4 Book Recommendations for Teachers to Read During Summer Break

I love reading and sharing books with others. My husband gets to hear alllllll about the current book I'm reading. He loves to tell me that he "gets the SparkNotes version." However, I discovered that he loves audiobooks, so that's how we spend some of our car time on road trips. We also love sitting by the fire and listening to audiobooks when we're out camping.

Last year, I compiled a list of books to read during the summer of 2021, and I decided to make an updated list for summer break.

Here's the thing: as teachers, we are often generalists. This means that learning on the job is part of the job. And summer break is a great time to dive deep and learn. So here are my book recommendations for this year's summer break!

1. How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

I have read this book twice now, and each time I pick up something new. The author, Clint Smith, takes you to several different locations around the U.S. and abroad to unpack how history is remembered or misremembered. This book is a must-read. If you teach U.S. History, there are some great sections to consider reading with your students.

2. Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant

I love how the author pulls together the power of learning, unlearning, and relearning. This book is a quick read and has some great takeaways that could easily be translated to the classroom for establishing a space that is all about being courageous with discomfort. One thing that stood out to me is that when we learn that we are wrong about something, the good news is that now we are less wrong than we were before.

3. Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival and Hope in an American City by Andrea Elliot

Teachers, this is a really powerful read about children facing poverty in America. The author, Andrea Elliot, is a New York Times reporter who follows the life of Dasani and her family for 8 years. This book tells Dasani's story while unpacking the layers of poverty, homelessness, education inequality, racism, addiction, and family systems. Reading this book brought me on a roller coaster of emotions. As educators, we may not always know what is going on behind the scenes, and many times we may misunderstand the complexities of situations our students face. The author does a great job of unpacking and shedding light on those many misunderstood layers.

4. Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown

Brené Brown does it again! If you loved Dare to Lead or Braving the Wilderness, you will love her latest book. This book gets to the heart of human emotions and experiences. She touches on 87 emotions and experiences throughout the book. When we can name our feelings and experiences, it gives us the power of meaning, choice, and understanding. This book would be a great one to keep on the shelf as a reference since you can easily jump to different sections. And if you'd rather watch, HBO has a new 5-part series by Brené Brown.

What books are you planning to read this summer? Are there some I should add to my book list? Comment below and let me know.

This post contains affiliate links to make it easier for you to find the books shared in this post.