Summer Reading

Taft’s Summer Reading Committee selects one book each year as required summer reading for both students and faculty. This all-school reading selection lays groundwork for shared experience and communal dialogue; it is something that brings us together as a community at the start of each academic year.

Students and faculty engage in a series of summer reading forums in the fall. This may include dedicated academic blocks, and conversations at sit-down dinner. Whenever possible, the authors of our summer reading selections will visit campus for Morning Meeting programs and classroom visits.

Our summer reading selections are chosen carefully, and often reflect current social issues, common campus themes, and matters of historical significance. Many of the books—and many of the authors—are award-winning and widely renowned. Recent selections have included: All American Boys, by Jason Reynolds and Brandon Kiely; Mudbound, by Hillary Jordan; and The Legacy: An Elder’s Vision for Our Sustainable Future by Dr. David Suzuki.

In addition to the all-school text, students read another book, chosen from a list curated and sponsored by individual faculty members.