Summer is here, and after a year of showing up for your students and communities, we hope you're finding time to rest, recharge, and reconnect with what matters most.

At Ellevation, we’ve had the privilege of hearing from passionate educators and advocates this season on the Highest Aspirations podcast. Some of our guests told us about book recommendations that shaped their thinking. Others shared the powerful work they’ve written themselves—books that support multilingual learners and the educators who serve them.

Whether you're stretched out on a beach towel, sipping iced coffee on the porch, or simply enjoying a quieter moment, here are a few titles to keep you connected and inspired this summer.

Summer 2025 reading recommendations for EL educators

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
by Simon Sinek

This foundational leadership book explores how great leaders inspire action by starting with a clear sense of purpose. Sinek’s “Golden Circle” framework challenges readers to rethink how they communicate and lead—starting from why, then moving to how and what. It’s a powerful lens for educators re-centering their own why after a busy year.

(Discussed in season 14 episode 6: Content instruction that welcomes multilingual learners with Valentina Gonzalez)

Welcome to Teaching Multilingual Learners
by Valentina Gonzalez

Written for all classroom teachers, this illustrated guide offers a practical and compassionate introduction to working with multilingual learners. Drawing on the Golden Circle model, Valentina Gonzalez organizes the book around the why, how, and what of teaching multilingual learners, offering tools to build purpose-driven and inclusive classrooms.

(Discussed in season 14 episode 6: Content instruction that welcomes multilingual learners with Valentina Gonzalez)

Igniting Real Change for Multilingual Learners
by Carly Spina

Carly Spina’s book is both a call to action and a practical guide for teacher leaders. From multi-tiered systems of support to family engagement and student-centered mindsets, she offers tools and reflection prompts to help educators move from intention to impact. Each chapter invites readers to question, equip, and act to create meaningful change for multilingual learners.

(Discussed in season 14 episode 10: Igniting real change for English learners with Carly Spina)

Discover, Connect, Respond
by Elise White Diaz

With honesty and heart, Elise White Diaz explores how educators can support students who’ve experienced trauma—especially those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Blending research, strategies, and personal stories, this book offers guidance for creating inclusive, responsive classrooms where all students feel seen and supported.

(Discussed in season 14 episode 7: Connecting with students from hard places with Elise White Diaz)

Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and Teachers
by Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld and Dr. Margo Gottlieb

This practical guide reimagines assessment as a collaborative, student-centered process. Through an asset-based lens, the authors show how multilingual learners and teachers can partner to make assessment meaningful, empowering, and instructionally useful. A timely resource for educators preparing for the school year ahead.

(Discussed in season 14 episode 4: Collaborative assessment for multilingual learners and teachers with Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld and Dr. Margo Gottlieb and season 14 episode 5: How admins can create a culture of collaborative assessment with Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld and Dr. Margo Gottlieb)

From big-picture inspiration to classroom-ready strategies, these books offer a range of perspectives to support your work with multilingual learners.