Summer Literature Series
Our Goal
Our goal is to help middle and high school students use the summer months to become stronger readers and critical thinkers through structured, engaging, and meaningful reading experiences.
Courses Available
In Outliers, bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell examines what truly lies behind high levels of success. Challenging the idea that achievement is only the result of talent and hard work, Gladwell explores how culture, family background, opportunity, timing, and practice all shape individual outcomes. Using engaging stories, real-world case studies, and social science research, he reveals hidden patterns that influence why some people and groups rise to extraordinary levels.
Outliers invites students to analyze arguments, evaluate evidence, and think critically about how success is constructed. Accessible yet intellectually stimulating, the book provides an excellent foundation for high school readers to practice nonfiction analysis, discussion, and evidence-based writing while reflecting on their own goals and opportunities.
Your student will receive a copy of the book as well as a workbook to help guide discussions and develop written responses.
In James, acclaimed author Percival Everett reimagines The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim—the enslaved man who was largely silenced in the original novel. Everett gives James an interior life, an intellectual voice, and a moral authority that radically transforms a familiar story. Through sharp language, dark humor, and powerful emotional moments, James explores questions of identity, freedom, language, and survival in a society built on slavery.
James is a contemporary literary novel that reimagines Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of the enslaved character Jim (James). The novel is written for adult and upper-high-school audiences and engages deeply with the historical realities of slavery in the United States. Please be aware that this book contains racial slurs and offensive language (used in historical context), and depictions and discussions of slavery.
Your student will receive a copy of the book as well as a workbook to help guide discussions and develop written responses.
About me and this program
I am a high school history teacher with experience as a reading instructor, SAT/ACT tutor, and curriculum writer. Over the years, I’ve seen the same pattern repeat itself each summer: students either avoid their assigned reading altogether or rush through it at the very end, gaining little lasting value from the experience.
This program was designed to solve a central problem of the summer months. While students deserve a break from the pressures of the school year, unstructured time often leads to academic stagnation rather than growth. Without guidance, many students miss an important opportunity to strengthen the very skills—reading, thinking, and writing—that most directly impact their success.
With a structured environment, meaningful texts, and support from an experienced educator, students can use the summer not just to complete reading, but to engage deeply, think critically, and build habits that carry into the school year and beyond.