Happy New Year! 2026 is a year full of historic milestones for both New York City and the United States. On January 1, we celebrate the founding of “Greater” New York City—when all five boroughs merged into the City that we call home today. This year also marks the 400th anniversary of the agreement between the Lenape and Dutch settlers at Bowling Green. Often misremembered as the “sale” of Manhattan, this was instead more likely a negotiation to share the land. Beyond our City, the United States is also celebrating its 250th anniversary on July 4.
In celebration, we’re sharing some of our favorite books for students of all ages that take place in NYC and explore the rich history of our neighborhoods, landmarks, and communities. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Early Readers (3K–Grade 2)
- Feivel’s Flying Horses, by Heidi Smith Hyde; illustrated by Joanna van der Sterre
- Immigrant Architect, by Berta de Miguel and Kent Diebolt; illustrated by Virginia Lorente
- Lost in NYC: A Subway Adventure, by Nadja Spiegelman; illustrated by Sergio García Sánchez
- Sky Boys, by Deborah Hopkinson; illustrated by James E. Ransome
- Sugar Hill: Harlem’s Historic Neighborhood, by Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
Elementary (Grades 3–5)
- Alice Austen Lived Here, by Alex Gino
- All the Greys on Greene Street, by Laura Tucker
- The Doorman’s Repose, by Chris Raschka
- Four Streets and a Square, by Marc Aronson
- Magnolia Wu Unfolds it All, by Chanel Miller
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
- The Bridge, by Peter J. Romasi
- The Long Ride, by Marina Budhos
- Some Places More Than Others, by Renée Watson
- The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, by Karina Yan Glaser
- When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead
Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)
- 145th Street: Short Stories, by Walter Dean Myers
- Brownstone, by Samuel Teer; illustrated by Mar Julia
- Flamboyants, by George M. Johnson
- Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim, by Patricia Park
- Rats, by Robert Sullivan
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 New York State of Mind Collection on Sora!
Missed our previous book recommendations?
Check them out in the "What We're Reading" Archive!
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SCHOOLS
In this edition of the Spotlight, we're looking back on Kamar H. Samuels' first days as Chancellor of NYC Public Schools!
Following his appointment by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Chancellor Samuels officially began his new role on January 1, 2026, and immediately began reaching out to educators and district leaders to present his vision for City public schools. The new Chancellor also spent his first full week visiting classrooms, speaking directly with parents, and meeting some of the City's most promising scholars.
Welcome aboard, Chancellor Samuels!
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Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels, the newest Chancellor of NYC Public Schools, is a veteran educator with more than two decades of experience working on behalf of City students. Before starting off his career in education as an elementary school teacher in the Bronx, Chancellor Samuels worked in finance before ultimately deciding that education was his true calling. (Photo Credit: John Brown, NYCPS)
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Chancellor Samuels began his first day on the job by visiting PS/MS 194 in the Bronx, where he got his start in NYC schools as a sixth grade math teacher fresh out of the
NYC Teaching Fellow training program. (Photo Credit: John Brown, NYCPS)
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"As both the parent of two NYCPS students, as well as a lifelong educator who has served our system as a teacher, principal, and superintendent, I know firsthand that our schools are the heart of our communities. At their best, schools are places where our children are cherished, supported, and encouraged to grow...I also know that as a school system, we still have work to do to ensure that our schools live up to that promise for every child in every classroom.
I step into this role with humility, urgency, and a clear understanding of that responsibility, and I am deeply honored to serve as your Chancellor."
- Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels, "Partnering with You"
(Photo Credit: John Brown, NYCPS)
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In his first days as Chancellor, Kamar Samuels met with all 45 of the City's public school superintendents to outline his administration's priorities in the months ahead. During the meeting, he outlined his vision for what NYC schools should be: safe, academically rigorous, and truly integrated. (Photo Credit: John Brown, NYCPS)
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Chancellor Samuels stopped by the Mosaic Pre-K Center at the New York Hall of Science in Queens to see an example of the incredible work being done at early childhood programs across the five boroughs. (Photo Credit: John Brown, NYCPS)
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"I believe that every student—starting in early childhood and continuing through graduation—deserves a school that is academically rigorous, safe, and truly integrated. Families deserve this as well. They need to know that their children will be taught foundational skills—beginning with reading—and that they will be challenged academically, with high expectations, high-quality learning, and class sizes that allow educators to meet students' needs."
- Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels
(Photo Credit: John Brown, NYCPS)
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Chancellor Samuels also stopped by the Jerome Parker Campus in Staten Island, where he visited the Richard H. Hungerford School and met with students and staff members to see some of the most inspirational work taking place in our classrooms. (Photo Credit: John Brown, NYCPS)
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The new Chancellor received a very warm welcome from the College of Staten Island (CSI) High School for International Studies community when he stopped by the Jerome Parker Campus! (Photo Credit: John Brown, NYCPS)
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Chancellor Samuels' first week received an even bigger boost when Governor Kathy Hochul met with Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Chancellor and publicly announced her support for 2-Care, the Mayor's proposed new child care program for City two-year-olds. The governor also announced her commitment to providing universal 3-K access for City students, as well as universal Pre-K statewide. (Photo Credit: John Brown, NYCPS)
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Following a rousing early morning introduction at the Academy of Arts & Letters in Brooklyn, Chancellor Samuels hooked Mayor Mamdani up with one of our soon-to-be coveted PS Proud jackets! (Photo Credit: John Brown, NYCPS)
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