Reflect, escape, refresh: Eurochild summer reads

This season, the Eurochild team is sharing a mix of titles we're currently reading or planning to dive into over the summer, books that capture the spirit of downtime in all its forms.

Summer is all about taking a well-deserved break, a chance to slow down, breathe, and recharge. And what better way to do that than with a good book in hand?

From thought-provoking essays that challenge the mind, to captivating stories that transport you to other worlds, and everything in between, there’s something here for every mood and moment. So, whether you're looking to reflect, escape, or simply enjoy a fresh perspective, explore our team's picks!

• One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad
  Picked by Sabine Saliba, Secretary General - This recounts the profound rupture experienced by Black, Brown, and Indigenous Americans who had held onto a fragile belief in Western ideals, trusting that their countries, or the nations they had adopted, were genuinely striving to uphold the values they claimed to represent.
• A Life by Simone Veil
  Picked by Ally Dunhill, Director of Policy, Advocacy and Communications -  Simone Weil was a French philosopher, Christian mystic, and social activist, born in Paris to agnostic Jewish parents who had fled the German annexation of Alsace-Lorraine. Known for her brilliance, austere lifestyle, and intense introspection, she struggled socially but remained deeply engaged in political and spiritual life.
• Honour by Elif Shafak
  Picked by Mieke Schuurman, Director of Child Rights and Capacity Building -  This book is a powerful novel about twin sisters from a Kurdish village whose lives take different paths — one staying behind, the other moving to London in search of a new beginning. As old traditions clash with modern life, a family unravels under the weight of love, betrayal, and cultural expectations.
• Les Pipistrelles by Inès Cagnati
  Picked by Davide Rambaldi, Communications Coordinator - The story is told through the eyes of young girls born to Italian immigrant families. With quiet intensity, Cagnati explores themes of poverty, loneliness, and exclusion, while highlighting the deep bond between these girls and the natural world — their only refuge in an often harsh and indifferent society.
• On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, written by Ocean Vuong
  Picked by Zuzana Konradova, EU Affairs Coordinator -  This is a profoundly moving novel written as a letter from a Vietnamese-American son to his illiterate mother. As he reflects on his family’s past—marked by war, migration, and generational trauma—he also explores his own identity as a queer man growing up in working-class America.
• We Are Not Numbers: The Voices of Gaza’s Youth by Ahmed Alnaouq and Pam Bailey
  Picked by Ciaran O'Donnell, Partnerships and Programmes Coordinator - These are the stories of young people from Gaza, born under Israeli occupation and blockade. They are people who have endured unspeakable struggles and losses, who keep fighting to be recognised not as numbers, but as human beings with hopes, dreams and lives worth living.
• The Saga of the Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski
  Picked by Fabiola Bas Palomares, Lead Policy and Advocacy Officer Online Safety - The saga follows Geralt of Rivia, a magically enhanced monster hunter feared and revered across the land. Trained to battle the creatures that threaten humanity, Geralt navigates a world where good and evil are rarely clear-cut, and even fairy tales hold dark truths.
• Healing Collective Trauma by Thomas Hubl
  Picked byKristiana Stoyanova, Policy and Advocacy Officer for Child Poverty -  It explores how deep emotional wounds affect not just individuals but entire communities and generations. Blending ancient wisdom with modern science, Hübl introduces the Collective Trauma Integration Process, a group-based method to heal shared trauma. The book offers practical tools to support both personal and collective healing.
• Succede sempre qualcosa di meraviglioso by Gianluca Gotto
  Picked by Stella Picca, Child Participation and Events Intern - This is a story of inner transformation and rebirth. It follows Davide, a young man whose life falls apart, leading him to lose all sense of purpose. In Vietnam, he meets Guilly, a mysterious and timeless character who introduces him to a new, more luminous way of experiencing life. The book explores the search for happiness as an inner state rather than an external goal.
• Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey
  Picked by Julie Diane Bartoňová-Dobenínová, Policy, Advocacy & Communications Intern - This book is a witty and insightful debut novel that follows 29-year-old Maggie as she navigates the aftermath of an unexpected divorce. Despite her stalled graduate thesis, financial struggles, and emotional upheaval, Maggie is determined to reinvent herself as a "Surprisingly Young Divorcée™."
• Les parfums d'une vie by Maureen Turberville
  Picked byLaure Pailleau, Child Participation and Policy Officer - In this compelling debut, humanitarian Simon seeks respite in Istanbul, reuniting with his partner Laëtitia. Their strained relationship falters further when he meets Jéhane. His stay turns perilous upon uncovering a dangerous trafficking network threatening his life and team.