In years past, summer reading hadn’t exactly been a source of excitement here at NDP. People always seemed to save their assigned books until the end of the summer, struggling through mountains of reading on the last day possible, and dreading the quizzes that they would receive in September. This is why Ms. Veresink and Ms. Gutierrez were intrigued by a new summer reading model that they saw at a national English conference six years ago. Ever since, they have been working towards making NDP’s summer reading program a more interactive and fun experience. This summer, all students finally get to be a part of the pioneer year of NDP’s new-and-improved summer reading program.

I talked to Ms. Veresink and Ms. Gutierrez to discuss their ideas about the new program. Both teachers were especially excited that students would be enthusiastic and invested in their reading, rather than just working towards a quiz. “We talked about how kids didn’t seem as interested in summer reading, and we really wanted to promote a love of reading,” explained Ms. Gutierrez. She also included that the summer reading program in past years had given reading a “negative association,” since it seemed like such a chore. “We’re excited to see it as a social thing,” she told me, “not just as an academic endeavor.”

It is true that this new program will be much more social, since there will be different book clubs with students and a teacher for each novel. Instead of reading a novel on their own and taking an assessment, NDP students will discuss their books with classmates and share ideas. As Ms. Veresink expressed, “The new system shows our girls that readers need to collaborate and communicate to define the meaning of texts (Something literary critics have been doing for centuries!) and that communication should be both creative and critical in nature.  It completely redefines the way our community looks at reading.”

To make the program even more of a community event, the English Department encouraged staff members from all departments to choose a book to discuss with their group. Ms. Gutierrez said that the purpose of this is to show that “all intelligent people read,” and not just those who have careers in English. This is why there is such a wide variety of genres from which students can choose, ranging from non-fiction to graphic novels to history. “We want something that will appeal to every kid,” Ms. Gutierrez explained. Ms. Veresink also told me, “We asked the community, including faculty, staff, and administration, what books they were passionate about, and they responded en masse and with tremendous enthusiasm! These books weren’t chosen because they are part of the literary canon or because they may show up on some test somewhere, but because the people championing them feel passionate about them. What better recommendation could you have?” In this way, every student will be able to choose a book that truly interests her and discuss it with a teacher who also loves it.

To finish interviewing Ms. Veresink and Ms. Gutierrez, I asked them what their hopes were for this new program. Ms. Veresink said, “I have so many hopes for the program. I hope it helps our students create and nurture quality relationships, construct a broad foundation of knowledge, learn to speak effectively, inspire them to pick up more academically challenging books, motivate them to remain curious and pursue an intellectual life throughout the summer and beyond, but mostly, I hope it helps them to develop a deep appreciation for reading and encourages them to see reading as an enjoyable experience.” Ms. Gutierrez expressed similar hopes that the program will “cultivate a love of reading” among the entire community. With socially-based book clubs and such a wide variety of book choices, it seems certain that this program will be a success.

Students will be able to choose their books during the first week of May, and the meetings will all take place at some point during the summer. There will be no summer reading quizzes in September this year, which is certainly a source of excitement for most students. Overall, this new program is sure to be a lot of fun for everyone involved. Start thinking about what books you will sign up for this summer!