Bookshelf

Alumni and faculty members who would like to have their books considered for this listing should contact Stacey Himmelberger, editor of Hamilton magazine. This list, which dates back to 2018, is updated periodically with books appearing alphabetically on the date of entry.

Wise Freedom: Giving Students the Tools to Thrive in Middle School and Beyond by Zak Cohen ’09

November 11, 2026

Tags Alumni Book

(Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2026).

This book explores how schools can take the middle-school years more seriously and help young adolescents become more curious, capable, responsible, and independent. As the publisher notes, “Wise Freedom names the philosophy at the heart of great middle-school teaching: the belief that autonomy and accountability aren’t opposite ends of a spectrum but two symbiotic parts of a whole. To that end, it’s critical to embed choice within structure and pair high expectations with high support, and this book offers teachers and principals a constructive path forward.”