To celebrate Disability Pride Month, we're highlighting a story from our Hidden Voices series about Judith Heumann, an advocate who earned the nickname “the Mother of the Disability Rights Movement” for her important role in the fight for equal access for people with disabilities.
Learn more about Judith Heumann on Hidden Voices
New York City is preparing for the World Cup finals this week! Whether you call it soccer or football, we’re celebrating the championship match between Spain and Argentina with some of our favorite books about the "beautiful game,” the players, and the international spirit of the tournament. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Early Readers (3-K–Grade 2)
- The Banana-Leaf Ball, by Katie Smith Milway; illustrated by Shane W. Evans
- Dino-Soccer, by Lisa Wheeler; illustrated by Barry Gott
- Madani’s Best Game, by Fran Pintadera; illustrated by Raquel Catalina
- The Soccer Fence, by Phil Bildner; illustrated by Jesse Joshua Johnson
- Soccer Star, by Mina Javaherbin; illustrated by Renato Alarcão
Elementary (Grades 3–5)
- Almost Sunset, by Wahab Algarmi
- The Floating Field, by Scott Riley; illustrated by Nguyen Quang and Kim Lien
- Merci Suárez Plays It Cool, by Meg Medina
- Soccer Superstar, by Jake Maddox
- The World Cup, by Matt Scheff
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
- Arcady’s Goal, by Eugene Yelchin
- Booked, by Kwame Alexander
- The Breakaways, by Cathy G. Johnson
- Key Player, by Kelly Yang
- One Life (Young Readers Edition), by Megan Rapinoe
Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)
- Furia, by Yamile Saied Méndez
- A Greater Goal, by Elizabeth Rusch
- Keeper, by Mal Peet
- Outcasts United, by Warren St. John
- You Don’t Have a Shot, by Raquel Marie
You can find these books and many more great reads on Sora, our Citywide Digital Library, which provides free access to thousands of digital e-books and audiobooks for our students. You can also find even more recommendations in the "Celebrate the World Cup" Collection on Sora!
Missed our previous book recommendations?
Check them out in the "What We're Reading" Archive!
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SCHOOLS
This past June was one for the history books for New Yorkers—not only did our City commemorate a long-awaited championship and host the start of the biggest sporting event in the world, but we also marked the end of the 2025–26 school year!
From graduation ceremonies and award celebrations, to final project presentations and end-of-year exams, City public schools were buzzing with activity and excitement all month long! Check out some of the snapshots we took over the past month, and join us in thanking all of the incredible educators, school leaders, volunteers, and students who made the past year truly special for NYC Public Schools!
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Every year, the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) recognizes exceptional student-athletes with its Wingate Awards, which are given to the most outstanding high school seniors in every PSAL sport who demonstrate athletic excellence, leadership, dedication, and sportsmanship. Congratulations to this year's winners! (Photo Credit:
NYCPSAL via Flickr)
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June's Bronx STEAM Center Student Showcase highlighted some of the incredible hands-on work and research that juniors and seniors from 10 Bronx high schools completed over the past school year. From hands-on tech demonstrations to brilliant digital designs, these students showed firsthand they are ready to hit the ground running with the skills, experiences, and guidance needed to thrive in high-demand careers. (Photo Credit: John Brown, NYCPS)
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Thousands of City students celebrated the end of their high school journeys last month—we are incredibly proud of all of our graduating seniors from the Class of 2026. (Photo Credit: John Brown, NYCPS)
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Chancellor Samuels stopped by Martin Van Buren High School's graduation ceremony last month and delivered remarks for the hundreds of students, families, and staff members in attendance. (Photo Credit: John Brown, NYCPS)
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June also saw the launch of our very first-ever 2-K admissions process, and trucks like these were spotted throughout the City looking to get the word out! 2-K, the City's free early care and education program for two-year-olds, is launching in fall 2026 in select neighborhoods, and will expand citywide in future years. (Photo Credit: John Brown, NYCPS)
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It seemed like everyone in our schools was wearing orange and blue last month—and who could blame them? We're CHAMPIONS! (Photo Credit: John Brown, NYCPS)
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June also saw the start of the 2026 World Cup, and many school communities celebrated "the world's game" with fun events for students and teachers alike. (Photo Credit:
NYCPSAL via Flickr)
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Thousands of City students, including these outstanding scholars from the Cobble Hill School of American Studies, earned their high school diplomas last month—and we are incredibly proud of each and every one of them! (Photo Credit: John Brown, NYCPS)
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PSAL held an end-of-year celebration at Tweed Courthouse last month in honor of its Student Ambassadors. This program empowers City student-athletes representing 37 PSAL sports to act as advocates on behalf of their peers. Each ambassador is committed to service, responsibility, collaboration, and making an impact both on and off the field. On behalf of NYCPS, we thank all of this year's Student Ambassadors for their service! (Photo Credit:
NYCPSAL via Flickr)
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"I'm in love with my future; can't wait to meet her"—and neither can we! On behalf of NYC Public Schools, we wish all of our students, including our most recent graduates, an amazing summer! (Photo Credit: John Brown, NYCPS)
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