Summer Reading 2026

One Book, One School, Community Read: Solito by Javier Zamora

What is a Community Read?

• A community-wide ‘One Book One School’ read is a shared reading experience where all members of a community read the same title. They then have discussions and take part in a variety of activities that are connected to the book.

What are the benefits?

• Builds community across ages, interests, and backgrounds

• Generates excitement about books & nurtures a culture of literacy

• Inspires & encourages readers of all abilities

• Provides opportunities for meaningful conversations about ideas, social issues, and/or historical legacies

What is the book about?

• Javier Zamora’s memoir recounts the 3,000-mile journey from his small town in El Salvador, through Guatemala and Mexico, and across the U.S. border. He left behind his beloved aunt and grandparents to reunite with a mother who left four years prior and a father he barely remembers. Traveling alone amid a group of strangers and a “coyote” hired to lead them to safety, Javier expects his trip to last two short weeks. At nine years old, all Javier can imagine is rushing into his parents’ arms, snuggling in bed between them, and living under the same roof again. He cannot foresee the perilous boat trips, relentless desert treks, pointed guns, arrests and deceptions that await him; nor can he know that those two weeks will expand into two life-altering months alongside fellow migrants who will come to encircle him like an unexpected family.

 Quick Facts:

•  A memoir is a creative non-fiction book focusing on a specific, personal period, theme, or series of events in the author's life, rather than their entire life story. Derived from the French word for memory, these books use narrative storytelling, scenes, and deep emotional reflection to convey a subjective, true story.

• Javier Zamora was born in La Herradura, El Salvador in 1990. When he was a year old, his father fled El Salvador due to the US-funded Salvadoran Civil War (1980-1992). His mother followed her husband’s footsteps in 1995 when Javier was about to turn five. Zamora was left at the care of his grandparents who helped raise him until he migrated to the US when he was nine.

• Solito is Javier’s story, but it’s also the story of millions of others who had no choice but to leave home.

Where to get the book?

• Option 1: Borrow - There will be a limited number of copies available to students at Nyack Middle School & Nyack High School. Copies are also available at our local public libraries (Nyack and Valley Cottage).

• Option 2: Purchase - The book is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at local bookstores. Big Red Books in Nyack will have copies for sale and offer a 15% discount when students show their school ID or school schedule. Pickwick Books in Nyack will also have copies and offer a 10% discount. Nyack Staff can also receive a discount.

• Option 3: Digital - Nyack Students & staff can access limited eBook & audiobook copies on the SoraOpens in a new browser tab app. The audiobook is available on SpotifyOpens in a new browser tab [Premium] and a few other streaming services.

SUMMER READING REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL ENGLISH CLASSES, INCLUDING SENIOR ELECTIVES (except AP's):

1. Read Solito: a memoir by Javier Zamora

2. Read a second book (any book) of your choice

REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS IN AP AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES:

1.  Opens in a new browser tabRead Solito: a memoir by Javier Zamora

2.  Opens in a new browser tabRead Shallow Waters by Anita Kopacz

REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS IN AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION:

1. Read Solito: a memoir by Javier Zamora

2. Read The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt

REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS IN AP ENGLISH LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION:

1. Read Solito: a memoir by Javier Zamora 

2. Read Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

EARN EXTRA CREDIT IN SEPTEMBER

Register AND participate in the Summer Reading Program at the Nyack Public Library or the Valley Cottage Public Library to earn extra-credit and win great prizes!

• INFORMATION: 

  • Valley Cottage Public Library Summer Reading ProgramOpens in a new browser tab

  • Nyack Public Library Summer Reading ProgramOpens in a new browser tab

• REGISTRATION: To register for the teen Summer Reading programs at the Nyack and Valley Cottage Libraries, please click this link: REGISTRATIONOpens in a new browser tab

Need Book Suggestions? Have Questions? Ask the librarians:

• Morgan Strand - Nyack Public Library - mstrand@nyacklibrary.orgOpens in a new browser tab 

• Katrina Hohfeld - Valley Cottage Library - khohlfeld@rcls.org