Escape into summer: Stories for every student
The English Department and Hassenfeld librarians share summer reading lists for rising grades K-12 and AP courses at usn.org/reading.
By Freya Sachs, English Department Chair
Back
What’s the best book you’ve read this year? What books might our students enjoy? What book would you recommend and why? Why do we ask students to read in the summer at all? What will we ask of them when we return to school in August?
These are some of the questions we ask each year as we compile, edit, revise, examine, and finalize our summer reading lists. We want students to find books they enjoy, discover stories they otherwise might not see, and find pieces of themselves and others in the worlds these books can offer. We hope reading becomes not just practical, but joyful.
To do this, we ask our community for recommendations — faculty across the school, alumni, students — and the English Department and Hassenfeld Library work together to finalize the lists and to make sure our library has copies accessible for students to borrow for the summer.
We hope you enjoy exploring the lists — one for each grade K-12 and for AP courses — discovering new authors or finding an old favorite waiting for you. If you need recommendations, we’ll be happy to help.
Happy reading!
More USN News
List of 3 news stories.
-
Nawaz named Tennessee History Teacher of the Year
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History has named Social Studies Teacher Ayesha Nawaz the 2026 Tennessee History Teacher of the Year for her innovative lessons that bring stories of the past to life for students today.Read More -
Tiger Arts Patrons should include you
The booster club Tiger Arts Patrons contributes additional funding to visual and performing arts at University School of Nashville while providing supporters with free admission to most music, dance, and theater performances. Register for annual TAP membership here for $100.Read More -
Meet artist Yanira Vissepó on August 27
USN kicks off its professional art gallery season with an opening reception for Yanira Vissepó’s "Fantastical Views" exhibition from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, August 27 in the Tibbott Art Gallery.Read More
Contact
Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
USN Mission:
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.