We invite you to share recommendations for books, movies, articles, or any other media source
that will help people increase their understanding of what it's like to be a person of another
culture, religion, sexual orientation, and so on.
We recognize that no one book or movie can speak for the experiences and sensibilities of an entire group
of people. Nonetheless, reading and viewing stories whether fictional or factual about other groups can be
very enlightening and helpful in increasing our empathy toward others.
Culture/Religion/Race
Book: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. A deservedly-popular novel that begins in pre-Taliban Afghanistan and continues through the Taliban regime.
Book: The Full Matilda by David Haynes. This novel follows an African-American family through several generations.
Book: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. A fascinating book about Hmong culture.
Book: Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder. The true story of Paul Farmer, a doctor who worked with the poorest of the world’s poor in Haiti.
Book: Samir and Yonaton by Daniella Carmi. This book for grades 4-8 or ages 10 and up is about a Palestinian boy and an Israeli boy who find common ground and a friendship while hospitalized.
Book: The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. This book touches upon the immigrant experience, the clash of cultures, the conflicts of assimilation, and most poignantly, the tangled ties between generations.
Book: Roads Less Traveled by Catherine Watson. This book of travel essays takes us into many worlds.
Book: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. This graphic novel is set in present day Iran.
Book: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. A teen boy on the Spokane Indian Reservation beset by health problems and poverty issues, decides to attend school off the reservation earning the enmity of his peers.
Book: Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kantner. This vivid novel is about a white boy raised among native Inupiak people on the harse Alaskan tundra.
Book: Audrey Hepburn's Neck by Alan Brown. A brilliant novel about a young Japanese boy who is infatuated with all things American, especially females. The novel follows the main character from one culture shock to another.
Gender/Sexual Orientation
Book: Child of my Right Hand by Eric Goodman. A novel about a gay teenage boy.
Book: You Just Don't Understand: Women and Men in Conversation by Deborah Tannen.
Book: Are There Closets in Heaven by Carol Curoe and Robert Curoe. This book tells about a lesbian’s experiences coming out to her religiously conservative family. It is co-authored by Carol’s 65-year-old, staunch Catholic father.
Age/Physical Differences/Disabilities
Book: Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin. An account by a university professor who has autism on what it is like to be an autistic person.
Book: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. A novel that takes the reader inside the mind of a fifteen-year-old autistic boy.
Book: Kids Parents and Power Struggles by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka. Conflict happens not only on large scale but also in our own homes and families. This book explains how parental empathy for children is the first crucial step in defusing and solving battles with children. Ms. Kurcinka helps parents understand what is going on inside the head (the thinking processes and the feelings) of children when power struggles erupt.
Book: Together for Tomorrow: Creating Community Through Intergenerational Dialogue by James Gambone.
Other
Book: Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQ by Daniel Goleman. This book says that empathy is one of the five key traits of emotionally intelligent people and explains why it is so important in human relations.
TV Series/DVD: 30 Days by Morgan Spurlock. People are made to live for 30 days in others' places. For example, an atheist lives with evangelical Christians, and an anti-immigration proponent lives with an illegal immigrant family.
To suggest additional resources, please Contact Us.
