OER Project’s Just-for-Fun Summer Reading List
We’re big readers around here—which you may have guessed from our courses—but these picks are just for fun. No Three Step Reading required. This summer, the OER Project team is swapping classroom texts for beach reads, page-turners, audiobooks (for long walks), and “just-one-more-chapter” marathons.
You deserve joy, rest, and a perk that isn’t an apple-scented candle and doesn’t come with a rubric, so we pulled together a few of our favorite summer book recommendations. And because we’d love to see our reading list grow, the first 100 teachers who comment in our Community with what they’re reading this summer will receive a gift card from us. Just a small thank-you for all you do.
Our Team’s Favorite Summer Reads for Teachers
Peruse our picks and meet some members of the OER Project team you may not know! We’re not going to think too deeply about the fact that 35% of our picks contain murders.
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All of Us Strangers, by Taichi Yamada Read this one if you like summers in Japan, ghost stories, love stories, and the feeling you get when you miss someone. Picked by Erik Christensen, Marketing Manager: Helping teachers find and use OER Project’s history and social studies resources.
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The Bright Sword, by Lev Grossman This book is a romp through Arthurian Britain in the aftermath of the Battle of Camlann. Introducing a rag-tag band of B-rate knights who didn’t make it to the climactic battle,The Bright Sword is a retelling of The Once and Future King—for jaded millennials. Come for Merlin, magic, and legends, stay for the character-development arcs and a cast of Round Table rejects. Picked by Bennett Sherry, Senior Content Manager: In the business of writing, editing, and producing our videos, articles, comics, and activities—look out for a bunch of new videos in the works. Spoiler: One of them is about King Arthur! |
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Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer In 1992, a college graduate left his family and possessions behind to explore off-the-map. A few months later, he was dead. Are you hooked? Picked by Andy Cook, Managing Director of Online Strategy: Maestro of our merry band. |
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Last Branch Standing, by Sarah Isgur A fascinating look into the history of the Supreme Court and how it functions today. Isgur combines very witty writing with her legal and political background, so it’s a highly informative and entertaining read. Picked by Neil Shah, Senior Advisor Brand and Audience: Our very own real-life Data from Star Trek. |
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Game Changers Volume 1: Heated Rivalry, by Rachel Reid I feel like everything has already been said in media—these books just brought me so much joy and everyone deserves time living in the world of these characters. Picked by Margaret Holsinger, Senior Executive Business Administrator: In charge of keeping dates, making plans, and knowing where all the good pens are. |
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The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, by Kiran Desai A tangled love story that plays at the edges of magical realism, it weaves a rich, cross-generational exploration of family, relationships, art, and identity. Picked by Molly Sinnott, Climate Content Manager: The go-to for all things climate change and data literacy. |
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Playworld, by Adam Ross If you’re going on a week-long vacation and only want to take one book, this is a great pick. It’s long, but you won’t want it to end. The novel follows a child actor living in Manhattan in the 1980s, navigating a world of hands-off parenting, questionable relationship choices, less-than-ideal adult influences, and the challenges that come naturally with being 15, anytime and anywhere. It’s especially fun if you’ve spent time in New York City. Picked by Chelsea Katzenberg, Academic Lead: Our team’s air traffic controller—keeping our projects from circling the airport and making sure they land at the right gate. |
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Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, by David Epstein It’s easy to pick up and put down—structured in stories and examples, so you can read a chapter at a time without losing the thread, which I think is great for summer, with its vacations, flights, and unstructured days. It’s thought-provoking without being heavy, inspiring without being rigid, and can be applied to sports, career, and education. Picked by Bounmy Inthavong, Marketing Manager: Responsible for our email glow-up. |
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Say Everything, by Ione Skye A memoir you can finish in one sitting, by actress Ione Skye, is perfect for those of us who came of age in the 1980s. Picked by Bridgette Byrd O’Connor, Senior Content Manager: Makes big ideas classroom-ready, one artfully placed comma at a time. |
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Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight As a sneaker fan, I enjoyed learning about the early struggles and insider stories of one of the world’s iconic shoe brands. Picked by Tony Hoelscher, Senior Product Manager: The wizard behind the website. |
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Starter Villain, by John Scalzi Honestly, you don’t walk past a book with a cat in a suit on the cover. That’s just bad judgment. What starts as a down-on-his-luck, divorced substitute teacher story quickly spirals into a hidden world of rival crime empires—and suddenly he’s inheriting way more than he bargained for. Think dolphins, hyper-intelligent cats, private islands, and just the right mix of mystery, murder, and chaos. It’s fast, weird in the best way, and genuinely funny. Scalzi nails the balance between crime and comedy, making this one of those rare, laugh-out-loud reads you tear through. Picked by Angelina Meadows Comb, Director of OER Project: Head cat herder, idea wrangler, and occasional sideline referee. |
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Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin I didn’t expect to love a book about video game designers, but the Shakespeare allusion in the title hooked me. And I truly loved exploring the worlds within each game, and the rich and textured friendships between the creators. Read it before the movie comes out! Picked by Becca Horowitz, Customer Engagement Manager: Team matchmaker—but for lesson plans and PD. |
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Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman I love reading things set in the UK, and this author’s style paints a vivid picture without being overly wordy. The characters are very well-developed and likable. Short chapters make it easy to pick up and put back down. Picked by Lisa Bishop, Senior Web Producer: Chief troubleshooter and site builder. |
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We Solve Murders, by Richard Osman It’s up next on my summer reading list and has been getting strong reviews. I’m a sucker for a good whodunit! Picked by Alison Berry, Senior Market Research Manager: Turning vibes and a strong cup of coffee into action items to make our materials better. |
