The Langley Read engages faculty, students and their families in a communal intellectual experience. This year's Read can provide a launching point for discussion on social issues and a  conduit for service learning opportunities and greater civic engagement. It allows students to broaden their reading horizon to include works they might not have read otherwise. In the coming year, the Langley Read aims to explore themes encountered through past, current and future service learning projects. Through this community dialogue, we hope to expand readers' knowledge of the world beyond Langley and to incorporate empathy and service into the Langley experience. 

 

Students should choose one of the six books listed below, or select a comparable nonfiction book that addresses service to others. Please read the book over the summer and be prepared for school-wide activities, classroom discussion, and reflective writing. As you purchase your Langley Read, please access Amazon.com from the PTSA webpage to support LHS. Further info on the choices is also available on the website. All the books are available for  preview in the Langley library.

 

The Langley theme, "A Community of Readers, A Community of Service," complements the FCPS summer reading program that promotes building a "Community of Readers."  For more information on the FCPS program, which your younger children may be involved in, visit their webpage.

$2 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America

Kathryn J. Edin and H. Luke Schaefer (Sept 1, 2015)

A revelatory account of poverty in America so deep that we, as a country, don't think it exists. The authors discovered that the number of American families living on $2 per person, per day, has skyrocketed to 1.5 million American households, including about 3 million children. Where do these families live? How did they get so desperately poor? Through the book's many compelling profiles, moving and startling answers emerge. The authors illuminate a growing but hidden landscape of survival strategies among America's extreme poor. More than a powerful exposé,  $2 a Day delivers new evidence and new ideas to our national debate on income inequality. 

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

Matthew Desmond (Mar 1, 2016)

In this brilliant, heartbreaking book, Matthew Desmond takes us into the poorest neighborhoods of Milwaukee to tell the story of eight families on the edge. The fates of these families are in the hands of two landlords. They loathe some of their tenants and are fond of others, but as one puts it, "Love don't pay the bills." Even in the most desolate areas of American cities, evictions used to be rare. But today, most poor renting families are spending more than half of their income on housing, and eviction has become ordinary, especially for single mothers. Based on years of embedded fieldwork and painstakingly gathered data, this book transforms our understanding of extreme poverty and economic exploitation while providing fresh ideas for solving a devastating, uniquely American problem. Its unforgettable scenes of hope and loss remind us of the centrality of home, without which nothing else is possible.

A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity

Nicholas Kristof (Sept 23, 2014)

A galvanizing narrative about making a difference here and abroad -- a road map to becoming the most effective global citizens we can be. A Path Appears is a sweeping tap­estry of people who are making the world a better place and a guide to the ways that we can do the same -- whether with a donation of $5 or $5 mil­lion, with our time, by capitalizing on our skills as individuals, or by using the resources of our businesses. With scrupulous research and reporting, the authors assay the art and science of giving, identify successful local and global initia­tives, and share astonishing stories from the front lines of social progress, upending the idea that one person can't make a difference. A Path Appears offers practical, results-driven advice on how best each of us can give and reveals the lasting benefits we gain in return.

Blood and Earth: Modern Slavery, Ecocide, and the Secret to Saving the World

Kevin Bales (Jan 19, 2016)

A leading expert on modern-day slavery, Kevin Bales has traveled to some of the world's most dangerous places documenting and battling human trafficking. In the course of his reporting, Bales began to notice a pattern emerging: Where slavery existed, so did massive, unchecked environmental destruction. Why were these global crises entwined? Bales set off to find the answer in a fascinating and moving journey that took him into the lives of modern-day slaves and along a supply chain leading directly to the cellphones in our pockets. He discovered that even as it destroys individuals, families and communities, new forms of slavery proliferating in the world's lawless zones also pose a grave threat to the environment. Modern-day slavery is destroying the planet. This is a clear-eyed and inspiring book that suggests how we can begin the work of healing humanity and the planet we share.

Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World

Tracy Kidder (Sept 9, 2003)

This inspiring new book shows how one person can make a difference. Doctor, Harvard professor, renowned infectious-disease specialist, anthropologist, the recipient of a MacArthur "genius" grant and world-class Robin Hood, Farmer was brought up in a bus and on a boat, and in medical school found his life's calling: to diagnose and cure infectious diseases and to bring the lifesaving tools of modern medicine to those who need them most. Mountains Beyond Mountains takes us from Harvard to Haiti, Peru, Cuba and Russia as Farmer changes minds and practices through his dedication to the philosophy that "the only real nation is humanity." 

Note: A Young People's Edition is available for this book.

Hidden Girl: The True Story of a Modern-Day Child Slave

Shyima Hall (Jan 21, 2014)

Are you interested in highlighting your business in the 2016-17 Student Directory? It's a great way to reach the entire Langley community and surrounding areas including McLean, Great Falls, Vienna, Reston and Herndon. Packed with valuable material like student contact information, important school dates, school information and much more, the directory is an i ndispensable resource, consulted regularly by Langley families, faculty, and staff.

The school directory also serves as an important fundraiser for LHS. There's truly no better way to promote your business and support the school at the same time.