Summer Reading Recommendations

Wendy Butler, Middle School and Upper School Librarian says it's “A novel set in a post-pandemic society. I could not put it down!”

It's an unforgettable memoir about a young girl who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University.

Jennifer Blake, Associate Head of School, shares, “Library lovers, readers of books, history buffs, and fans of clear and compelling writing will all find a connection with this terrific read....”

Jennifer shares, "If you are raising a girl today, this is a must read.”

"A brilliant and passionate call to action that reveals how girls and young women are suffering in our toxic culture of constant comparison and competition. This is the book parents need to change girls’ lives and guide them to truly become happy, healthy, and powerful adults."—Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees and Wannabees

Carolyn Hickman, US English Department Chair, shares, “Set in 1980s Chicago during the emergence of the AIDS epidemic--follows a group of gay men through their losses and moves into present day with those who survived them.”

Ryan Hoglund, Director of Ethical Education, shares, “The solutions to the challenges of the future will take new ways of thinking on the part of young people. A great example of young people leading the world to come.”
 

Jeremy Innis, Chaplain and Music Director, says this book is “An engagingly-written look into the many ways that humans define right and wrong, offering understanding in a time when our society seems divided along ethical lines.”
 

Lisa Miranda, Associate Director of Admission loves this book. 

Over 100 exceptional and influential women describe how they embraced their creative spirit, overcame adversity, and sparked a global movement of entrepreneurship. Media titans and ceramicists, hoteliers and tattoo artists, comedians and architects—taken together, these profiles paint a beautiful picture of what happens when we pursue our passions and dreams.

Jen Schones, MS Math Teacher, thinks this is "An awesome book about the power of God's redeeming love!”

Mike Skackelford, US Political Science Teacher and Debate Coach, shares, “Given to me a faculty book exchange party, this book inspired an entire course now being offered at Rowland Hall. If you've ever wanted to know more about the SCOTUS, this is a fascinating, insightful, and readable book. Nice mix of political theory and historical narrative.” 

Alan Sparrow, Head of School, shared it's “[so] much more than a book about him or tennis- it takes on his fascinating life journey.” 

“Westover has somehow managed not only to capture her unsurpassably exceptional upbringing, but to make her current situation seem not so exceptional at all, and resonant for many others.”—The New York Times Book Review

Garrett Stern, Math Teacher liked this book.

A Best Business Book of 2015, Strategy Business ESPN’s rise is one of the most remarkable stories about business and sports in our time, and nobody can tell it better than George Bodenheimer. 

Chelsea Vasquez, MS English Teacher, says the book is “[lyrical] and emotional- it’s an intense, compelling read.”

This 2017 novel is about a family's dynamics in the fictional town of Bois Sauvage, Mississippi. The novel received overwhelmingly positive reviews, and was named by The New York Times as one of the 10 Best Books of 2017.

Robert Wilson, US Biology Teacher, shared the quote "The world is a beautiful place and worth the fighting for."

Published in 1940, this Hemingway classic is a rich, complex novel about the Spanish Civil War and love.