It’s summer!!! In honor of the hot days ahead, we’ve put together a curated summer reading list to accompany your travels, downtime, or even those in-between moments. 13 titles for global educators navigating language, identity, and culture in the English language classroom. Because 10 just weren’t enough. 😉

Warning: These are not your typical beach reads.  If you’re looking for a lighthearted beach read, you’re in the wrong place. But if you’re into stories that explore migration, memory, and belonging, these books will offer new ways to view the world and to connect with multilingual learners across borders. And many of them will bring you to tears. Let’s get started.

1. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

The Covenant of Water traces a family’s history across several generations, mapping Kerala's unique aquatic landscapes, religious diversity, and caste hierarchies, like reading a family archive. Though the book's length can be intimidating (736 pages!), its themes of family and place over generations resonated deeply with her.

2. Solito by Javier Zamora

Zamora's memoir is a poignant account of a nine-year-old's journey from El Salvador to the U.S. The memoir shares a voice that is clear and vulnerable, highlighting the complexity of the immigrant experience. The memoir feels particularly relevant in the current contentious climate for immigrants globally, and reminds us that “no one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark,” in the words of Warsan Shire.

3. Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang

In her heartbreaking memoir, Wang reflects on her experience as an undocumented Chinese immigrant in New York. It showcases the challenges of growing up unseen and unheard and is a valuable reminder for English language teachers of the invisible resilience seen in many learners striving amidst adversity.

4. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See

In The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Lisa See plunges her readers into a people, a place, and a moment in time we rarely get a glimpse of in mainstream culture. The details of Akha culture and the changes it underwent through globalization reveal an oft-ignored part of Chinese history and ethnic groups outside of the Han majority. This book is a process of discovery and of acceptance of a beautiful way of seeing and interacting with the world, its challenges and faults, as well as its most admirable qualities. 

5. Braised Pork by An Yu

This novel feels like a dream and a meditation at the same time. Braised Pork begins with the sudden death of Jia Jia’s husband and unfolds into a surreal journey of self-discovery. Set in contemporary Beijing, the novel contrasts China’s modern exterior with an interior world of spiritual searching. It’s a subtle critique of modern disconnection, and a not-so-subtle critique of patriarchal oppression and emotional repression. 

6. Ghost Music by An Yu

In Ghost Music, An Yu follows a young pianist in Beijing whose life begins to unravel as she receives mysterious packages of mushrooms and cryptic recordings. Also set in modern China, this novel weaves together memory, music, and myth to question the price of obedience and the stories left unspoken between generations. Yu’s prose is minimalist but emotionally loaded. 

7. Airplane Mode by Shahnaz Habib

Airplane Mode: An Irreverent History of Travel is just that: a sharp critique of the colonial undertones to modern travel, examined through the eyes of a Muslim woman from India. It questions Western travel narratives and passport privileges, offering sharp, enlightening reflections. In it, Habib merges personal narrative with shrewd research, providing a chance to reflect on our relationship to travel, the privilege that comes with “discovering” new places, and disparities across passports and nationalities. 

8. The Penguin Book of Migration Literature

This anthology contains a treasure trove of migration stories that are educationally rich and diverse. With excerpts from writers all over the world, including memoirs and nonfiction, poetry and fictional pieces, the book is organized by migration patterns. With themes of departures, arrivals, generations, and returns, it's a perfect resource for teachers seeking relatable narratives for students.

9. Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

In Kaikeyi, author Vaishnavi Patel reimagines queen Kaikeyi’s story from the ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana. Known as Rama’s evil stepmother, Kaikeyi is traditionally allowed little forgiveness or understanding for her actions. But this reimagining of female roles contextualizes Kaikeyi’s actions from a wholly new perspective—her own—rather than the perspective afforded the almighty, unimpeachable god Rama. If you liked Circe by Madeleine Miller, you’ll definitely appreciate this novel, as well. It’s a great starting point to discuss gender roles, perspective taking, and reimagining popular cultural characters in the classroom. 

10. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak

In this novel by Elif Shafak, Leila, a sex worker, relives her life through memory in the moments after death. The story is intense, sad, but powerful—a brutally beautiful tale that tackles themes of cultural resistance and highlights the powerful role of place in identity formation. Shafak makes Istanbul a character itself—conflicted, layered, mournful. Teachers reading this might reflect on the power of place in shaping voice and belonging.

11. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Following two half-sisters across centuries and continents, Yaa Gyasi examines Ghanaian and African American histories through the lenses of trauma and inherited strength. The web of characters and connections in the novel can, for some readers, feel overwhelming, but it’s definitely worth working through to understand the complex layers of storytelling and identity. 

12. A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum

Set in Brooklyn and Palestine, A Woman is No Man addresses silence, shame, and the power of literacy for Palestinian-American women. It’s heartbreaking, but full of hope. And so relevant in the English language classroom, where books aren’t just texts—they’re mirrors, windows, and sometimes, lifelines.

13. Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat

Everything Inside offers a collection of short stories set in and beyond the Caribbean. English language teachers will appreciate the accessibility of Danticat’s short stories for classroom use, with diverse narratives that encourage student identification and reflection.

We hope this reading list inspires dialogue and introspection. As teachers, these books are not just texts but are mirrors and windows into diverse lives, fostering empathy and understanding. Reflect on how these stories might make us better educators and enrich our classrooms. Let us know your thoughts and consider joining in on the conversation. Happy reading, and happy reflecting!