Community Reading

Summer is a time for both rest and curiosity. Mercersburg’s Community Reading Program invites students to engage with thought-provoking texts while enjoying the pleasure of reading for its own sake. Whether you're reading on the beach, on a plane, or in your own backyard, we hope these books inspire reflection, connection, and discovery.

This school-wide initiative brings our community together through a shared text and shared inquiry. All students are required to read the Community Read and a grade-level English book. Families are encouraged to read along, and students are invited to go beyond the required reading by participating in the Summer Reading Challenge.

If you are traveling internationally this summer, we suggest carrying non-physical copies of the Community Reading and English Grade Level Summer Reading books. Ebooks and audiobooks are permissible reading formats, and for ease of travel, we encourage them.

All School Read

This year’s Community Read gives students the opportunity to explore Mercersburg’s 2025–2026 theme, Listen. Understand. Empower., in a meaningful way across disciplines and experiences

We encourage students to reflect on what it means to listen deeply—to themselves, to others, and to voices that have been overlooked. As they engage with this year’s selection, we hope students will consider how understanding can lead to empathy and how storytelling can be a form of empowerment. Programs and conversations in the fall will continue this exploration, inviting our community to think critically about identity, agency, and voice—within the Mercersburg community and beyond.

Home is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo

In this poignant novel-in-verse, Safia Elhillo explores the complexities of identity, and belonging through the eyes of Nima, a young Muslim girl navigating life between cultures. Torn between the world she inhabits and the one she imagines, Nima conjures an alternate version of herself—Yasmeen—the name her parents almost gave her. As Nima's longing intensifies, Yasmeen becomes increasingly real, leading Nima on a journey that blurs the lines between reality and imagination. Through lyrical prose and elements of magical realism, Elhillo delves into themes of self-discovery, cultural dissonance, and the power of names and narratives in shaping our identities

Purchase

Grade-level Reads

Students will discuss their grade-level book during the first few weeks of English class, so they should bring their own annotated copy or a set of notes to campus in the fall.
Books may contain descriptions that some may find difficult. Students should refrain from reading passages they find too intense or triggering

We Were Liars

by E. Lockhart

9th Grade

Our Missing Hearts

by Celeste Ng

10th Grade

Educated

by Tara Westover

11th Grade

Sweat

by Lynn Nottage

12th Grade

Summer Reading Challenge

The Summer Reading Challenge invites students to go beyond the required texts and explore books that speak to their interests, identities, and curiosities. Faculty and staff from across campus have selected a wide range of engaging titles—fiction and nonfiction, contemporary and classic—meant to spark reflection, connection, and joy.

In the fall term, students who completed the challenge will be invited to join Book Chats led by sponsoring faculty and staff These small group discussions offer a chance to engage more deeply with peers and teachers around a shared text.

We hope you’ll take this opportunity to listen, reflect, and grow through books that challenge, delight, and inspire you.