It's the 2021 Lower School Summer Reading List!
Here you will find over 200 books all hand-picked by Ms. Kover for their incredible writing, beautiful illustrations, important themes, and overall excellence. The majority of the books included on this list were published during the 2020-2021 school year, and we sincerely hope you and your child enjoy this new crop of titles.
Like last year, “Chapter Books” (equivalent to the Blue Dot books in the LS Library) are those books that have larger font, shorter chapters, and tend to be illustrated. A new feature of the list this year is that there are now two sections for chapter books that are longer, more sophisticated, and skew a bit older (8-12-years-old) in terms of vocabulary and/or content: they are the "middle grade chapter books" and "middle grade chapter books: next level." Both of these sections are perfect for adventurous readers and students rising from Class 3 into Class 4, but as always, we encourage you to be mindful of book reviews as you select titles with your child. We recommend reading reviews like those found on Amazon or Common Sense Media to make informed choices about one's individual readiness for particular titles.
Additionally, we have three thematic lists this year that explore our almost post-pandemic world in terms of our connection to the outdoors, each other, and our history.
All books on the list should be available in print from your local public library or booksellers. In an effort to ensure greater access, a number of these titles are available as either eBooks or audiobooks through Chapin’s digital library provider, the Hudson Valley Library Consortium, or any of the 3 NYC public library systems. Links have been provided following the description of the book when that is the case. The reading platform for Chapin is called Sora, and it can be accessed through a computer or downloaded as an app on various devices. In order to access any of the titles, all you need is your Chapin library number.
If you do not know your Chapin library number, simply send an email to Ms. Kover (ckover@chapin.edu) or Ms. Davis (ldavis@chapin.edu).
If you are interested in borrowing eBooks or audiobooks from the Chapin Library or any of the above institutions, you can do a universal search once you are logged into Sora. In the profile section of the page, you can add Hudson Valley Library Consortium or any/all of the local public library systems and then check the "Search All Libraries" for all of your searches.
If you have never used Sora before, this video by Ms. Goldberg will walk you through how it works step-by-step, and show you how to connect with a public library!
Have a wonderful, book-filled summer!
Ms. Kover
