Now that summer is not too far off, we want to talk about summer reading. It is the expectation that all Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School students, including incoming freshmen, are required to read at least two books.

BOOK #1: The first book is an open-choice book and can be fiction or nonfiction, but must be written for young adults or adults. Your English teacher next year will give students a Summer Reading Project for the open-choice title. Past projects have included book talks, Goodreads book reviews, and creative projects based on the books such as movie trailers, posters, music playlists, and more.

BOOK #2: The second book is assigned by grade level and each title has been selected to align with the qualities of our Graduate Profile: Collaborative, Culturally Proficient, Entrepreneurial, Kind, Persevering, and Responsible.

• Incoming Grade 9 students will read Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life… And Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven.
• Incoming Grades 10 students will read The Power of a Positive Team by Jon Gordon.
• Incoming Grade 11 students will read The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore.
• Incoming Grade 12 students will read Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad One by James Clear.

All of these books may be purchased at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and in support of local businesses bookshop.org.  When students return to school at the start of the next school year, each Pathways teacher in grades 10, 11, and 12 will give students a Summer Reading Project for the assigned title above.   Please note that students who are taking either Advanced Placement English Language and Composition in grade 11 or Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition in grade 12, have been given a separate summer reading assignment, but all students, including those in these A.P. classes, will be expected to read their class reading list, aka Book #2, listed above. 

Our goal for summer reading is to keep students reading throughout the summer. We look forward to these discussions when the new school year begins.

If you have any questions about summer reading, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] beginning July 1, 2024.
Thank you,

Joel Spruance
Humanities Coordinator