At St. Andrew's, we ask a lot of our students when it comes to reading. So it only seems fair that the adults hold themselves to the same standard. Lucky for us, that isn't a lofty goal—we are a community of deep readers who love to share recommendations (and geek out together, too!).

Each summer, adults across campus—from the English department to the Health Center, from the Chapel to  Groundskeeping, from Communications to Modern Languages—contribute titles to a community reading list. The result is  part syllabus, part confession, part dare.

This year's list includes more than 60 titles spanning literary fiction, graphic novels, mystery, poetry, natural history, sports journalism, memoir, and more.

There's a nonfiction account of a woman who gathers the down of the eider duck on a mostly uninhabited island off the coast of Norway (this one is a personal favorite of Head of School Joy McGrath '92). There's a book about a snail scientist who lives in a mobile home. There's a historical account of the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. There's a book about the critical art of rethinking.

That range is the good stuff.

Reading at St. Andrew's isn't only about curriculum. It's about building a community of lifelong learners—students and adults—who bring fresh perspectives, new curiosities, and big questions to all of our shared spaces.

Students have received their required summer reading assignments, based on grade. Selections includes Kenneth Cadow's Gather (III Form), Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven (IV Form), The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson (V Form), and, for the IV Form, at least two texts from the Senior Exhibition list, which includes Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad, Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day, Virginia Woolf's To The Lighthouse, and more. Additionally, all III, IV, and V form students are required to read at least one book from the all-community list.

For those Saints who can't wait to get started—and for their family members looking for some good books, too—the 2026 all-community list is live! You'll find individual recommendations and grade-level guidance for each title. 

Happy reading!