When Stars Are Scattered
When Stars Are Scattered By Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed Illustrated by Iman Geddy Published by Penguin Young Readers Group ISBN-13: 9780525553908 Age Range: 9+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “This engaging, heartwarming story does everything one can ask of a book, and then some.” —Kirkus Reviews Description Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So...
Read MoreSadiq and the Desert Star
Sadiq and the Desert Star By Siman Nuurali Illustrated by Anjan Sarkar Published by Capstone ISBN-13: 9781515845652 Age Range: 6+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “A pleasant, informative read that blends family and STEM themes…” —School Library Journal Description When Sadiq’s father leaves on a business trip, he worries he’ll miss his baba too much. But Baba has a story for Sadiq: the story of the Desert Star. Learning about Baba’s passion for the stars sparks Sadiq’s interest in outer space. But can Sadiq find others who...
Read MoreCall Me American
Call Me American By Abdi Nor Iftin Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group Age Range: 14+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “Searing memoir filled with horrors that impressively remains upbeat, highly inspiring, and always educational.” -Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) Description The incredible true story of a boy living in war-torn Somalia who escapes to America–first by way of the movies; years later, through a miraculous green card. Abdi Nor Iftin first fell in love with America from afar. As a child, he learned English by listening to American pop...
Read MoreOne Good Thing About America
One Good Thing about America By Ruth Freeman Illustrated by Kathrin Honesta Published by Holiday House Publishing, Inc. Age Range: 8 – 12 Years Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “Highly recommended for libraries seeking timely stories about the immigrant experience.” —School Library Journal Description It’s hard to start at a new school . . . especially if you’re in a new country. Back home, Anais was the best English student in her class. Here in Crazy America she feels like she doesn’t know English at all. Nothing makes sense (chicken...
Read MoreJoseph’s Big Ride
Joseph’s Big Ride By Terry Farish Illustrated by Ken Daley Published by Annick Press, Limited Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N “A joyful, upbeat tale that takes a positive perspective on an immigrant child’s first encounters..” —Kirkus Reviews Description A refugee boy’s determination to ride a bicycle leads to an unexpected friendship. Joseph wants only one thing: to ride a bike. In the refugee camp where he lives, Joseph helps one of the older boys fix his bike, but he’s too small to ride it. Joseph and his mother travel to America, where everything is...
Read MoreCultural Research: I’m New Here
“I’m New Here grew in my mind over many years of considering recently-arrived, culturally diverse students, as I interacted with them while creating books, speaking in schools, and evaluating available resources. Though there are many wonderful books featuring individual child immigrants, it seemed to me that in the big picture something was missing. Somehow the emphasis was on what immigrant children needed to acquire, as if they arrived as blank slates, needing to be filled. I wanted to focus on the strengths these children already had, leading rich and complex lives in their...
Read MoreI’m New Here
I’m New Here By Anne Sibley O’Brien Published by Charlesbridge Publishing Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N “Whether readers are new themselves or meeting those who are new, there are lessons to be learned here about perseverance, bravery, and inclusion, and O’Brien’s lessons are heartfelt and poetically rendered.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review Description Maria is from Guatemala, Jin is from Korea, and Fatima is from Somalia. All three are new to their American elementary school, and each has trouble speaking, writing, and sharing ideas in English....
Read MoreOut of Nowhere
Out of Nowhere By Maria Padian Published by Random House Children’s Books “The author gracefully explores the intersections between culture and religion, as well as suspicion and prejudice in a post-9/11 world. Her well-formed characters and realistic circumstances make for a large and powerful story about re-evaluating one’s beliefs.” –Publisher’s Weekly “With complex national issues solidly grounded in a thoroughly credible plot, this could be an outstanding vehicle for classroom and book club discussions.” –The Bulletin of the Center for...
Read MoreNew Mainers
New Mainers: Portraits of our Immigrant Neighbors By Pat Nyhan Photography by Jan Pieter van Voorst van Beest Published by Tilbury House Publishers “The personal stories are what make this book a much-needed education about where Maine fits into the global agenda…. It’s new and it’s startling, and I believe that reading it is certain to enrich a reader’s interest in the greater world and all it has to offer.” —Capital Weekly Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N Description Who are these new Mainers, and why have they come here? They are from...
Read MoreMy Friend Jamal
My Friend Jamal By Anna McQuinn Illustrated by Ben Frey Published by Annick Press “What’s great in this book in the new My Friend series is that the friendship celebrates not only connections but also rich diversity.” —Hazel Rochman, Booklist “Joseph’s notes on what he has learned about his friend’s culture add to the usefulness of this matter-of-fact picture of mutual respect and cross-culture harmony.” —Children’s Literature Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N Description Different cultures. Fast friends. Jamal and Joseph were born in the...
Read MoreI Remember Warm Rain
I Remember Warm Rain Photos by Laura Lewis Published by The Telling Room Find a copy from The Telling Room Store Description Fifteen students, from countries such as Somalia, Iraq, Sudan, and Iran are represented in our first anthology, I Remember Warm Rain. In it, you meet Ali killing hyenas and Arunda speaking to his father by phone after ten years of believing he is dead. You meet Kahiye, revealing his first experience of snow, and Stella doing something once forbidden to her, playing a game she loves: soccer. These rich stories were written as part of The Telling...
Read MoreThe Color of Home
The Color of Home By Mary Hoffman Illustrated by Karin Littlewood Published by Penguin Group “…Readers gain a realistic child’s perspective on what it is like to be forced to emigrate from a war-torn country.” —Ajokei T. I. Kokodoko, School Library Journal Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N Description This remarkably moving picture book follows first-grader Hassan through his first few days at school. Hassan has only recently arrived in the United States after he and his family were forced to flee Somalia, and he deeply misses the colorful landscape...
Read MoreWEAR YOUR WELCOME
