Picture Books

Czenya Cavouras,
Rainbow Bird
Wakefield, 2007.

Inspired by her grandfather’s visits to an Australian immigration detention centre, Czenya Cavouras created this beautiful picture book when she was fourteen years old to represent the emotional turmoil of refugees caught in the uncertainly of a detention centre.

Dia Cha, compendium by Joyce Herold, stitched by Chue and Nhia Thao Cha,
Dia's Story Cloth: The Hmong People's Journey to Freedom
Lee & Low Books in cooperation with Denver Museum of Natural History, 1996.

The story cloth of the title was created by the author's aunt and uncle in a refugee camp in Thailand. It depicts the life of the Hmong before, during and after their flight from Laos. Dia narrates her own escape with details from the cloth as illustrations, so that together they convey the stories of both an individual and a people. In-depth cultural background at the end further enhances the impact of this powerful story.

Luis Garay,
The Long Road
Tundra Books, 1997.

When civil war breaks out in his Central American country, José has to flee with his mother. The road of the title is not only the long journey they have to make to reach safety, but also the difficulties they face before they begin to feel properly at home in a new country and culture. An insightful story with stunning illustrations (see images 5-8 here).

Sherry Garland, illustrated by Tatsuro Kiuchi,
The Lotus Seed
Harcourt, 1993.

The narrator’s grandmother brings a precious lotus seed to America with her, when she flees Vietnam with her children as a boat refugee. When her curious grandson plants the seed some years later, she is disconsolate, until the flower grows and bears seeds of its own, to be handed on to the next generation.  A beautifully illustrated, inter-generational story.

Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Karin Littlewood,
The Colour of Home
Frances Lincoln, 2002.

Hassan, a Somalian boy who has fled conflict in Somalia is struggling to settle into his new school in England. A painting depicting his old home and the trauma of what he experienced before he left provides the bridge for him and his new teachers to communicate and move forward. A sensitively told and illustrated picture-book for younger children.

Rukhsana Khan,
The Roses In My Carpets
Holiday House, 1998.

Life is grim for a young Afghan boy living in a refugee camp, struggling to help his mother and sister to survive.  He finds some solace in the rose pattern he weaves into carpets.  He dreams of ‘a space, the size of a carpet, where the bombs cannot touch us.’  - a dream that will move young readers and inspire them.

Linda Gerdner and Sarah Langford, illustrated by Stuart Loughridge,
Grandfather’s Story Cloth/ Yawg Daim Paj Ntaub Dab Neeg
Bilingual: English/Hmong,
Shen Books, 2008.

Chersheng starts to feel distant from his beloved grandfather, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Their bond is strengthened, however, when his mother gives him a story cloth made by his grandfather that represents his life as a Hmong hill farmer in Laos and his time in a refugee camp in Thailand before coming to America.  A beautiful book which bridges the generation gap between children and the elderly.

Michelle Lord, illustrated by Shino Arihara,
A Song for Cambodia
Lee & Low Books, 2008.

The true story of Cambodian Arn Chorn-Pond, who was one of very few children to survive the Khmer Rouge genocide, because he had learned to play the khim, a traditional Cambodian musical instrument. Expressive illustrations; very moving and ultimately inspirational.

John Marsden and Matt Ottley,
Home and Away
Lothian Children’s Books, 2008.

This powerful picture-book is the diary account of a fifteen-year-old Australian caught up in conflict and seeking asylum with his family in a not-so-welcoming country after a perilous journey.  The trauma is captured in the illustrations that represent his six-year-old brother’s drawings. Home and Away provides a jolt and a road to empathy for all those who think of refugees as conveniently remote.

Ben Morley, illustrated by Carl Pearce,
The Silence Seeker
Tamarind Books, 2009.

Joe mishears his mother’s explanation that the new boy and his family next door are asylum seekers.  Believing that the boy yearns for silence, Joe takes him everywhere he can think of in the neighbourhood but silence proves to be elusive.  Nevertheless, a connection is made and this gentle story in a contemporary urban setting reminds young readers that kindness goes a long way.

Shaun Tan,
The Arrival
Lothian, 2006.

A stunning, wordless book that follows one man as he seeks to create a new life for his family (who join him later) away from his war-torn country.  He encounters acts of both hostility and kindness and gradually learns a new way of life.  Tan’s depiction of the machinations of war is particularly powerful and chilling.

Anthony Robinson, illustrated by June Allan,
Meltem's Journey: A Refugee Diary
Frances Lincoln, 2010;
Anthony Robinson, illustrated by June Allan,
Hamzat's Journey: A Refugee Diary
Frances Lincoln, 2009;
Anthony Robinson and Annemarie Young, illustrated by June Allan,
Mohammed’s Journey: A Refugee Diary
Frances Lincoln, 2009;
Anthony Robinson and Annemarie Young, illustrated by June Allan,
Gervelie’s Journey: A Refugee Diary
Frances Lincoln, 2008.

All four books in this superb series present the first-hand accounts of young refugees from different places around the world (Congo, Iraq, Chechnya and Turkey) who are now living in the UK.  Maps and information pages provide further background and the visual presentation is particularly effective, combining genuine photographs and fine watercolour illustrations.

Pegi Deitz Shea, illustrated by Anita Riggio, stitched by You Yang,
The Whispering Cloth
Boyds Mills Press, 1995.

As Mai, a young Hmong girl in a Thai refugee camp in the mid-1970s, learns to embroider the pa’ndau story cloth that is an important source of income, readers learn the tragic story of her life.  Illustrations combine with images of a genuine story cloth in this ultimately optimistic story.

Herb Shoveller,
Ryan and Jimmy: And the Well in Africa That Brought Them Together
Kids Can Press 2006.

The true story of Canadian boy and founder of Ryan’s Well Foundation, Ryan’s determination to raise enough money to build a well in Africa gains an extra dimension when his Ugandan pen-pal, Jimmy’s life is threatened because of conflict.  Ryan’s family manage to get Jimmy to Canada, but not without difficulty.  A truly inspirational story, accompanied by plenty of photographs.

Icy Smith, illustrated by Sopaul Nhem,
Half Spoon of Rice: A Survival Story of the Cambodian Genocide
East West Discovery Press, 2010.

Set in 1970s Cambodia, nine-year-old Nat is forced with his family to leave Phnom Penh to grow rice in the country, undergoing near starvation and cruelty. Eventually, after four long years, Nat finds his way to a refugee camp in Thailand... A clear, first-person narrative is enhanced by beautiful illustrations.

Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed, illustrated by Catherine Stock,
My Name is Sangoel
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2009.

Sangoel leaves the refugee camp for America confident in and proud of the heritage of his name - only to find that people can't pronounce it. Only once he has thought of a way to help them say it properly, can he begin to settle into his new home. A significant book for helping young people to be sensitive to newcomers in their community.

Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed, illustrated by Doug Chayka,
Four Feet, Two Sandals
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2007.

Two girls in a refugee camp on the Pakistan-Afghanistan find friendship when they share a pair of brightly-colored plastic shoes.  Then Lina finds out she is going to leave with her family for a new life in America… This beautifully illustrated picture book provides young readers with an appropriate inkling of what life in a refugee camp is like, as well as a thought-provoking take on what giving can mean in their own lives.

Mary Williams, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie,
Brothers In Hope: The Story Of The Lost Boys Of Sudan
Lee & Low Books, 2005.

Written by the Founder of The Lost Boys Foundation based in Atlanta, Brothers in Hope follows eight-year-old Garang on his long journey as one of thousands of boys who walked from Sudan to Ethiopia and then on through Kenya, seeking safety following the outbreak of war and the destruction of his home village. A heart-breaking and awe-inspiring book.

Reading books

Katherine Applegate,
Home of the Brave
Square Fish, 2007.

Kek is a refugee from Sudan who has just arrived in the US. While struggling to adapt to his new life, he makes some special friends, including a cow who becomes his link with home: and their relationship with Kek has a transforming effect on their own lives. Written in the first-person, in beautifully crafted free verse, this moving story helps readers to recognise the individuality of refugees.

Edited by Tony Bradman,
Give Me Shelter
Frances Lincoln, 2007.

An anthology of short stories about asylum-seekers from all over the world - some by people who have been asylum-seekers themselves or worked with them and all "grounded in reality". The book challenges readers to think hard about what it means to be forced to leave your home and "seek the comfort of strangers" and is also a testimnony to those who reach out to help them.

Edited by Sonja Dechian, Heather Millar and Eva Sallis,
Dark Dreams: Australian Refugee Stories by young writers aged 11-20 years
Wakefield Press, 2004.

Collected through a schools competition, this remarkable collection of 37 stories brings together both first-hand stories and retellings of refugee experiences across Australia, written by a talented array of young people. It is clear from the introduction that the project has shaped the lives of those who took part in it - and the stories will potentially have the same effect on their readers.

Pegi Deitz Shea,
Abe in Arms
Reach & Teach (PM Press), 2010.

Seventeen-year-old Abe appears to have left his violent past in Liberia behind him following his adoption by an American doctor - but a series of flashbacks coupled with alarming behavior threatens to topple his supposed stability. Before Abe can get on with his life, he must put his past behind him once and for all. Sensitively written, the book balances issues of post-traumatic-stress-disorder with hope for the future.

Pegi Deitz Shea
Tangled Threads
Clarion Books, 2003.

Desperate to leave the Thai refugee camp where she has spent the last ten years, Hmong girl Mai is finally on her way to America. Once there, tensions arise as she seeks both to embrace her new surroundings and to be a dutiful grandaughter to her grandmother, who has become increasingly dependant on her. An absorbing read that highlights the challenges of life both in a refugee camp and as an asylum seeker in the convincing voice of its delightful narrator.

Deborah Ellis,
Children of War: Voices of Iraqi Refugees
Groundwood, 2010.

Twenty-four young Iraqi refugees aged 8-19 give personal accounts of their experiences – some are now living in Canada and the US; others are confined in refugee camps in Jordan. There is some anger but, almost incredibly, mostly hope and resilience. Readers young and old cannot fail to be moved by this unsettling read – and some will be stirred to action.

Deborah Ellis
The Breadwinner Trilogy
Groundwood Books.

Set in Afghanistan, these three books, which also stand alone, depict the grim reality of the effects of war on children at a level appropriate for middle readers.  The first two books, The Breadwinner and Parvana’s Journey, chart firstly Parvana’s struggle to help her family to survive under the Taliban, by dressing up as a boy to earn money; and then, two years later, her search for her scattered family, during which she also takes some smaller refugee children under her wing and, joining a larger group of refugee children, eventually ends up at a refugee camp.  The third book, Mud City follows 14-year-old Shauzia’s attempts to get away from a refugee camp on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and follow her dream of escaping to France. A riveting read with informative background notes.

Morris Gleitzman,
Boy Overboard
Penguin Books Australia, 2002;
Girl Underground
Penguin Books Australia, 2004.

In Boy Overboard, narrator Jamal and his feisty sister Bibi are both soccer mad - in Afghanistan, where it is illegal for girls to play. Following the discovery of their mother's secret school, the family flee to Australia. Both the journey and arriving present many challenges... Enter Bridget, narrator of Girl Underground and daughter of loving crooks, who works with her friend and Jamal's penfriend, Menzies to free Jamal and Bibi from their detention centre. Both books are written with Gleitzman's signature lightness of touch, which blends laugh-aloud wit with sensitivity towards the humanitarian issues represented.

Katherine Goode for the Children’s Interests Bureau [Australia],
Jumping to Heaven: Stories about Refugee Children
Wakefield Press, first published 1997, reprinted 2003.

Based on true stories of refugee children from all over the world who have found a new home in Australia, these stories show the enormous resilience, courage and hope of young people as they seek to adapt to their new surroundings and let go of the trauma in their past.  A thought-provoking read that fosters empathy and understanding.

Minfong Ho,
The Clay Marble
Farar, Straus, Giroux, 1991.

An older book that has set a benchmark of quality in refugee-themed writing for young people, The Clay Marble is set in Cambodia in the early 1980s. Twelve-year-old Dara flees with her family to a refugee camp on the Cambodian-Thai border but when the camp is shelled, she is separated from her loved ones... This is a very powerful story about love and friendship, as well as the appauling consequences of war.

Celia Barker Lottridge,
Home Is Beyond the Mountains
Groundwood Books, 2010.

Following Turkey's invasion of north-west Persia in 1918, Samira and her family flee to a British refugee camp. The journey is arduous and only Samira and her brother Benyamin survive. After several years in different refugee camps, she begins the long 300-mile walk back home along with 300 children, under the protection of extraordinary orphanage director Susan Shedd, who was in fact the author's aunt. A very special story that resonates strongly down the years.

Lyn Miller-Lachmann,
Gringolandia
Curbstone Press, 2009.

Daniel and his family have escaped to the US from Chile under Pinochet in the 1980s, minus his father, Marcelo, who is a political prisoner. When Marcelo finally joins them, he is a broken man and reparation is needed on all sides. Dealing as honestly as it does with issues of torture , this is a challenging but ultimately hopeful read.

Beverley Naidoo,
Making It Home: Real-Life Stories from Children Forced to Flee
Puffin Books, 2004.

A devastating and humbling read, Naidoo has brought together eight stories written by young refugees from all over the world. Photographs make the stories inescapably personal, while maps and brief historical backgrounds remind readers of the broader issues; and Naidoo's powerfully written introduction gives much pause for thought.

Linda Sue Park,
A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story
Clarion Books, 2010.

Two stories run parallel in this powerfully written true story set in Sudan.  Nya in 2008 spends eight hours a day walking to fetch water. Salva, who flees bloodshed during the civil war in Sudan in 1985, is thrown out of a refugee camp in neighboring Ethiopia and leads some 1,200 Lost Boys on the two-year walk across Sudan to Kenya. A very moving book that is too absorbing to put down before the end.

Katherine Paterson,
The Day of the Pelican
Clarion Books, 2009.

As Kosovans of Albanian heritage in the early 1990s, Meli and her family become refugees when they are caught up in the conflict with Serbs.  To prevent her thirteen-year-old brother from trying to join the army, a life-changing decision is made and the long journey begins…  An excellent Historical Note follows this riveting story that is based on a true story.

Mitali Perkins,
Bamboo People
Charlesbridge, 2010.

This gripping read follows two teenage boys caught up on opposite sides of conflict in modern-day Burma: Chiko conscripted into the army against his will, and Tu Reh, a Karenni refugee living in a camp where Chiko finds himself injured, alone and in grave danger, until Tu Reh recognises that he too is a victim of the military regime.

Benjamin Zephaniah,
Refugee Boy
Bloomsbury, 2001.

Alem's holiday in London with his beloved father comes to an abrupt end when he wakes up to find his father gone: an act of love on the part of his parents who are Ethiopian and Eritrean, for this is the late 1990s when those two countries are at war. So begins Alem's new life as an asylum seeker... A superbly written book that arouses empathy in its readers and demands recognition of the rights, needs and integrity of refugees.

Posted August 2010