World Refugee Day/Week

World Refugee Day falls on June 20th, and is an international day designated by the United Nations to honor, acknowledge, and celebrate refugees and the the strength and courage of people who are forced to flee their home to escape conflict or persecution. This is a curated list of children's books in English and Spanish that represent the Refugee experience.

Updated June 18, 2025
Lewisville Public Library
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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...
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...
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,...
Inside out & back again
Lai, Thanhha.
Paper Book
Inside Out and Back Again is a #1 New York Times bestseller, a Newbery Honor Book, and a winner of the National Book Award! Inspired by the author's childhood experience as a refugee--fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and immigrating to Alabama--this coming-of-age debut novel told...
A story like the wind
Lewis, Gill
Paper Book
A masterful story about the power of hope  Rami is in a small dinghy filled with strangers, all of them refugees seeking a safe harbor. But with no motor, no oars, and a rising tide, their situation looks bleak. So Rami pulls out the only thing he brought with him--a violin-...
The banana-leaf ball : how play can change the world
Milway, Katie Smith
Ebook
The red pencil
Pinkney, Andrea Davis
Paper Book
Life in Amira's peaceful Sudanese village is shattered when Janjaweed attackers arrive, unleashing unspeakable horrors. After losing nearly everything, Amira needs to find the strength to make the long journey on foot to safety at a refugee camp. She begins to lose hope, until the gift of a simple...
Salma the Syrian chef
Ramadan, Ahmad Danny.
Paper Book
Newcomer Salma and friends cook up a heartwarming dish to cheer up Mama. All Salma wants is to make her mama smile again. Between English classes, job interviews, and missing Papa back in Syria, Mama always seems busy or sad. A homemade Syrian meal might cheer her up, but Salma doesn't...
Me and my fear
Sanna, Francesca
Paper Book
"With its warm palette and gentle scenes of the worried child being comforted, this book could function as a sequel to Sanna's astounding debut picture book, The Journey, which recounted a family's dangerous flight from their home in a war zone. Sanna provides an empathetic exploration of...
Yo y mi miedo
Sanna, Francesca
Paper Book
"With its warm palette and gentle scenes of the worried child being comforted, this book could function as a sequel to Sanna's astounding debut picture book, The Journey, which recounted a family's dangerous flight from their home in a war zone. Sanna provides an empathetic exploration of...
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...
From the tops of the trees
Yang, Kao Kalia
Ebook
The rock in my throat
Yang, Kao Kalia
Paper Book
Praise for The Rock in My Throat by Kao Kalia Yang, illustrated by Jiemei Lin: Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature Picture Book Honor Booklist Editor's Choice The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Award Heartland Booksellers Award Finalist...

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