Books about refugees
We know that many children are being affected by the terrible news of war and schools may well also soon have a new influx of refugees to settle in and so we thought it appropriate to drop our planned theme to suggest some books that might be helpful to stimulate all important discussions and provide reassurance and understanding. There are already lots of lists available and so I am featuring some brand new or less well-known options feeling confident that schools will not need to be told about, for example, Boy, Everywhere or The Boy at the Back of the Class to name but two excellent books that commonly feature on such lists!
The Day War Came. Nicola Davies and Rebecca Cobb. Walker Books, 2019, pp32, £7.99 ISBN: 978-1406382938
While I am sure this is also well known, there really is nothing better to explain the way that war can impact upon the lives of very young children, when their everyday reality is traumatically transformed. Inspired by fury at the UK’s refusal to admit 3000 child refugees in 2016, this powerful poem and the delicate, poignant illustrations of Rebecca Cobb pack a huge emotional punch. But what makes it all the more outstanding is that it also shows children how they can actually make a difference by their actions and an essentially hopeful message about the power of compassion and kindness.
Saving the Butterfly. Helen Cooper and Gill Smith. Walker Books, 2022, pp32, £12.99. ISBN: 978-1406397208
Stunningly illustrated with a really effective use of colour, this moving picturebook tells the story of siblings, a little brother and a big sister who have nothing left but each other. The little one soon begins to make friends in their new life, but his sister cannot escape the trauma and darkness of their perilous journey. Trying to help he catches a butterfly and brings it to her hiding place. She knows she must release it, but to do so must take those first steps outside and to her new life. Ultimately hopeful, but a very emotional portrayal of the pain and suffering that child refugees endure.
When the Stars are Scattered. Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohammed and Iman Geddy, Faber, 2020, pp264, £9.99. ISBN 978-0571363858
A brilliantly readable graphic novel which tells the true story of Omar Mohammed and his brother and their childhood at the enormous Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya after fleeing the war in Sudan having seen their father killed and becoming separated from their mother. This accessible format and the first-person narration create an intimate picture of a very real boy and what life in a refugee camp is really like. It importantly puts a face and a personality to the refugee crisis. We feel the hunger, the physical drudgery, the monotony and the frustrations, but also the sense of community, the love and support of friends and neighbours and the moments of joy and the passion for learning. A true tale of resilience and hope.
Oranges in No Man’s Land. Elizabeth Laird. Macmillan (2006) 2016, pp104, £6.99 ISBN: 978-1509802920
From her 1991 award winning classic Kiss The Dust to the more recent A House Without Walls, this is an author who has written brilliant authentic well researched novels about refugees, but I chose this particular title because it shows us a child trying to survive in an active conflict, very much like children in the Ukraine will be trying to do. Set in wartime Beirut, Ayesha and her young brothers find themselves refugees in a bombed out flat with only an elderly grandmother to care for them and when her grandmother falls sick Ayesha has to cross into enemy territory to get medicine. The devastated city is chillingly described, and the reader’s heart will be in their mouths as Ayesha makes her courageous journey.
To read the rest of our recommended books about refugees, simply download our Reading with Joy reading list FREE of charge from our resources page.