Stories for the Journey

At the Global Classroom, we believe reading is one of the most powerful ways to connect with the world around us. Books don’t just inform, they invite us to feel, to question, to imagine differently. Whether we are walking through mangroves in southern Thailand, learning from coral farmers in Indonesia, or tracing the winding lanes of Hoi An, stories help us understand our place in it all.

Our curriculum is deeply rooted in inquiry and connection. We learn through real-life experience, but we also read, to stretch our understanding, to listen to different voices, and to explore ideas that might otherwise remain hidden. Below, we’ve gathered a set of book recommendations for each of our three term locations. They align with our themes of identity, sustainability, and well-being, and offer students and families a chance to journey deeper through the page.

Books have always been a constant in our lives. Over the years, we’ve packed and repacked our children’s library and shipped it across continents, from the UK to Cyprus, to the Seychelles, to Canada, Italy, Portugal, and now back again. Every move, we’ve kept the books. They have been our children’s friends, teachers, companions during quiet afternoons and stormy nights.

There’s something irreplaceable about a real book. The weight of it in your hands. The musty warmth of an old paperback. The smell of a new one that makes you pause before opening the first page. Just last week, Nat had tears in her eyes browsing a second-hand bookshop, a kind of quiet grief as we face the possibility of letting go. And yet, here we are, considering Kindles.

It is not a decision we take lightly. We are a family who tries to minimise screen time, who treasure handwritten notes and journals, who would rather read together under a tree than scroll through anything on a device. But the reality of travelling light, moving every term, and exploring three countries in one year means we have to rethink what we carry.

Whether you are bringing a stack of paperbacks or tucking a Kindle into your backpack, here are some carefully chosen titles that reflect the themes and experiences at the heart of each Global Classroom term.

Thailand – Ko Lanta

From Buddhist philosophy to mangrove conservation, Thailand offers a rich context for exploring where we come from and how we are connected to the land, to history, and to each other. Our time in Ko Lanta includes storytelling workshops, visits to elephant sanctuaries, and projects focused on family heritage and environmental change.

All Thirteen – The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat. A powerful nonfiction account of the 2018 Thai cave rescue that captures science, spirituality, teamwork, and the resilience of a community. Set in Chiang Rai, this story introduces themes of interdependence, international collaboration, and mindfulness, and is an excellent entry point into Thai culture.

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat. Set in a richly imagined, fantasy‑inspired city that draws heavily on Thai architecture, values, and history, this Newbery‑honour-winning novel re‑imagines Les Misérables for teens. It explores justice, inequality, social change, and moral courage as Pong escapes from prison and questions the authority of a city that controls its citizens through light and power. This thought‑provoking adventure aligns beautifully with our focus on community agency and collective insight

Indonesia – Lombok

Lombok is a place of deep ecological learning. From permaculture farms to coral restoration projects, this term invites students to think critically about how humans live in balance with the natural world. Students examine global systems, build local solutions, and reflect on what sustainability means in practice.

Running Wild by Michael Morpurgo. This adventure novel follows a boy who escapes a tsunami on the back of an elephant in Sumatra. More than just an exciting story, it raises questions about wildlife protection, habitat destruction, and our relationship with the natural world. A meaningful link to our own conservation work in Indonesia.

Lombok Flames by Alan Brayne. Set in Senggigi, on the western coast of Lombok, this thoughtful teen novel explores the personal and cultural upheaval following the turn of the millennium. As local communities reckon with unrest and the collapse of tourism, a teenage girl is forced to confront grief, family tension, and her own sense of identity in a place she barely knows. The story offers rich ground for exploring cultural understanding, environmental fragility, and intergenerational learning — all central to our work in Lombok.

Vietnam – Hoi An

Our final term invites students to turn inward, to explore identity, values, happiness, and purpose. Set in the lantern-lit town of Hoi An, surrounded by river paths and ancient temples, this stage of the journey encourages reflection and creativity, alongside a continued engagement with local culture and global issues.

Listen, Slowly by Thanhhà Lai. A Vietnamese-American girl travels to her ancestral village and, reluctantly at first, begins to understand her heritage. The novel explores grief, identity, and the complexity of cross-cultural life. It aligns perfectly with our focus on self-awareness, family history, and well-being in unfamiliar places.

Catfish and Mandala: A Two‑Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam by Andrew X. Pham. Not strictly YA, but suitable for older teens, this memoir recounts the author’s solo bicycle journey from California back to his mother’s hometown near Hoi An. It weaves personal discovery with cultural immersion, storytelling, and reconnection to roots.

Whether on paper or screen, stories will travel with us. They will ground our inquiry, deepen our conversations, and enrich our time together in each new place. We encourage families to read alongside their children, to share reflections, and to treat books, whatever form they take, as part of the shared journey.