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Brooklyn Public Library is turning the page on immigration conversations with a brand-new reading list designed to spark empathy, curiosity and deeper understanding—and it arrives at a moment when the topic feels especially charged nationwide.
Curated by BPL librarians, the new “In Celebration of Immigrants and Immigration” list brings together dozens of titles for kids, teens and adults that explore the emotional realities of migration, identity and belonging. The list of 80 books includes everything from family-friendly picture books to memoirs, graphic novels and contemporary fiction, all aimed at helping readers see immigration through personal stories rather than headlines.
Available now through BPL’s Bklyn BookMatch program, the selection is intentionally human-driven. Instead of relying on algorithms, real-life librarians create personalized reading recommendations tailored to readers’ interests, a refreshingly analog approach in today's hyper-digital world.
Among the featured titles are Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story from the Border by Mitali Perkins, George Takei’s graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy and Laila Lalami’s Conditional Citizens. Younger readers can find books like Dreamers by Yuyi Morales or I Dream of Popo by Livia Blackburne, while teens and adults will recognize buzzy novels like American Street by Ibi Zoboi, which follows Fabiola, a Haitian immigrant navigating life in Detroit.
What makes the collection stand out is its range. The titles stretch across decades, genres and cultures, including refugee stories and coming-of-age tales alongside nonfiction works examining immigration policy and belonging in America. Readers will find books like Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything, a novel that grapples with deportation and identity, right next to essay collections like A Map Is Only One Story, which explores home and migration through multiple voices.
The release lands as immigration remains a major national conversation, though recent polling suggests the issue ranks lower among Americans’ top concerns than in several European countries. Locally, however, the subject continues to shape New York life, from court backlogs to cultural conversations, making BPL’s focus on storytelling feel especially timely.
Beyond simply recommending books, the library says the list aims to celebrate the resilience and creativity immigrants bring to their communities while acknowledging the complicated realities many face. That mission aligns with BPL’s broader role as one of the city’s most accessible cultural institutions, offering free programs, literary events and initiatives like Books Unbanned, which gives teens nationwide access to its digital catalog.
Time to update our reading lists.