Book Recommendations for Teachers: Why Teachers Should Prioritize Summer Reading
- Michelle McDonald
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Summer reading is an opportunity for teachers to recharge mentally while also exploring new perspectives, emotional stories, and real-world issues. Over the past five years, I've shared a summer reading list on my website.
For me personally, I love books that combine compelling storytelling with themes of resilience, empathy, leadership, social awareness, and human connection. This year's summer reading list includes historical fiction, memoir, investigative nonfiction, and emotionally driven contemporary novels. Each recommendation below includes a brief overview of the book.
A Marriage At Sea by Sophie Elmhirst
A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst tells the real story of Maurice and Maralyn Bailey, a British couple who set sail from England in 1972 only to be shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean. The couple survived 118 days at sea. This book reads like an adventure novel while remaining grounded in real historical events. This book focuses not only on survival but also on the emotional dynamics of marriage, fear, decision-making, and hope. As someone who grew up around boats and the waters of the Pacific Ocean, this one captivated me within the first few pages.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
If you value character-driven stories with emotional depth, humor, and themes of empathy, then you will especially appreciate the novel, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. The story follows a socially isolated woman learning how to reconnect with others and confront past trauma. The novel thoughtfully explores mental health, human connection, and the long-lasting effects of trauma while balancing serious themes with warmth and humor. I don't know why I waited so long to read this book!
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
Before We Were Yours is a historical fiction novel inspired by the real-life Tennessee Children’s Home Society scandal, where children were kidnapped and sold to wealthy families. The book explores family separation, identity, and resilience through dual timelines of the past and present. If you are interested in historical injustice, lesser-known chapters of American history, and emotional storytelling, you will find this novel both educational and deeply moving.
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in A Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo
Behind the Beautiful Forevers is an investigative nonfiction book that won the National Book Award in 2012 and the Pulitzer Prize in 2013. And just wow! This was an eye-opening book. The author spent years of immersive reporting in Annawadi, a settlement located near Mumbai's international airport. This book doesn't just present statistics, but rather it examines poverty, inequality, and personal stories of survival. The book follows several families over multiple years and reveals how systemic corruption affects everyday life. If you are interested in global issues or want to better understand structural inequality, you will find this book especially powerful.
Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams
Careless People is a memoir that recounts the author's experiences working within high-level leadership at Facebook. The book is an eye-opening firsthand look at the decision-making and corporate priorities that have shaped public policy under Mark Zuckerberg's leadership. The memoir also examines workplace culture, crisis management, and the disconnect that can occur between corporate image and internal reality. This book is timely and relevant, especially as conversations about social media and digital responsibility continue to grow. Definitely one to read!
I hope these five books, which are outside of the typical professional development genre, help you recharge and reconnect with curiosity and imagination this summer.
You can check out the books from my previous summer reading recommendation lists here:
This post contains Amazon Affiliate links to make it easier for you to find the books shared in this post. Just click on an image or link to be redirected to Amazon.
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