Summer Reading is For Everyone!

What can you do this summer while lying on the beach, lounging in the hammock, hiding from your little brother/​sister, or lounging by the pool? You can crack open a great book and READ!

Reading Specialist Anna Young has kindly created summer reading lists, letters, links, and guidelines for our Grace community. You can access them here on our GEDS 2017 Summer Reading Page.

As you walk around Grace this week, take a look at the bulletin board in the front hall, where you can find out what our students are excited to read over the summer.

As for our faculty and staff, we’ve got plans, too. Read on to find out what we’ll be reading over the summer!

Belkis Aponte, Grade 1 Teacher: I’m excited to have the time to get back into The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman.

Christine Comas, Science and Technology Teacher: While I will be spending most of my time reading books with my children, on my own, I plan to read The Underground Railroad: A Novel by Colson Whitehead; and The Power of Questioning: Guiding Student Investigation by Julie McGough.

Jennifer Danish, Head of School: I’ve got the following books on my list for this summer:

Wait, What?: And Life’s Other Essential Questions, by James E. Ryan. Based on the wildly popular commencement address, the art of asking (and answering) good questions by the Dean of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.

Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations, by Thomas Friedman. In Thank You for Being Late, a work unlike anything he has attempted before, Thomas L. Friedman exposes the tectonic movements that are reshaping the world today and explains how to get the most out of them and cushion their worst impacts.

Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People, by Mahzarin R. Banaji. “Blindspot” is the author’s metaphor for the portion of the mind that houses hidden biases.

Beth Frentrup, Math Specialist: My book club — and I — will be reading The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. It is about a bookstore owner whose life does not turn out the way he expected. The ups and downs in his life are related to various short stories.

Marianna Gutierrez, Aftercare Teacher: I’m going to read The Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace.

Jennifer Hamilton, Prekindergarten Teacher: This summer I hope to dive into a book by Howard Gardner, The Unschooled Mind, to read more about his vision for the future of schools based on how children best learn. I also plan to re-read the classic Lord of the Flies, as I have recently discovered the joy of reading books I read as a teenager, now from an adult perspective.

Gavin Hymes, Spanish Teacher: In between lots of books about cooking and gardening, I’ll be reading En el nombre de Salome by Julia Alvarez, Clemente by David Maraniss, and The Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace.

Kate Kelliher, Grade 2 Teacher: For my professional development, I am planning to read The Spiritual Child: The New Science on Parenting for Health and Lifelong Thriving, by Lisa Miller, Ph.D. It explores the scientific link between spirituality and health and its implications for children’s physical and mental health.

Gail Kennedy, Director of Elementary Education: I will be reading the staff summer reading book, An Ethic of Excellence by Ron Berger. I have a memoir by Herman Wouk (author of Winds of War and War and Remembrance) entitled Sailor and Fiddler: Reflections of a 100-Year-Old Author that I plan to read. For fun, I’ll continue the Spencer and Jesse Stone series by Robert B. Parker. His books (for adults) are very well-done audio books, too.

John Kennedy, Music Teacher: One book I’ll be reading is The True Nature of God by Andrew Wommack.

Luigi LaPietra, Grade 5 Teacher: I plan on reading as much as possible over summer break. Here are a couple of “project” books I will be working on: Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon, and Old Paths White Clouds by Thich Nhat Hanh.

Marisa Martucci, Preschool Teacher: I’ll be reading The Passionate Learner: How Teachers and Parents Can Help Children Reclaim the Joy of Discovery by Robert L Fried and Awakening Shakti. The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga by Sally Kempton.

Mariano Mazza, Prekindergarten Asst. Teacher: Because of the new adventures awaiting me next year, I’m planning to read Teaching Kindergarten: Learner-Centered Classrooms for the 21st Century.

Noelle McHugh, Executive Assistant: On my list is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

Rose Morrison, Kindergarten Teacher: Three major books I want to read this summer are Teaching Kindergarten, edited by Julie Diamond, Betsy Grob and Freta Reitzes; Music of the Ghosts by Vaddey Ratner; and at least one John Grisham book.

Becky Mulholland, Director of Advancement: On my list for the summer are the following books: In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, and The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

Kathleen Murray, CFO /​ Business Manager: I’ll be reading Once in a Great City by David Maraniss. I’m also planning to finish The Places that Scare You by Pema Chodron.

Shalonda Newman, Aftercare Coordinator: I’m looking forward to reading Understanding the Purpose and Power of Woman by Myles Munroe.

Karen O’Connor-Floman, Director of Admission and Financial Aid: My favorite thing to do in the summer is to read! I particularly love a good immigrant narrative, maybe because I’ve lived abroad several times, or because I now live in an international family. I’ve got several books on deck that explore this theme: Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, and Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue.

Emily Ovalles, Preschool Asst. Teacher: I’m looking forward to reading The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen Covey.

Allison Penning, Art Teacher: I have a long list of reading for this summer: Cartooning: Philosophy and Practice, by Ivan Brunetti; The Hundred Languages of Children (Exhibition catalog), by Loris Malaguzzi; Syllabus: Notes from an Accidental Professor, by Lynda Barry; Lincoln in the Bardo: a Novel, by George Saunders; and The World to Come: Stories, by Jim Shepard.

Casey Peterson, Grade 3 Teacher: I will be reading Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight this summer.

Linda Range, Asst. Business Manager: I have two on my list for now: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, and The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman.

Angie Rutledge, PE and Health Teacher: This summer, I’ll be reading The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.

Chris Saffour, Preschool Asst. Teacher: I’m ready to dive into Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton!

Alma Scott, Grade 4 Teacher: I plan to read Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly as well as whatever Dick Francis and Patricia Cornwell mysteries (my favorite summer read genre) I can locate. I’m also planning to re-read as many Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle books as I can find. My best source for summer books is the Little Free Library outlets at home and at Bethany Beach, Delaware.

Anne Sheldon, Library Teacher: My plan this summer is to read John Brown’s Body by Stephen Vincent Benet — it’s a novel about the Civil War, but in verse. There are a few pages in the middle that I know by heart ever since I fell in love with the verse portrait of Mary Lou Wingate in high school — but I have never read the book cover to cover, and I think it’s time. I’m also hoping the next Inspector Gamache book, by Louise Penny, will come out this summer. With any luck, I’ll read more than two books!

Pam Yarrington, Director of Early Childhood Education: Before I leave for vacation, my e-reader is well stocked with long awaited “serious” book reading, “catch up on work” reading, and silly stuff. Here are two titles I’m especially looking forward to: No One Is Coming to Save Us by Stephanie Powell Watts, and The Importance of Being Little: What Young Children Really Need From Grownups by Erika Christakis (play-based and emergent teaching for our little people!).

Anna Young, Reading Specialist: I really look forward to having lots of time to read during the summer. Several student books I have on my list to read are: Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan; Counting by Sevens by Holly Goldberg Sloan; and this year’s Newberry winner, The Girl Who Drank the Moon. by Kelly Barnhill. All these books are geared towards our older readers.

Happy reading to all of you! May you find the ideal summer conditions for disappearing into a story: a quiet place, a cool breeze, and a tall glass of lemonade.