You'll find LOTS of copies of the books, ebooks, audiobooks on the New York City Summer at the Library lists.
While there is no required reading for BNS and BCS students, we encourage everyone to visit the library often and try to read at least two books from any of the NYC reading lists below.
ASK's Summer Picks
Recalling the past at her daughters' request, Lara tells the story of a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance, which causes her daughters to examine their own lives and reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew. I'm a huge Ann Patchett fan and this book did not disappoint! (High School)
This story takes place in Chicken Hill, a rundown section of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, that is home to African Americans who fled racial violence in the Deep South and Jews who escaped the pogroms of Eastern Europe. Together these groups create a community rooted in racism, yet bound by shared hopes and heartbreaks. The characters are easy to love and the relationships between them are truly heartwarming. (High School)
Jay discovers that the Disney-like amusement park where he lives and works with his friends and family is also a doomsday oasis for the rich and powerful who expect top-notch customer service even as the world outside the resort's walls disintegrates. I loved the characters and the nonstop action, but also the metaphors around privilege, class, and solidarity. Read this if you liked The Giver! (Grades 7-11)
Claudia's friend Monday goes missing and she is the only one who seems to care. As Claudia digs deeper into her friend's disappearance, she discovers that no one seems to remember the last time they saw Monday. How can a teenage girl just vanish without anyone noticing that she's gone? Yes, it's sad but the writing is beautiful and the slow unfolding of what happened to Monday keeps you reading. (Grades 6-9)
Praised for acting like a big girl when she is small, as a young girl grows, 'big' becomes a word of criticism, until the girl realizes that she is fine just the way she is. An empowering book for all ages! (Picture book)
Twelve-year-old Trevor has an adult problem to deal with: how to protect himself, his sisters, and his mother from his abusive stepfather (currently in prison) and he thinks the way to do that is to take up boxing--although he would really rather draw. Written by BCS's own 8th-grade social studies teacher, Torrey Maldonado! (And a 2024 Global Read Aloud choice!) (Grades 5-8)
Res was built to explore Mars. He was not built to have human emotions. But as he learns new things from the NASA scientists who assemble him, he begins to develop humanlike feelings. Maybe there's a problem with his programming.... As millions of people back on Earth follow his progress, will Res have the determination, courage, and resilience to succeed...and survive? (Grades 4-6)
A celebration of Langston Hughes and African American authors he inspired, told through the lens of the party held at the New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in 1991. (Picture book)
Motivated by the realization of global inequities, a young boy embraces his dual identities as an artist and activist, becoming an "artivist" to make a difference by using his viral mural as a catalyst for positive change. (Picture book)
In Clayton’s atmospherically told middle grade debut, Ella Durand, a Black 11-year-old girl from New Orleans, is the first Conjuror to enroll at the elite Arcanum Training Institute for Marvelous and Uncanny Endeavors. With fantastical twists at every turn, Clayton has created a world that readers won't want to leave. (Grades 5-7)
Fourteen-year-old Nigerian American Harriet Adu is guilt-stricken after she wishes her older brother Tunde was dead and then he dies in a school shooting. She finds solace in swimming but soon she begins having visions of Tunde, and a malevolent force attacks her in the pool. Harriet, her cousin Nikka, and her brother's best friend Luke hear about a strange underground world beneath New York City and they set out on a quest to get Harriet answers to her questions and help for her grief and guilt. (Grades 9-12)
DID YOU KNOW?
New York City library services are provided through 3 independent systems: the Brooklyn Public Library, the New York Public Library and the Queens Borough Public Library. This summer, all three systems are working together to offer free programming, special events, and, of course, book recommendations. As a resident of New York State, you are also entitled to a library card from each system, which means even more choice!
If you’re 13 years old or older and live, work, attend school, or pay property taxes in New York State, you can apply for a free library card to the Brooklyn Public Library, New York Public Library, and/or the Queens Public Library!
Happy Reading from ASK!
Did you know New York City library services are provided through three independent systems: the Brooklyn Public Library, the New York Public Library and the Queens Borough Public Library? This summer, all three systems are working together to offer free programming, special events, and, of course, book recommendations to all New Yorkers.
This year, ASK is relying on our public libraries to provide our Summer Reading booklists simply because it means these books will be readily available to patrons all summer long! Less waiting and more reading!
But do check out our favorite books of the year, as well as the list of books our 1st graders read with Karen this year. The reading options are endless. Have a great summer!
Amanda, Susan, Karen (ASK)
June 27 - August 30 2024
New York Times 15th Annual Summer Reading Contest
Students are invited to tell us what they’re reading in The Times and why, this year in writing OR via a 90-second video. Contest dates: June 7 to Aug. 16.
