It’s been a hot day today. Oakland always feels especially hot because no one has air conditioning. It’s 8:30pm, and I am sitting on my deck overlooking East Oakland, trying to cool off.  All the neighbors’ windows are open; I hear a neighbor calling his kids to bed. My other neighbors are listening to Old Town Road, this summer’s track. Firecrackers are going off. Motorcycles revving their engines in the flats of Oakland somewhere.  Airplanes are taking off, flying into the coral and orange sherbet streaked sky.

Summer is already here for my kids, and I have one more week of school left. I am transitioning out of my position as Assistant Principal of Instruction in two weeks, with hopes of doing more of this- sitting, thinking, writing, hopefully some part time work (I live in the Bay Area after all, where the cost of living is sky high).

So this summer, we’re going to read. I want to read through this list of YA and Children’s Books Set in the Bay Area. Join me, and cajole your kids or students into joining too. This list isn’t exhaustive of all Bay Area kids books set in the Bay Area, although there are hundreds of great titles to chose from here. I’ll post my thoughts on the books here. Let me know if you have any suggestions, or if you have read any of the books.

The nightingales (and the sirens) are saying goodnight, until tomorrow (but more realistically next week).