Summer Reading 2025

This year, Summer Reading is focused on a different, single, essential question for each incoming grade. These open-ended essential questions invite students to think about their own lives and experiences in relation to the question. Exploring the resources on this site will help them begin to answer these questions. 

Our English Department has worked to create a curated list of resources related to our essential questions. These resources are presented here in a variety of modes: narratives, poems, articles, videos, and podcasts. Each of these resources is accessible to all students through the links on these pages. We encourage each student to explore at least FIVE of these resources, one from each category (short stories, poems, articles, videos, and podcasts) to help supplement their understanding of the book.  Of course, students are encouraged to work with more. Along with each category, there is a supplemental activity that students can use if they choose.  We have found these activities helpful for students to take notes and engage more closely with the sources.  These are similar to activities that many teachers will use in class. 

At the beginning of the Fall semester, English classes at all grade levels will spend the first couple of weeks working with their essential questions. Teachers will use some of the resources included here along with other supplemental activities and resources. The daily assignments and early assessments during the first few weeks of school will focus on the essential questions. 

Along with these resources, Samohi students are encouraged to continue reading on their own over the summer.  Parents, please help your student make time to read -- a half-hour a day is perfect -- and ask your child regularly about what they've read or encourage them to write about it.