The Langley read encourages summer reading, but students are already assigned several books to read, and most would read on their own. It promotes school unity, but it’s hard to tell if the school population genuinely bonded over the school wide read. “Unbroken” was a moving, inspiring story, but students should have a more tangible reason to spend their vacation time reading it then to help them connect with their peers. The Langley Read should have been further integrated into class curriculums, with assessments to compensate students for the time they spent.

“Unbroken” was not a struggle to get through for the most part, but it was a significant time investment. This was time that took away from other assigned reading, college apps, and simply enjoying the vacation. It’s not that it shouldn’t have been assigned; it’s that there should have been a real purpose for it. Rather than having it be something that students read, came up in conversations a few times, and then faded into the background, there should have been a much higher emphasis on it during those first few weeks of school. Discussions, basic reading quizzes, anything that would have made students feel that their time spent was worthwhile. Many classes did this, but many did not. It was an enjoyable, engaging book, but there are lots of engaging books in existence. Students could have read any one of them. If they’re going to be assigned a specific one, there should be a clear end result.

In a practical sense, it wouldn’t have been a bad way to start the school year. A quick assessment to ensure that you read and understood the story and your first grade of the year would be an easy A. It would have been a motivating way to get students started on the right foot, and would have provided a smooth transition between summer and the school year as well. It would have even heightened that sense of school unity: some sort of assessment would have encouraged more conversation among students about the assignment.

This editorial is not an attempt to undermine the value of the book Laura Hillenbrand work. It’s not an effort to take away from the intrinsic worth in simply reading. It’s just a suggestion to reward students for another completed assignment.