-fi/fantasy auther le Guin has a way with language that keeps this YA fantasy as interesting as a novel from any genre.
The Singularity by Dino Buzzati; Anne Milano Appel (Translator) by Are you curious to read some super-relevant, old-school, Italian science fiction? Do you stay awake wondering what it will be like to one day take a job working for a machine you don't fully understand? Stoked to read something meaningful and cool that clocks in at 136 pages? Join us for Dino Buzzatti's The Singularity! 🤖.
Sunrise on the Reaping (a Hunger Games Novel) by Suzanne Collins by Set 40 years after the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, this heart-wrenching novel from Collins centers a 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy and his role in the climactic 50th Hunger Games. Though readers will know him as Katniss and Peeta’s ill-tempered, alcohol-dependent mentor during the 74th games, young Haymitch is a sweet-natured, responsible teen working hard to support his widowed mother and younger brother.
thriller/mystery/horror
Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin by "Would you like to be unnerved this summer? Come read about a young woman named Rosemary Woodhouse who has just moved into a new apartment with her husband and wants to have a baby! The chilling plot of Rosemary’s Baby is perfectly balanced by intensely realistic characters and a rich, intimate writing style. I’d recommend this book to anybody, not just horror fans."
The Terminal List by Jack Carr by "I chose this book because I fell in love with the series a few years ago and have constantly re-read it since then. I find Jack Carr's style very compelling; when I read the book I feel very in touch with the emotions and it is a book where I get completely lost in its alternate reality."
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto by When a dead man shows up in the middle of her San Francisco Chinatown tea shop, Vera Wong is ready to solve a murder. Believing she’ll do better than the police — and drawing on years of practice snooping on her son — she begins her investigation. While examining all the possible suspects she forms a strong community (and perhaps even catches a murderer). We loved Jesse Q Sutanto’s humor, the heartwarming friendships, and the funny and lovable Vera Wong.
