Worcester Public Schools students entering grades 7, 8, 9, and 10 for the 2025–26 school year will again have free access to digital versions of their summer reading books, thanks to a partnership with the Worcester Public Library.
Through the Sora app on Clever, middle and high school students will receive free 90-day access to digital copies of their assigned summer reading—at no cost to WPS students or families.
This marks the second year of the summer reading partnership with Worcester Public Library. In previous years, students in these grades selected books from a list of titles. Now, thanks to this initiative, all students read the same texts, allowing for more cohesive instruction and deeper learning opportunities when school resumes in the fall.
“By eliminating cost and availability barriers, this initiative provides every middle and high school student with the opportunity to engage with high-quality reading materials over the summer,” said incoming WPS Superintendent Brian Allen. “We are proud to continue this work and are appreciative of our partners at Worcester Public Library for their support.”
"We are fortunate to be able to continue this important partnership with the Worcester Public Schools, ensuring all students have equitable access to summer reading materials," said Jason Homer, Executive Director of the Worcester Public Library. "This initiative removes barriers and empowers students to delve into engaging stories, fostering a love of reading that extends far beyond the classroom. We're proud to support their academic journey and encourage a lifetime of learning through their public library."
In addition to digital access, Worcester Public Library has stocked hundreds of physical copies of this summer’s required reading. These are available in regular print, large print, and Spanish editions at all seven library locations in Worcester.
Library staff in the Teen Services department have also distributed books directly to students during school visits in the final days of the academic year.
Worcester Public Library has also provided WPS students access to their collection of eBooks right in SORA by simply linking to the Public Library. Once connected, students of all grade levels will have free access to thousands of popular books right in the same app.
"Nothing is more important than bringing reading directly to our community, especially to our students who are just starting to explore the worlds that they can be given through stories. We have been so lucky and honored to have been given special funding over the last few years to support the WPL and WPS partnership in these new and exciting ways,” said Angela Bennett, Deputy Director of Youth Services at WPL.
For more summer reading resources and information, please visit the WPS Summer Reading webpage.