Cultural Diversity & Inclusivity titles for Secondary Education

By Tina Parmar | May 21 2026 | Secondary Education

World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, celebrated annually on May 21, was established by the United Nations. It promotes understanding, respect, and cooperation among cultures around the world. The day recognizes that cultural diversity strengthens communities, encourages dialogue, and supports peace.

This curated title list celebrates stories, voices, and experiences from diverse cultures and perspectives. These books encourage middle and high school students to explore global communities with empathy and curiosity.

Please see here for more titles on global cultures & inclusivity.

First Love Language
First Love Language
Stefany Valentine
9798217142927
A swoon-worthy romantic dramedy about finding love and reconnecting with your culture in the most surprising ways—now in paperback.
$12.99 US
Jan 13, 2026
Paperback
304 Pages
Penguin Workshop
World
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Everything We Never Had
Everything We Never Had
Randy Ribay
9780593461426
From the author of the National Book Award finalist Patron Saints of Nothing comes an emotionally charged, moving novel about four generations of Filipino American boys grappling with identity, masculinity, and their fraught father-son relationships. Winner of the APALA medal, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Fiction Award, and longlisted for the National Book Award. Now in paperback!
$12.99 US
Aug 26, 2025
Paperback
288 Pages
Kokila
US, Canada, Open Mkt
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What's Eating Jackie Oh?
What's Eating Jackie Oh?
Patricia Park
9780593563441
A Korean American teen tries to balance her dream to become a chef with the cultural expectations of her family when she enters the competitive world of a TV cooking show. A hilarious and heartfelt YA novel from the award-winning author of Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim and Re Jane."Park’s novel delivers authentic characters who will make you laugh…and cry. Not to be missed!" -Ellen Oh, author of The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee
$12.99 US
Mar 18, 2025
Paperback
336 Pages
Ember
US, Canada, Open Mkt
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Viva Lola Espinoza
Viva Lola Espinoza
Ella Cerón
9780593405642
A debut young adult novel about a booksmart teen who spends the summer in Mexico City, meets two very cute boys, attempts to learn Spanish, and uncovers a family secret that changes her life forever.
$12.99 US
May 21, 2024
Paperback
400 Pages
Kokila
US, Canada, Open Mkt
View on Edelweiss
The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan
The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan
Salma Hussain
9780735271517
Mona learns to find her voice over the course of a year that sees her immigrating from Dubai to Canada in this novel for fans of Front Desk by Kelly Yang. Now in paperback!
$8.99 US
May 02, 2023
Paperback
296 Pages
Tundra Books
US, Canada, Open Mkt
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Crying in H Mart
Crying in H Mart
Michelle Zauner
9781984898951
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • From the indie rock sensation known as Japanese Breakfast, an unforgettable memoir about family, food, grief, love, and growing up Korean American. •  "In losing her mother and cooking to bring her back to life, Zauner became herself.” —NPR
$17.00 US
Mar 28, 2023
Paperback
256 Pages
Vintage
US, Canada, Open Mkt
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Soul Lanterns
Soul Lanterns
Shaw Kuzki
9780593174371
The haunting and poignant story of a how a young Japanese girl's understanding of the historic and tragic bombing of Hiroshima is transformed by a memorial lantern-floating ceremony.
$8.99 US
Mar 15, 2022
Paperback
176 Pages
Yearling
World
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Finding My Voice
Finding My Voice
Marie Myung-Ok Lee
9781641292900
The groundbreaking Own Voices YA classic from Korean-American author Marie Myung-Ok Lee, reissued with a new foreword from Wicked Fox author Kat Cho.
$10.99 US
Nov 02, 2021
Paperback
192 Pages
Soho Teen
World
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Hope Is Our Only Wing
Hope Is Our Only Wing
Rutendo Tavengerwei
9781641291361
Set in Zimbabwe, Rutendo Tavengerwei's unforgettable novel offers a beautiful and honest look at adolescence, friendship, and the capacity for courage.
$10.99 US
Jul 20, 2021
Paperback
216 Pages
Soho Teen
US, Canada, Open Mkt
View on Edelweiss
Fifty Words for Rain: A GMA Book Club Pick
Fifty Words for Rain: A GMA Book Club Pick
Asha Lemmie
9781524746384
Now in paperback: A Good Morning America book club pick and New York Times bestseller, Asha Lemmie's debut is a sweeping, heartrending coming-of-age novel about a young woman's quest for acceptance in post-World War II Japan.
$19.00 US
Jun 08, 2021
Paperback
464 Pages
Dutton
US, Canada, Open Mkt
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The Downstairs Girl: Reese's YA Book Club
The Downstairs Girl: Reese's YA Book Club
Stacey Lee
9781524740979
From the critically-acclaimed author of Under a Painted Sky and Outrun the Moon and founding member of We Need Diverse Books comes a powerful novel about identity, betrayal, and the meaning of family. Now available in paperback!
$13.99 US
Mar 02, 2021
Paperback
400 Pages
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
US, Canada, Open Mkt
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Between the World and Me
Between the World and Me
Ta-Nehisi Coates
9780525510307

Between the World and Me is Ta-Nehisi Coates’s attempt to answer these questions in a letter to his adolescent son. Coates shares with his son—and readers—the story of his awakening to the truth about his place in the world through a series of revelatory experiences, from Howard University to Civil War battlefields, from the South Side of Chicago to Paris, from his childhood home to the living rooms of mothers whose children’s lives were taken as American plunder. Beautifully woven from personal narrative, reimagined history, and fresh, emotionally charged reportage, Between the World and Me clearly illuminates the past, bracingly confronts our present, and offers a transcendent vision for a way forward.

$13.00 US
Sep 05, 2017
Paperback
176 Pages
One World
US, Canada, Open Mkt
Export Edition
View on Edelweiss
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