Reading Stories from Around the World

Broaden your reading with books set in different places and written by authors from many cultures.

Books are one of the best ways to experience lives, places, and traditions different from your own. Reading widely builds empathy, gives you new perspectives on familiar problems, and often introduces fascinating details about food, festivals, landscapes, and languages. You might read a story set in a mountain village, a coastal fishing town, or a crowded city on another continent, or folktales retold from many traditions.

When you read about an unfamiliar culture, stay curious rather than judging, and notice how characters face problems everyone shares, such as friendship, family expectations, or growing up. Also notice who wrote the book. Authors writing about their own cultures often include details outsiders might miss. Example: a novel about a girl helping her family run a market stall teaches you about bargaining customs, and also about the universal feeling of wanting to prove yourself.

Try setting a goal to read books set in three different regions this year, and mark them on a map in your journal.

• 1Reading widely builds empathy and new perspectives
• 2Stay curious and notice shared human experiences
• 3Notice who wrote the book and their connection to the culture