Summer Reading: Grades 6-8

Dear Future Falcons and Middle School Families:

As I begin this letter, I’m thinking about how gorgeous it’s going to be this evening - that magical time of day after this blazing heat subsides but before the sun sets - and how I can’t wait to sit outside and dive back into the fantastic book I’m reading right now, escaping however briefly from the “May-hem” of a winding down school year.  

Writing to our students and families to launch the page of our website dedicated to summer reading is one of my favorite to-dos each year because I get to take a moment to share a piece of me with the community that I have loved and served for twenty-two years in the hopes of inspiring an adventure that can only be found in a book.  So much has happened since I last crafted this letter, both good and bad, beautiful and ugly.  The paradoxical world in which we live continues to evolve at lightning speed while simultaneously reverting back to times that are decidedly unevolved, challenging each of us to lean into what unites us rather than divides us.  We are living in incredibly complex and difficult times, and the impact it is having on our young people is at times, hard to digest.  My twelve year old autistic son told me over the long weekend that he is having an existential crisis.  As we worked through what was troubling him and he was able to clearly articulate what was weighing heavily on his mind and in his heart, I found myself thinking about how deeply fortunate I am that he is surrounded by educators who have ensured he is literate in every sense of the word.  And though admittedly he learned how to describe his “existential crisis” in a contextually accurate manner from YouTube and not from a book, I am deeply attuned to just how much reading both in and outside of school continues to shape how he steers his own path, makes his own choices, and decides who and what he wants to be.  Because he learned to read, he can read to learn, opening doors for him that I wasn’t always sure were going to open.  Because he has experienced stories and storytelling, he can better navigate social situations and conflicts that are a challenge for him.  Because he has developed the argumentation skills of a mid-career attorney as a matter of self-preservation, he is a strong self-advocate.  And because he loves to read, he has traveled alongside fictional characters of all different backgrounds, experiences, challenges, and journeys, and has grown into a deeply empathetic and kind boy who walks in the world with a wide-open heart - what more can a mother want for her child?  That is the lens from which I am writing to you today - as a mother, deeply invested in the children of Albany, who hopes for them what I want for my own children - a life rich with agency, choice, freedom, success, and most of all, hope - our amazing students make me incredibly hopeful for the future.

With that, we are pleased to announce that Summer Reading 2023 is now live on our district website.  In this space, you will be able to view a list of recommended books from middle-school librarians across the district.  Every book on this list was carefully chosen to take into consideration the varied interests of our students.  While there is no summer reading requirement for students entering 6th, 7th, or 8th grade, we do encourage students to read throughout the summer for both enjoyment and to prevent the “summer slump” relative to literacy skills.
There are many ways to access both print and digital copies of books.  The branches of the Albany Public Library have our list of recommended titles and are ready to help our students check them out.  We also have a robust collection of eBooks and audiobooks available; directions for access can be found on the district website.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to connect with our summer school librarian at North Albany Middle School at (518) 475-6800.  On behalf of the City School District of Albany and the librarians, English Language Arts teachers, and Reading specialists of Albany International Center, Hackett, Myers, North Albany, and Tony Clement, we wish you a wonderful, healthy, and safe summer full of new adventures and great books!

Sincerely,