What is the 2017 Summer Reading Challenge?

The Eagles Read 2017 Summer Reading Challenge is a fun way for the Brentwood School Community to connect over the summer and share a love of books. It is open to all members of the community at any reading level. We had a great time with it last summer and are looking forward to doing it again!  Whether you read one book or 20 this summer, we'd love if you joined in the fun!

How do I Participate?

There are 12 different book challenges. Each challenge has its own Padlet. To participate, you want to choose books that fit the challenges below. When you finish reading one, click on the link to the Padlet, and post your name and the title of the book. If you would like, you can also give it a rating (1-5 stars) and add a picture of the cover.

• A Book that has been Translated from a Different Language
• A Mystery
• A Book of Poetry or a Novel In Verse
• A Book That Was Made Into a Movie
• The First Book In a Series
• The Sequel to a Book You Loved
• A Book Published at Least 50 Years Ago
• A Book Published This Year
• A Book With a Main Character From a Different Culture Than You
• A Book Recommended by a Friend
• A Book You Can Finish In a Day
• A Book With a (Mostly) Red Cover

We would love to know who is playing along with us, so please fill out this quick sign up form.

Translated Books - How Do I Find Them?

Confused about how to find books that have been translated for one of our reading challenges? Here are some helpful lists of books translated into English for all ages. (Remember though, you can read in any language you choose, the key for this category is just that you must read it in a different language than it was originally written in.)

• Batchelder Award for Translated Children's Books.
• 100 Great Translated Children's Books From Around the World
• Young Adult in Translation
• Foreign YA Fiction Translated into English
• 21 of the Best New Novels Translated into English
• The 20 Best Books in Translation You've Never Read
• Lost in Translation? Here's My Top 10 Foreign Novels
• 5 Korean Novels You Should Read Now

Have more suggestions? Feel free to leave comments here.

Ideas for Books that are 50+ Years Old

Are you stuck thinking about a book that was published in 1967 or earlier? Here are some lists of award winners, you just need to scroll back far enough.

• Caldecott Award Winners
• Newbery Award Winners
• National Book Award Winners
• Pulitzer Prize (scroll down for book categories)

Bonus:
Here is a crowd-sourced list of favorite older books. (Thank you, Facebook!)

Questions?

Who can participate?
Anyone in the Brentwood School community -- students, faculty, staff, parents, grandparents, alumni, you name it!

Can my non-Brentwood School children participate?
Of course! They are a part of our community too.

Are there prizes? 
No, but your name will be in the Newsletter at the beginning of the school year if you meet the challenge..and there might even be a celebratory party at the end! 

Does the required summer reading for middle, upper, or faculty/staff count? 
Yes, but you have to find a category for it.

What if I read a book that fits into two or more categories?
Books can only count for one category - so make a choice and then find a new book to read!

What if I read more than one in a category? Can I post both?
Yes, you can post multiple books in a category, but be sure to branch out to other categories too.

Can I re-read a book I have read before? 
Yes, but it can only count once.

What if I don't finish the book?
Life is too short to read bad books, but it can't count for a challenge.

Does the book have to be in English?
Nope! Read in whatever language you prefer.

What if I listen to the audio book or someone reads it to me?
It still counts! There are all kinds of ways to read books. It also counts if you read aloud to someone else.

How about if I started the book earlier but finish it over the summer?
Sure, we can count that too.

Where can I get some ideas for books to read?
K-6 Summer Reading Lists
7-12 Summer Reading Lists

What if I have ideas for other categories?
Email your librarians and we will consider new categories for next year.

What if I don’t meet all the challenges? 
It’s a challenge! Just do the best you can. We are happy to have you on board.

How do I post on Padlet? 
Take a look at this handy video.

I'm having trouble with the Padlet. Who can I contact? 
Contact Yapha Mason, Elisabeth Abarbanel,  or Jessica James, or leave a comment here and we will get back to you.