All students entering sixth through eighth grade must choose ONE book from their grade level list below. Schools will provide a copy of the books to all students, and students should be prepared to discuss their book in book clubs in September.
All Summer Reading titles are also available in eBook & audiobook through Sora:
Students entering Grade 6
Students entering Grade 7
Students entering Grade 8
Students entering Grades 6-8, ESL Levels 1-2
Students in General Education:
Clean Getaway, Nic Stone
The First Rule of Punk, Celia C. Perez
Fish in a Tree, Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Mexikid (A Graphic Novel), Pedro Martin
Once Upon an Eid, S. K. Ali and Aisha Saeed
One Crazy Summer, Rita Williams-Garcia
Roll With It, Jamie Sumner
To Night Owl From Dogfish, Holly Goldberg Sloan & Meg Wolitzer
Students in Academics:
Speechless, Aron Nels Steinke
Students in General Education:
Enrique’s Journey (Young Adult Adaptation): The True Story of a Boy Determined to Reunite with His Mother, Sonia Nazario
Kareem Between, Shifa Saltagi Safadi
Out of My Mind, Sharon Draper
School Trip (A Graphic Novel), Jerry Craft
*You Bring the Distant Near, Mitali Perkins
Students in Academics:
Smile, Raina Telgemeier
*Contains mature themes
Students in General Education:
A Good Kind of Trouble, Lisa Moore Ramee
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Universe, Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Black Brother, Black Brother, Jewell Parker Rhodes
The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
*Divergent, Veronica Roth
*The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi
White Bird: A Wonder Story (A Graphic Novel), R. J. Palacio
Students in Academics ELA:
Hey Kiddo, Jarrett Krosoczka
*Contains mature themes
Students in ESL 1 & ESL 2:
Mexikid (A Graphic Novel), Pedro Martin
Students in ESL 3 and 4 should select books from the General Education Program grade level book lists (above).
Cambridge Public Schools encourage all incoming middle school students to read for at least 20 minutes each day or 2.5 hours a week during the summer and record their reading on a reading log. In total, students should read at least 5 books over the summer.
Students are expected to read one of the grade level or ESL books provided by CPS, plus four books of their choice. Students are encouraged to read both fiction and nonfiction, and to use the Cambridge Public Library Book Lists to help choose books.
In the fall, students will complete an assignment about their grade level or ESL book and participate in book clubs. Students should be able to discuss any of the books on their book log with a teacher.
Celebrate reading and books school-wide and district-wide.
Build background knowledge and connections to Grade Level ELA themes.
Continue to build students’ interest and stamina as readers by providing clear expectations and structures that support students' reading during the summer.
