Inly School
SUMMER 2026
Summer Reading
Summer is one of the richest opportunities a young reader has: unstructured time, no assignments, and the freedom to follow curiosity wherever it leads. At Inly, we believe that kind of freedom is exactly what turns a child into a lifelong reader — and we’ve built our summer reading program around it.
WHY STUDENT CHOICE MATTERS
Research consistently shows that when children choose their own books, they read more, understand more, and remember more. But beyond the data, we’ve seen it ourselves: a child who picks up a book because they want to — not because they were told to — reads differently. They linger. They re-read. They talk about it at dinner.
Choice communicates trust. When we hand a child a list of suggestions rather than a list of requirements, we’re saying: we trust you to know what interests you. That trust is itself a form of education.
Our summer reading recommendations are exactly that — recommendations. They reflect books we love and think your children might love too. But if your student finds something not on our list that they’re genuinely excited about, please encourage them. A book they chose for themselves will teach them something no assigned text ever could.
WHAT CHOICE DOES FOR READERS
IT BUILDS INTRINSIC MOTIVATION
Children who choose their own reading develop the internal drive to keep reading — long after summer ends and the school year begins.
IT DEEPENS COMPREHENSION
When a reader is genuinely interested, they naturally engage more deeply — asking questions, making connections, and thinking critically about what they read.
IT BUILDS IDENTITY AS A READER
Choosing a book is an act of self-knowledge. Students who pick their own reading begin to understand their own tastes, preferences, and the kinds of stories that matter to them.
IT HONORS THE WHOLE CHILD
A child who loves graphic novels, mysteries, or books about animals deserves to spend summer in those worlds. Montessori trusts children to direct their own learning — and that includes what they read.
HOW IT WORKS
Choose at least 4 books you’re genuinely excited about
Browse our recommendations by division and choose titles that call to you — or venture off-list entirely. Audiobooks count. Graphic novels count. Re-reading an old favorite counts. If your division has specific expectations, your teachers will reach out directly with those details.
WHERE TO FIND YOUR BOOKS
BORROW FOR FREE
- SORA — ebooks & audiobooks for UE & MS students. Log in with your Inly Google account. (Setup guide)
- Your local public library — physical books, ebooks, and audiobooks, plus summer programs with activities and prizes.
- Boston Public Library eCard — free for MA students age 13+.
BUY AND SUPPORT LOCAL BOOKSELLERS
- Click any cover art on our site to order from Amazon — proceeds support Inly’s library.
- Black-owned bookstores — including Massachusetts shops.
- Bookshop.org — supports independent local booksellers.
- Buttonwood Books & Toys — our local friends, always happy to help.
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES THAT BRING READING TO LIFE
📕 Reading Journal
Keep a notebook for reactions, questions, and favorite moments. No prompts required — just honest responses. Even a few words per chapter builds the habit of reflection.
💬 Family book club
Choose one book for the whole family and set a weekly “book dinner” where everyone shares one thing they noticed, wondered, or felt. No right answers — just conversation.
⭐ Rate & recommend
After each book, write two sentences: what you liked, and who you’d recommend it to. Collect them on index cards for a personal “best of summer” stack to share in the fall.
🏠 Library summer program
Most local libraries run free summer reading programs with challenges, prizes, and events. Sign up at your branch and make reading feel like an adventure all summer long.
🗺 Book map
Draw or print a map of where your book is set and mark key story moments. Great for historical fiction, fantasy, and adventure — and a beautiful keepsake when finished.
🎨 Draw a scene
Pick the moment you pictured most vividly and draw it. Great for visual thinkers who are building reading stamina — it deepens engagement with the story.
🎧 Record a book talk
Film a 60-second video pitching your favorite summer read to a friend. What makes it worth reading? No spoilers allowed. Share with your advisor in the fall.
✎ Write a new chapter
What happens after the last page? Write or dictate the next chapter. Younger children can draw a comic strip version. Especially fun with books that end with some mystery intact.
Read together this summer! Pick a book from the list to read as a family and talk about it over dinner. Listen to an audiobook on a road trip. Read aloud to your kids — even big kids love being read to. And perhaps most powerfully: let your children see you reading for fun. When adults model reading as something they do for themselves — not to be productive, not to learn something useful, just because they love it — children notice. That is one of the most lasting gifts you can give a young reader.
Happy reading, Inly families. Whether your child tears through ten books or savors one slowly all summer, what matters most is that reading feels like theirs — chosen freely, enjoyed fully, and shared whenever the spirit moves them.
“Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift.”
Kate DiCamillo
Inly School Summer Reading 