Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos. Fourteen-year-old Nadira, her sister, and their parents left Bangladesh for New York City several years earlier, but the expiration of their visas and the events of September 11, 2001, bring frustration, sorrow, and terror for the whole family.

Estrella’s Quinceanera by Malin Alegria. Estrella's mother and aunt are planning a gaudy, traditional quinceañera for her, even though it is the last thing she wants.

Anahita’s Woven Riddle by Meghan Nuttal Sayres. In Iran , more than 100 years ago, a young girl with three suitors gets permission from her father and a holy man to weave into her wedding rug a riddle to be solved by her future husband, which will ensure that he has wit to match hers.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Esperanza Cordero, a girl coming of age in the Hispanic quarter of Chicago , uses poems and stories to express thoughts and emotions about her oppressive environment.

In the Name of God by Paula Jolin. Seventeen-year old Nadia has mixed feelings about the West. But when her cousin is arrested by Syrian authorities, she is drawn into the darker side of Fundamentalist Islam and begins thinking about the ultimate sacrifice.

Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood by Benjamin Alire-Saenz. It’s 1969 and Sammy and Juliana are seniors. Will this be the year they escape the racism and poverty of their New Mexico barrio town, or will hardship and loss crush their dreams first?

Mexican White Boy by Matt de la Pena. Convinced that his whiteness ostracizes him from his classmates and drove his father away to Mexico, Danny decides to visit his dad and learn more about the Mexican side of his identity.

The Beast by Walter Dean Myers. A visit to his Harlem neighborhood and the discovery that the girl he loves is using drugs give sixteen-year-old Anthony Witherspoon a new perspective both on his home and on his life at a Connecticut prep school.

Red Glass by Laura Resau. Sixteen-year-old Sophie has been frail and delicate since her premature birth, but discovers her true strength during a journey through Mexico , where the six-year-old orphan her family hopes to adopt was born, and to Guatemala , where her would-be boyfriend hopes to find his mother and plans to remain.

A Long Walk to Water, by Linda Sue Park.

A moving story intersecting the lives of two Sudanese children living during different times. One tells the tale of Nya who must walk a total of eight hours everyday to fetch water for her village, and the second is of a boy named Salva, who becomes one of Sudan ’s, “lost boys.” Salva is continuously searching for his family, for safety, and an end to his loneliness.

The Book of Trees, by Leanne Lieberman.

Mia grew up in a secular home. While attending high school she felt a growing urge to fill her life with religion. Once she graduates she takes a trip with an Orthodox Jewish family to Jerusalem to study at a yeshiva. While in Israel she witnesses the tragedy of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict first hand and struggles with her new identity.

Fishtailing, by Wendy Phillips.

Fishtailing, is a unique novel written in a free verse form by four individual teens, ranging from the typical to political refugee, the stories and backgrounds of teens are well represented. This is the perfect choice for poetry lovers.

The Latte Rebellion, by Jamila Stevenson.

After two girls are subject to racial slurs, the girls use the experience to embark on a t-shirt selling business to promote multi-ethnic awareness. The venture triggers social and political turmoil at school. This is a wonderful novel that explores the reality of mixed-ethnicity teens, while teaching teens how to be accepting and to avoid categorization.

Fresh off the Boat  by Melissa de la Cruz.

When fourteen year-old Vicenza arrives in San Francisco from the Philippines to attend a prestigious girls school, she feels a cultural rift with her peers in more than one way; for being a foreigner and not being über wealthy like the other girls at school. While Vicenza is brilliant and academically gifted, she is naive when it comes to handling the popular and cruel cliques.

Sold by Patricia Mccormick.

Sold is a poignant novel written in a unique free verse style. While a work of fiction Sold, is based of the work Mccormick completed while interviewing women living in Nepal and India . The story follows thirteen year-old Lakshmi who is sold into prostitution by her father. She is refuses to give herself freely over to men and is beaten and starved in return. She continuously suffers abuse until a young man teaches her how to read, thus empowering her with new found hope.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang.

American Born Chinese is an artfully done graphic novel that addresses the topics of identity, race, and self-acceptance. The book is divided into three plotlines, that of; a Chinese folk hero, Monkey King, Asian-American Jin Wang, and Danny. While all three characters are fully crafted, Yang manages to cleverly intertwine their narratives.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.

An autobiographical tale created into a remarkable graphic novel by Satrapi that illustrates the radical change felt by Iranians during the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The novel demonstrates the madness and chaos that surrounded her once peaceful home, and the freedoms and lives that were lost along the way. A culturally important and gender significant book.

Dark Water by Laura McNeal.

Amidst the disaster of California wildfires an intense romance buds between Pearl and a migrant worker named Amiel. Amiel and Pearl have difficulty communicating verbally due to a language barrier and Amiel’s damaged vocal cords, however their bond is so strong they can speak in ways that don’t require words.

Gateway by Sharon Shinn.

Daiyu, a high-school student raised in St. Louis knows little of her Chinese heritage. She was born in China but was adopted as a baby by an American family that raised her as their own. However, things drastically change in unexpected ways when Daiyu buys a black jade ring from an old woman. When Daiyu places the ring on her finger and walks through a modern Missouri archway she is instantly transported to a new world representing China .