The summer is an ideal time for Blair students to read beyond the required texts of our curriculum. Short stories, novels, plays, poetry, narrative nonfiction and newer forms of literature, such as the graphic novel, offer the opportunity to follow one’s curiosity, strengthen reading and writing skills, develop a greater understanding of the human condition and, of course, have some fun. 

Students should read a minimum of five books over the summer months, including titles of their choosing in addition to those required by their teachers, and depending upon their courses, they may also have associated assignments and/or assessments to complete.

Titles for 2025 summer reading assignments are listed below. New and returning students enrolled in certain language courses for the 2025-2026 academic year must also complete summer work. Details about the summer work for language courses are linked in the list below. 

Requirements for Selected Courses (listed by department) for 2025-2026:

English

The English department expects Blair students to read at least two books during the summer. 

All students will read the All-School Read, Beyond That, the Sea, by Laura Spence-Ash. 

Additionally, students should read the following based upon their English course for the fall:

English 1: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (Bradley)
English 2: Sunrise on the Reaping (Collins)
American Studies and Rhetoric: Into the Wild (Krakauer)
The Meaning of Life: Oedipus Rex (Sophocles)

For the following advanced English electives for juniors and seniors, please wait until August to purchase and read the summer assignment as enrollments for English courses do change and adjust in July. 

ADVSem African American Literature 1: The Man Who Lived Underground (Richard Wright)
ADVSem America by Road 1: Travels with Charley (John Steinbeck)
ADVSem Memoir: Brown Girl Dreaming (Jacqueline Woodson)
ADVSem Modernism and Melancholy: Read “Mourning and Melancholia” (Sigmund Freud) in preparation for the first day of classes. Found here.
ADVSem Nuns, Guns and Roses: A Room of One’s Own (Woolf)
ADVSem The Odyssey: The Song of Achilles (Madeline Miller)
ADVSem Philosophy and Literature: How to Be a Stoic (Penguin Great Ideas) - (Dobbin, Costa et al.) 
ADVSem Reel Reading 1: A Streetcar Named Desire (Tennessee Williams)
ADVSem Science Fiction and Fantasy: Read the wikipedia page “Three Laws of Robotics” in its entirety for discussion on AI to start the year. Found here. 
ADVSem Comparative Genre: “A Modest Proposal” (Jonathan Swift). This can be accessed online without needing a particular text. Read for details and prepare to discuss satire upon return in the fall. 

All classes will address the summer reading during the first week of school in September; students should expect to write on or make a presentation about their summer reading during that period. Students must return to campus with a hard copy (not screen-based) of the All-School Read and their class-specific summer reading book unless otherwise instructed by the teacher.

History

Modern European History: Please read the article shared here. The last page has a writing assignment to complete and bring with you for the start of school. All work is due at the first class meeting. 

Advanced Survey US History: Read this selection from Charles Mann’s 1491: here. Annotate as you read, write down three to five main ideas from the reading and develop a discussion question to guide our talk about the reading on day one. 

Advanced Survey European History: Read this article “The Universities of the Renaissance and Reformation” by Paul Grendler attached here. Annotate as you read, write down at least three main ideas from the reading and develop a discussion question to guide our talk about the reading for our first class.

Fine Arts

Advanced Survey Art History: Culture: The Story of Us, From Cave Art to K-Pop (Martin Puchner)

Advanced Seminar Art Portfolio: Click here for the assignment from Mrs. Sykes, Mrs. Trish, Mr. Trish, Mr. King and Ms. James. 

Languages 

Summer work in language courses differs by grade level and language studied. Please review the below requirements closely and click on the appropriate link.

Spanish 2/2H: Click here for the assignment from Mr. Devaney and Mr. Ince.
Spanish 3/3H: Click here for the assignment from Dr. Mundo and Mr. Coronado.
Spanish 4:  Click here for the assignment from Dr. Mundo.
Advanced Seminar Spanish-American Film & Culture: Click here for the assignment from Dr. Mundo.
Advanced Survey Spanish Language: Click here for the assignment from Mr. Devaney.
French 1, 2, 3/3H: Click here for optional activities for French.
Advanced Survey French Language: Click here to join TV5Monde and complete the required work to help you to prepare for the course. Click here for optional activities for French.    
Advanced Seminar French Current Events: Click here to join TV5Monde and complete the required work to help you to prepare for the course. Click here for optional activities for French.    
All Chinese students entering level 2 or higher: Click here for the assignment from Mrs. Wang.
All Latin students entering level 2 or higher: Click here for the assignment from Mr. Harvard. 

Mathematics

Precalculus/Calculus A: Mr. Molteni and Mr. Link will share an assignment with enrolled students to be completed in August in advance of the first day of classes. This will be a study guide assignment which reviews key building block concepts for the fall term. 

Advanced Seminar Differential Calculus: Your teacher will share a review problem set in August to be completed before the first day of the fall term. 

Advanced Survey Integral Calculus & Sequences & Series: Your teacher will share an assignment with enrolled students to be completed in August in advance of the first day of classes. This will be a study guide assignment which reviews key building block concepts for the fall term. 

Sciences

Chemistry Honors: Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials that Shape our Man-made World (Miodownik). Dr. Sayers and Ms. Ehrenwerth ask that you review and respond to this document as part of the assignment.

Advanced Survey Biology: Chapters 1-3 reading and notes in Campbell Biology in Focus AP Edition 3rd Edition. Complete all of the Active Reading Guide questions for each chapter: Chapter 1 Active Reading Guide, Chapter 2 Active Reading Guide, Chapter 3 Active Reading Guide.

Advanced Seminar Organic Chemistry: Please read this document; contact Dr. Sayers with questions or concerns.