The BHS English Department kicked off their second annual Summer Reading March Madness bracket on Monday, March 9. Last year was the first year that the Summer Reading books were determined using this bracket, with the top four books being Unbroken, The Last Lecture, One Child, and American Gods. According to Mrs. Snyder, “We [the English teachers] were impressed by the students’ selections last year. This activity allows for some student autonomy in what they get to read over the summer.” All 32 books available for voting are posted in the glass hallway and voting for the first round is now open, lasting until Thursday, March 12.

Unlike last year’s designated website for voting, the department has created a Google Form that is posted on their Google Classroom and/or SchoolFusion pages. There are also QR codes in the glass hallway and in their rooms so students can scan the code with their smartphones to be immediately directed to the voting site. Students are encouraged to vote online and pick their favorite book.

Last year, many students were happy with the bracket because they had more of an effect by selecting books they wanted to read. Students are also encouraged to consider reading all of the books on the bracket. Junior Caroline King said, “I thought the summer reading [bracket] was a good idea because students could actually have a choice in what they could read.”

The English Department hopes to capture the same enthusiasm in this year’s Summer Reading March Madness. The first round of voting is open now until March 12, the “Sweet Sixteen” voting is between March 13 and March 17, the “Elite Eight” will be between March 18 and March 20, and the “Final Four” will be posted shortly afterward. If you haven’t voted yet, visit: http://goo.gl/forms/rXOFiDYJxU.