10 Cultural Diversity Books for Middle School

A while ago I shared with you a list of 25 Books Every Boy Should Read and one of you asked about books that help to teach cultural diversity. While it would be impossible for me to gather an exhaustive list that would include all cultures around the globe I did choose 10 that I think would be good readers for middle school children. This list isn’t geared specifically for boys.

I tried to list a variety of cultures to show that in America we live in a melting pot of cultures. Which makes the American culture quite eclectic. Yet, when we can each work as a single community supporting our nation, our government, and each other our eclectic diverse culture can act as world leaders. 

With all the fighting and dissatisfaction seen on the news these days it’s little wonder that our country seems so divided. Perhaps what is needed is to teach our children how to live in a diverse culture. For me, that begins with teaching biblical principles of love. Paul tells us, in Galatians 6:2, to love one another and so fulfill the law of Christ. For our family, that is how we seek to live and in so doing, we hope to bring a bit of peace to the world. 

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My List of Cultural Diversity Books

1. A Long Walk to Water (African – Sudanese) by Linda Sue Park
2. Breaking Stalin’s Nose (Russian) by Eugene Yelchin
3. Number the Stars (Jewish) by Lois Lowry
4. The Diary of Anne Frank (Jewish) by Anne Frank
5. The Inn Keeper’s Apprentice (Japanese) by Allen Say
6. The Samurai’s Tale (Japanese) by Erik C. Haugaard
7. What the Moon Saw (Hispanic) by Laura Resau
8. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (Chinese) by Grace Lin
9. Mystery of the Thief in the Night (Mexican) by Janelle Diller
10. Ashes for Roses (Irish/American) by Mary Jane Auch

Also I’m sharing 4 book ideas for helping students to learn about the Native American culture.

▬ Children of the Longhouse by Joseph Bruchac

▬ The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

▬ Arrow over the Door by Joseph Bruchac

▬ Children of the Wind and Water: Five Stories About Native American Children by Stephen Krensky

This certainly is not an exhaustive list of culturally diverse books. In fact, given the number of cultures around the globe it’s difficult to narrow down to just 10. While there are many cultures not represented in this list take a look at the additional listings in the widget below. 

More Cultural Diversity Resources

Teach even more about cultural diversity with these resource lists from some of my blogging friends.

▬ 30 Movies on Netflix about the African-American Experience by Raki at Outside the Box Mom

▬ Homeschool Field Trip – Museums Help Teach Diversity by Heidi at Starts at Eight

▬ Bowls of Happiness: Exploring Chinese Culture through Books by Eva Varga

▬ Vietnamese Children’s Favorite Stories by Sara at Classically Homeschooling

▬ References To Introduce People From Around The World by Adelien at Blessed Learners

What are your favorite books for teaching cultural diversity? Share your finds in the comments.

 

 

 

This post is part of the iHN Massive Guide to Homeschool Reading Lists.

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