Every year, the Port Washington school district composes a list of novels for students to read over the summer break.  For Schreiber specifically, the composition of books is divided into four different sections, one for each grade level.  While this list is clearly marked, and easy to find on the main Portnet website, many students do not read and completely disregard the list as a whole.  

Reading is a key skill that students, and all people, should practice and maintain throughout the course of their life.  For freshmen, there is a clear transition from the books that are taught in eighth grade to the ones that are read in ninth.  This summer, Schreiber encouraged freshman students to pick a novel from a thoughtful list of five pieces of literature.  Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni, I’m Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sánchez, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, and Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson (YA edition).  These novels will prepare students for the more advanced literature taught in Freshman English such as Romeo and Juliet (and other works by Shakespeare), Clap When You Land, and a variety of short stories.  

Sophomore year English is an important course for students to build on their reading and writing skills regardless of class level.  To prepare, Schreiber suggests that incoming tenth graders should read Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng,  Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz, Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber, Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner,  or American Street by Ibi Zoboi.  These books will prepare students to dive deeper into different types of literature including poetry, novels, and articles.  

While juniors have the choice of what English class that they want to enroll in, they should continue to practice their reading skills, no matter if they are interested in taking AP Language and Composition or opt for an alternate English course.  The Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley or Proud by Ibtihaj Muhammad are great choices, encouraging students to continue enjoying reading and hopefully excite them about the upcoming novels in eleventh grade. 

Seniors have the opportunity to connect history and literature.  Schreiber suggests that they read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, which depicts the horrifying aspects of the Holocaust.  With a wide variety of courses available for Schreiber seniors to enroll in, it’s important that they are consistent with reading over the summer to be ready for September.

It is vital to keep up with reading while not in the classroom.  With a wide variety of novels and extra free time, every Schreiber student should try to read at least one book during summer break, preparing themselves for the upcoming school year, and familiarizing themselves with all kinds of literature.