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 November 30, 2023
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County)Oregon City Public Library
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
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)

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)

Front desk
Yang, Kelly
Paper Book
Four starred reviews and over ten best-of-year lists!* "Many readers will recognize themselves or their neighbors in these pages." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewWinner of the Asian / Pacific American Award for Children's Literature!* "Many readers will recognize themselves or their...

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)

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)


Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.