• Summer Reading

    Dear Brown Middle School Community,

    In an effort to bring our community closer together, we are announcing our first One School, One Book event.  Each summer students are asked to participate in our summer reading program.   This year we are expanding the summer reading to include the whole community. Teachers and students are asked to take part in this by reading New Kid by Jerry Craft.  New Kid won the 2020 Newbery Medal. It is about a young boy, Jordan, who transfers to private school- far from his own neighborhood-for seventh grade. As one of the few African American students in the school, he regularly deals with racism and microaggressions.  New Kid is a graphic novel that is accessible to students and adults alike. We also encourage parents to read it to share in our One School, One Book event.

    As educators we want our students to be exposed to books that are relevant to their lives.  We want them to be able to connect to characters and hopefully learn from them.  New Kid tackles not just issues of race and microaggressions, but also what it feels like to be an outsider.  As Newbery Medal Committee Chair Krishna Grady stated, “This distinct, timely, and honest story respects children and gives its readers a glimpse into what it means to be other.”

    New Kid will provide ample opportunities for our students and faculty to engage in meaningful discussions that are directly relevant to our community at Brown.  Lessons have been developed for our advisories and will serve to involve all of us in these important conversations.  We hope it will empower students, faculty and parents to reflect on how we can continue to make Brown and the world a better place.

    In addition to New Kid, students will be asked to read an additional book assigned by grade level.  For more information on the required summer reading click here.

    We wish you all a happy summer and happy reading!

    John Jordan, Principal

    Kim Lysaght, Assistant Principal

    Ruthe L’Esperance, Assistant Principal

    Beth Friedman, Assistant Principal for Student Services