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Reading lists, grades 6-12
The books Long Island middle and high schools post for ELA and summer reading, grade by grade. For each book: a short summary in our words, themes, content notes for families, three questions to talk about and a writing prompt.
Good to know: New York State does not require any set list of books. NYSED says text choice and curriculum are local district decisions, and the state ELA modules are optional. So each district picks its own books. We list only books a district posted online, with the year of the list. Summaries are ours, not the publisher's. Lists change: always check with your school.
What each district publishes
Deer Park first (Robert Frost Middle School and Deer Park High School), then the other districts on our site.
Deer Park UFSD
Found online
Newest Robert Frost lists we could find online are from 2016-2017. The high school library pages are current. The 9H, 10H, AP Seminar, AP Language and AP Literature summer assignments are posted as 2026 PDFs on the library site, but the titles inside them could not be read online, so they are not listed here. Classroom novels by grade are not published online: ask the school.
North Babylon UFSD
Found online
Librarian and educator picks with grade ranges. The district says it values student choice; no title is marked required.
Commack UFSD
Found online (middle school)
The middle school page names novels by grade (titles only). High school course novels are not on a page we could open: ask the school.
Half Hollow Hills CSD
Found online (older list)
The newest full list we found is from 2015. The district page says students now choose summer texts within grade themes. Ask the ELA office for the current list.
West Babylon UFSD
Not published online — ask the school
We found no ELA reading list on the district or school sites.
Lindenhurst UFSD
Not published online — ask the school
The ELA page points to course descriptions but names no books.
Wyandanch UFSD
Not published online — ask the school
The English page has a Summer Reading heading with no titles under it.
Want a list that is not online? A school will often share it if you ask the ELA teacher or librarian.
How to talk about a hard book at home
Some books on these lists deal with war, loss, unfair treatment or other heavy topics. That is often why teachers pick them. These tips help you talk about it together.
- Read the summary and content notes first. Then you know what is coming and can offer to read the same chapter.
- Ask, don't lecture. Try: “What part stayed with you?” or “Who did you agree with?”
- Name feelings. It is okay to say, “That part made me sad too.” Feelings are part of reading.
- Connect to your family's values. Share what your family believes, and ask what your child thinks.
- Separate the book from real life. Ask: “Why do you think the author showed this?”
- Take a break if needed. Pausing is fine. Come back to it when ready.
- Talk to the teacher or librarian. Ask why the book was chosen, or if another choice from the list fits your child better. Most summer lists here are choice lists.
- Get help for big feelings. If a book brings up something serious, contact the school counselor. In a crisis, call or text 988 (988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).
The books
Tap a book to see our summary, themes, content notes, three talk-about-it questions and a writing prompt. Every book links to the district list where we found it.
213 books
Sources
Book lists come only from district and school websites we opened. Summaries, themes, questions and prompts are written by Goal100 in our own words; we do not copy text from the books and we show no covers. Lists change every year, so always check the school's newest list.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988): https://988lifeline.org/ (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- NYSED · English Language Arts and Literacy FAQs (text selection is a local district decision; state modules are optional): https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/curriculum-instruction/nys-next-generation-ela-standards-faqs.pdf (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Deer Park UFSD · Robert Frost MS · ELA 6 summer reading (choose 1, optional) (Summer 2017): https://deerparkschools.org/assets/summer_assignments_2017/summerreadingela62016-2017.pdf (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Deer Park UFSD · Robert Frost MS · ELA 6 SPR summer reading (choose 1, optional) (Summer 2017): https://deerparkschools.org/assets/summer_assignments_2017/summerreadingela6spr2017.pdf (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Deer Park UFSD · Robert Frost MS · ELA 6 summer reading (choose 1, optional) (Summer 2016): https://www.deerparkschools.org/assets/summer_assignments_2016/rfms_ela_6_summer_reading_assignment.pdf (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Deer Park UFSD · Robert Frost MS · ELA 7 summer reading (choose 1, optional) (Summer 2017 (same list in 2016)): https://deerparkschools.org/assets/summer_assignments_2017/summerreadingela72016-2017.pdf (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Deer Park UFSD · Robert Frost MS · ELA 8 summer reading (choose 1, optional) (Summer 2017): https://deerparkschools.org/assets/summer_assignments_2017/summerreadingela82016-2017.pdf (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Deer Park UFSD · Robert Frost MS · ELA 8 SPR summer reading (choose 1, optional) (Summer 2017 (same list in 2016)): https://www.deerparkschools.org/assets/summer_assignments_2017/summerreadingela8spr2016-2017.pdf (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Deer Park UFSD · Deer Park HS Library · summer picks for future 9th graders (Current page (no year shown)): https://sites.google.com/deerparkschools.org/deer-park-high-school-library/summer-reading/future-9th-graders (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Deer Park UFSD · Deer Park HS Library · summer picks for incoming 10th graders (Current page (no year shown)): https://sites.google.com/deerparkschools.org/deer-park-high-school-library/summer-reading/incoming-10th-graders (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Deer Park UFSD · Deer Park HS Library · summer picks for incoming 11th graders (Current page (no year shown)): https://sites.google.com/deerparkschools.org/deer-park-high-school-library/summer-reading/incoming-11th-graders (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Deer Park UFSD · Deer Park HS Library · summer picks for incoming 12th graders (Current page (no year shown)): https://sites.google.com/deerparkschools.org/deer-park-high-school-library/summer-reading/incoming-12th-graders (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- North Babylon UFSD · North Babylon secondary summer reading (librarian and educator picks) (Summer 2026): https://sites.google.com/northbabylonschools.net/summerreading2026/secondary (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- North Babylon UFSD · North Babylon summer reading · Realistic fiction picks (Summer 2026): https://sites.google.com/northbabylonschools.net/summerreading2026/secondary/secondary-realistic-fiction (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- North Babylon UFSD · North Babylon summer reading · Sci-fi and fantasy picks (Summer 2026): https://sites.google.com/northbabylonschools.net/summerreading2026/secondary/secondary-sci-fi-fantasy (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- North Babylon UFSD · North Babylon summer reading · Mystery and thriller picks (Summer 2026): https://sites.google.com/northbabylonschools.net/summerreading2026/secondary/secondary-mystery (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- North Babylon UFSD · North Babylon summer reading · Nonfiction and biography picks (Summer 2026): https://sites.google.com/northbabylonschools.net/summerreading2026/secondary/non-fictionbiography (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- North Babylon UFSD · North Babylon summer reading · Sports picks (Summer 2026): https://sites.google.com/northbabylonschools.net/summerreading2026/secondary/secondary-sports (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- North Babylon UFSD · North Babylon summer reading · Romance picks (Summer 2026): https://sites.google.com/northbabylonschools.net/summerreading2026/secondary/secondary-romance (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Commack UFSD · Commack MS English page · grade 6 novel choices (Current page (no year shown)): https://cms.commack.k12.ny.us/cmsenglish (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Half Hollow Hills CSD · Half Hollow Hills summer reading assignments, grades 9-12 (Summer 2015): https://www.hhh.k12.ny.us/uploaded/User_Folders/english/Sumer_Reading/Secondary_2015/Summer_Reading_Assignments_Grades_9-12_2015.pdf (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Deer Park UFSD · Deer Park HS Library summer reading (grades 9-12): https://sites.google.com/deerparkschools.org/deer-park-high-school-library/summer-reading (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Deer Park UFSD · Deer Park HS summer assignments page: https://deerparkschools.org/our_schools/deer_park_high_school_summer_assignments (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Commack UFSD · Commack curriculum guides: https://www.commack.k12.ny.us/curriculumguides (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Half Hollow Hills CSD · Secondary Language Arts and Reading page: https://www.hhh.k12.ny.us/teaching-learning/english-language-arts/secondary-language-arts (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- West Babylon UFSD · Senior High course offerings page: https://shs.wbschools.org/185134_3 (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Lindenhurst UFSD · District ELA page: https://www.lindenhurstschools.org/47037_2 (checked Nov 8, 2026)
- Wyandanch UFSD · Wyandanch Memorial HS English page: https://wmhs.wyandanch.k12.ny.us/99138_2 (checked Nov 8, 2026)