Summer Reading: A Community of Readers

 

As the school year comes to a close, our minds naturally turn to the idea of longer, warmer days that may bring more free time and the opportunity to indulge our minds with good books. Summer Reading is a robust concept here at Brimmer, encompassing both required work and optional enrichment activities for students at every grade level. All Summer Reading information and resources can be found in Veracross. Read on for more information about a few of the different offerings!

 

Our homeroom teachers have selected books that are required Summer Reading for each student. These books are thematically connected to next year’s learning and provide a rich shared reading experience for the students when they come together in the fall. In addition, teachers have put together a thoughtful list of books from which students may choose other books to read. These lists are a valuable resource as they highlight engaging books that are time-honored favorites of that age cohort. 

 

For students who have recently learned to read, reading over the summer is essential to prevent skill loss. We encourage our youngest students who are not reading independently to read often with family members and caregivers over the summer. Reading aloud to a young child is a powerful and valuable experience, providing the child greater exposure to language skills of all types. Students develop listening comprehension skills, expand their vocabulary, deepen their understanding of grammar and syntax, and acquire background knowledge. Talking about a book you’re sharing with a child also supports oral language development as the book becomes a springboard for conversation about the characters, content, illustrations, and word choices in a book. Reading aloud continues to be important even for students who are reading independently, as they listen to and comprehend complex texts which they may not be able to decode on their own. Lower School Librarian Ms. Rosellini has compiled curated book lists for our youngest readers, handpicked for their literary, educational, and artistic value, and categorized by level.

 

Since 2026 is the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Brimmer is using this milestone as an opportunity to read and reflect on our 2026-2027 theme, 250 Years: Many Voices, Building Community. Ms. Rosellini and Ms. Seltzer co-chaired a committee of faculty to develop a list of books for the Brimmer community’s summer reading. These texts are an intentional effort to bring additional voices into our conversation about the 250th, expanding the range of perspectives students encounter. By engaging in a shared theme, students and faculty will have common language and ideas to return to throughout the year. This thoughtfully prepared list is designed for a wide range of readers and identifies reading levels.

 

Ms. Rosellini and Ms. Seltzer are encouraging all Gators to jump into the Massachusetts Student Reading Challenge, designed by the Massachusetts Center for the Book. Students who read a book from the June, July, and August portions of the challenge may enter a raffle in which they will be eligible to win a $25 gift certificate from Hummingbird Books at the start of the next school year.

 

Be sure to include the library near you in your summer plans. Children view a trip to the library as a great adventure and welcome the opportunity to find books about topics and characters they love. Your local library enables you to stock your home on a regular basis to meet your child’s changing interests and reading skills free of charge. Most libraries offer special programming and a wide range of enriching events over the summer.

 

In addition to physical materials, students and families also have access to a comprehensive collection of online materials. Brimmer maintains subscriptions to Sora, BrainPOP, BrainPOPJr, PebbleGo, PGNext, and a wide variety of educational podcast sites.

 

Have a wonderful summer and happy reading!