Dear Editor,

This letter is to thank the Brookhaven Public School Districtfor implementing a summer reading program for our junior high andhigh school students. It’s about time! We as parents need toencourage our students to embrace this summer reading assignment.As our educators already know, this program is only going tosharpen their skills, challenge them to do better and prepare themfor college and what lies ahead in life.

My 11th-grader read “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck forAP Language. It was long and hard, but in the end she found it veryinteresting. She challenged me to read it again and I am. My8th-grader had to choose one book from a list of ten differenttitles. She chose two that sounded interesting and enjoyed themboth. Now granted, both of my daughters like to read, and they didall summer long. This assignment challenged them to read somethingmore meaningful and thought provoking, something they wouldn’tnecessarily have chosen themselves.

Our educators are trying to improve the school district and haveonly the best interests of the students at heart. I am thankful forthis. My daughters and I look forward to next summer’s readinglist!

Terri Moak,

Brookhaven