Children's Book Suggestions | Citizenship Status

In honor of the UN's International Day of Migrants, here are a few books for young readers about the experiences of immigrants and refugees.

Updated October 19, 2024
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County)Oregon City Public Library
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What you need to be warm
Gaiman, Neil
Paper Book
A fantastic Christmas present for Neil Gaiman super fans ** AS SEEN ON CHANNEL 4 NEWS ** Sometimes it only takes a stranger in a dark place... to say we have the right to be here, to make us warm in the coldest season.

Newbery Award-winning author Neil Gaiman posed a question on social media (What do you need to be warm?) and used answers submitted by real-life refugees to write the poem that became this book. (Picture Books Age 4-8)

Saffron ice cream
Kheiriyeh, Rashin
Paper Book
A joyous celebration of a girl's first family outing in a new country"With her colorful, exuberant folk-art illustrations and upbeat, friendly tone, Rashin makes a daunting cross-cultural leap seem as easy as a summer breeze." -- New York Times Book ReviewRashin is excited about her...

A sweet (pun absolutely intended) about a young girl's first summer beach trip in America. (Picture Book Age 3-7)

Wishes
Van, Muon
Paper Book
An arresting, poetic journey and a moving reflection on immigration, family, and home, from an acclaimed creative team. Wishes tells the powerful, honest story about one Vietnamese family's search for a new home on the other side of the world, and the long-lasting and powerful...
A story of a Vietnamese refugee family's escape, narrated as a series of wishes as they leave their home and brave a dangerous ocean voyage in search of safety. (Picture Book Age 4-8)
Save me a seat
Weeks, Sarah
Paper Book
A new friend could be sitting right next to you.Joe and Ravi might be from very different places, but they're both stuck in the same place: SCHOOL.Joe's lived in the same town all his life, and was doing just fine until his best friends moved away and left him on his own. Ravi's family just...

Two authors from different cultures explore friendship and belonging in this story about two boys who become friends after one immigrates to the US from India. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Front desk
Yang, Kelly
Paper Book
An empowering story of empathy, courage, and hope, based on the author's real-life experience immigrating to the US as a child and working at the front desk of the motel where her parents work. Ten year-old Mia Tang moved to the US for a better life, a freer life, but...

Another series based on the author's childhood experiences as an immigrant starring a Chinese girl whose parents take over the management of a hotel in 1990s LA. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Refugee
Gratz, Alan
Paper Book
The award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling novel from Alan Gratz tells the timely--and timeless--story of three different kids seeking refuge. A New York Times bestseller! JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration...

Three stories of refugees from different times and places that intertwine in present-day New York City. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Other words for home
Warga, Jasmine
Paper Book
New York Times bestseller and Newbery Honor Book! A gorgeously written, hopeful middle grade novel in verse about a young girl who must leave Syria to move to the United States, perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and Aisha Saeed. Jude never thought she'd be...

An award-winning novel in verse about a tween girl who immigrates to Ohio after war breaks out in her native Syria. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The new girl
Calin, Cassandra
Paper Book
Instagram sensation and Tapas webcomic superstar Cassandra Calin makes her long-form debut with this funny, feel-good middle-grade graphic novel about change. Goodbye, old life... Lia and her family are waiting to board a flight across the Atlantic, leaving behind family,...
A graphic novel exploring a middle schooler\'s experience moving from Romania to America, perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)
When stars are scattered
Jamieson, Victoria
Paper Book
A National Book Award Finalist, this remarkable graphic novel is about growing up in a refugee camp, as told by a former Somali refugee to the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl. Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab,...

The Newbery Honor-winning comic artist Victoria Jamieson illustrates the moving story of two brothers in an African refugee camp. (Children's Graphic Novels Grades 3-5)

Muzoon : a Syrian refugee speaks out
Almellehan, Muzoon
Paper Book
"Muzoon takes readers on her perilous and ultimately hopeful journey from refugee child to advocate for others in need." -Malala Yousafzai, bestselling author and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize When her family had to flee Syria, 14-year-old Muzoon was told to pack only the...

A memoir by a teenage refugee from Syria that highlights her work as an advocate for child refugees around the world. (Children's Nonfiction Age 10-14)

What is a refugee?
Gravel, Elise
Paper Book
An accessible picture book that oh-so-simply and graphically introduces the term "refugee" to curious young children to help them better understand the world in which they live. Who are refugees? Why are they called that word? Why do they need to leave their country? Why are they...

A colorful, straightforward guide to explaining this difficult topic to young children. (Children's Nonfiction Age 4-8)

Stepping stones : a refugee family's journey
Ruurs, Margriet
Paper Book
Rama and her family, are forced to flee their once-peaceful village to escape the ravages of the civil war raging ever closer to their home With only what they can carry on their backs, Rama and her mother, father, grandfather and brother, Sami, set out to walk to freedom in Europe. This...

A narrative story that recounts an all-too-common refugee experience, illustrated with stone collages. (Children's Nonfiction Age 4-8)

You don't know what war is : the diary of a young girl from Ukraine
Skalietska, Yeva
Paper Book
An inspiring memoir of resilience by a young survivor of the war in Ukraine, as told through her diary entries--a harrowing and ultimately hopeful survival story. Yeva Skalietska's story begins on her twelfth birthday in Kharkiv, where she has been living with...

The diary entries of a young girl who escaped Kharkiv when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, providing a timely insight into an ongoing crisis. (Children's Nonfiction Age 9-12)


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