General Information
From Angelene Thompson, English Program Director
All English courses, with the exception of electives (AP Language and Composition, Creative Writing, and Humanities) carry a summer reading requirement. Students should check the information by grade level that provides the required reading titles and links for full access to the books indicated for their 2024-25 courses. In the fall, students will complete a timed writing assignment or other assessment based on one or more of the required books and will explore connections with other texts in the curriculum throughout the year. We hope you'll enjoy the required titles we've chosen and will continue to read other books for your personal enjoyment over the summer months.
For Rising Seniors - Your college essay
A draft of your college essay is due to your ELA 12/AP Literature teachers on the first day of school. You can view the prompts for this year's Common Application here. For tips on how to approach your essay, refer back to the college essay lessons from Junior Forum. All students will receive feedback on this draft.
Make sure you devote the appropriate amount of time to completing this essay and any other items on your college checklist, as it will position you to be in a good standing upon your return in the fall. Students who want further assistance are strongly encouraged to take advantage of support available at BLS's Writing and Schwabel Centers. In the fall you will hit the ground running with planned curriculum in your English 12 classes, and there will not be any class time devoted to the college essay.
Have a wonderful summer!
From the Keefe Library 
All students can borrow digital ebooks through the Boston Public Library’s (BPL) Hoopla platform, Sora (via Clever in BPS), or Teen Book Cloud (via the Keefe Library). See "Setting up ebook accounts." In addition, a link is provided for every summer reading title that takes you directly to the ebook.
Additional ways to obtain summer reading materials:
- Search the Boston Public Library for a physical book or audiobook.
- Students with audio access accommodation on their Individual Education Plans (IEPs) will be able to access the English summer reading choices through Bookshare or Learning Ally.
Contact librarian Deeth Ellis (dellis@bostonpublicschools.org) with questions.