Dear Middle School Students and Parents/Guardians,
Much has been written about “Summer Slide” in which a student's academic
skills diminish over the long summer break. The good news is this slide is easily
preventable when a student reads. Research suggests that middle school
students read 15+ minutes each day to prevent summer loss. Understanding this,
the English Department is encouraging our students to select two or more books
to read for pleasure this summer. The teachers will NOT be assigning books over
the summer (or any connected projects). We strongly believe that students
should choose books of interest because free choice reading promotes lifelong
readers. Margaret Fuller once said, “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” We
could not agree more. This summer the English Department sincerely hopes that
our students continue on the path to success with a good book in hand. Below
are some helpful links for locating books. Please note the teachers do not
endorse any particular book featured on these websites. Parents/guardians must
be the individuals who evaluate content appropriateness.
Happy Summer!
The Riverdale Middle School English Department
Resources:
Riverdale Public Library
Morris County Library
Barnes & Noble
Newbery Award Books
Scholastic Books: Reluctant Reader Suggestions
American Library Association Notable Books 2022
Coretta Scott King Award Books
Good Reads: Top 100 Middle School Books
Good Reads: Nonfiction Books for Middle School
50 Multicultural Books for Middle School
Best Middle School Books About Sports
Article: What to Read After Goosebumps
Common Sense Media: Best Book Series for Tweens
American Library Association: Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers