Theme: Trauma

The Refuge

Posted by on Oct 23, 2020 in Ages 05 and up, France, Theme: Community, Theme: Cross-Group Friendship, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Refugee Life, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma, Western European | Comments Off on The Refuge

The Refuge

The Refuge By Sandra le Guen Illustrated by Stephane Nicolet Published by Amazon Publishing ISBN: 9781542020503 Age Range: 5+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat A great story to help children understand a refugee’s perspective.  —School Library Journal Description Jeannette tells her mom about her new classmate, who also loves astronomy but seems sad. She realizes it’s not easy to move to a new place. So the next day, at recess, Jeannette asks Iliana to play. At first, it’s a little hard to communicate because Iliana is learning a new language. The girls have to...

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After the Last Border

Posted by on Oct 23, 2020 in North America, Syrian, Syrian American, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Bi-racial Identity, Theme: Community, Theme: Cultural Differences, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Fleeing Persecution, Theme: Human Rights, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Migrant Life, Theme: Racial Discrimination, Theme: Refugee Life, Theme: Religious Differences, Theme: Religious Persecution, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma, United States | Comments Off on After the Last Border

After the Last Border

After the Last Border By Jessica Goudeau Published by Penguin Publishing Group ISBN: 9780525559139 Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “Goudeau’s sometimes heartbreaking narratives personalize the refugee crisis in ways cold news accounts cannot.”  —Library Journal Description The welcoming and acceptance of immigrants and refugees has been central to America’s identity for centuries–yet America has periodically turned its back at the times of greatest humanitarian need. After the Last Border is an intimate look at the lives of two women as...

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Santiago’s Road Home

Posted by on Jun 16, 2020 in Ages 08 and up, Mexican, Mexican American, Mexico, North America, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Bilingual Book, Theme: Community, Theme: Detention, Theme: Family Death, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Human Rights, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Separation & Reunion, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma, Theme: Undocumented Immigration, United States | Comments Off on Santiago’s Road Home

Santiago’s Road Home

Santiago’s Road Home By Alexandra Diaz Published by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books ISBN-13: 9781534446236 Age Range: 8+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “…a Dickensian tale of children who become “Dreamers” in search of a new life in the United States.”  —School Library Connection Description The coins in Santiago’s hand are meant for the bus fare back to his abusive abuela’s house. Except he refuses to return; he won’t be missed. His future is uncertain until he meets the kind, maternal María Dolores and her young daughter, Alegría,...

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Too Young to Escape

Posted by on May 17, 2020 in Ages 08 and up, Asia (Southeast), North America, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Grandparents & Intergenerational, Theme: Historical, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Loss of Childhood, Theme: Separation & Reunion, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma, United States, Vietnam, Vietnamese | Comments Off on Too Young to Escape

Too Young to Escape

Too Young to Escape By Van Ho and Marsha Skrypuch Published by Pajama Press ISBN-13: 9781772780666 Age Range: 8+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “When 4-year-old Van wakes one morning in her home in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, her mother and siblings are gone.”  —Kirkus Reviews Description During the aftermath of the Vietnam War, Van wakes up one morning to find that her mother, her sisters Loan and Lan, and her brother Tuan are gone. They have escaped the new communist regime that has taken over Ho Chi Minh City for freedom in the West. Four-year-old Van...

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Salma the Syrian Chef

Posted by on May 17, 2020 in Ages 04 and up, Canada, Canadian, Egyptian, Indian, Jordanian, Lebanese, North America, Persian, Somali, Syrian, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Community, Theme: Cross-Group Friendship, Theme: Cultural Differences, Theme: Cultural Identity, Theme: Cultural Traditions, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Immigration, Theme: LGBTQIA+, Theme: Refugee Life, Theme: Trauma, Venezuelan | Comments Off on Salma the Syrian Chef

Salma the Syrian Chef

Salma the Syrian Chef By Danny Ramadan Illustrated by Anna Bron Published by Annick Press, Limited ISBN-13: 9781773213750 Age Range: 4+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “…Syrian-Canadian activist Ramadan writes with poetic immediacy about displacement, home, and family.”  —Publishers Weekly Description 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 know the recipe, or what to call the...

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IraqiGirl: Diary of a Teenage Girl in Iraq

Posted by on May 17, 2020 in Ages 12 and up, Iraq, Iraqi, Middle East, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Community, Theme: Identity, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma, Theme: War | Comments Off on IraqiGirl: Diary of a Teenage Girl in Iraq

IraqiGirl: Diary of a Teenage Girl in Iraq

IraqiGirl: Diary of a Teenage Girl in Iraq By IraqiGirl Published by Haymarket Books ISBN-13: 9781931859738 Age Range: 12+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound| B&N | Worldcat …IraqiGirl also allows us to witness the determination of one girl not only to survive, but to create, amidst the devastation of war, a future worth living for. Description These are the words of fifteen-year-old Hadiya, blogging from the city of Mosul, Iraq, to let the world know what life is really like as the military occupation of her country unfolds. In many ways, her life is familiar. She worries about...

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Sky of Bombs, Sky of Stars

Posted by on May 17, 2020 in Ages 08 and up, Asia (Southeast), North America, Theme: Adoption, Theme: Bi-racial Identity, Theme: Historical, Theme: Identity, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Learning English, Theme: Refugee Life, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma, Theme: War, United States, Vietnam, Vietnamese American | Comments Off on Sky of Bombs, Sky of Stars

Sky of Bombs, Sky of Stars

Sky of Bombs, Sky of Stars By Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch Published by Pajama Press Inc. ISBN-13: 9781772780949 Age Range: 8+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | WorldCat Retold by acclaimed children’s author Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, Tuyet’s dramatic true story is based on personal interviews and enhanced with archival photos. Description Tuyet remembers little about life before the Saigon orphanage, before polio left her limping and in constant pain, before the war made it too dangerous to stand under the bomb-filled Vietnam sky. Unable to play with the other children and knowing...

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Crossing the Farak River

Posted by on May 17, 2020 in Ages 11 and up, Asia (Southeast), Burmese, Myanmar, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Civil War, Theme: Community, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Racial Discrimination, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma | Comments Off on Crossing the Farak River

Crossing the Farak River

Crossing the Farak River By Michelle Aung Thin Published by Annick Press, Limited ISBN: 9781773213965 Age Range: 11+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “Myanmar is a country in crisis, and 14-year-old Hasina’s life is forever changed the day the helicopters arrive.”  —School Library Journal Description For Hasina and her younger brother Araf, the constant threat of Sit Tat, the Myanmar Army, is a way of life in Rakhine province—just uttering the name is enough to send chills down their spines. As Rohingyas, they know that when they hear the wop wop wop...

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When Stars Are Scattered

Posted by on Apr 24, 2020 in African (East), Ages 09 and up, Kenya, Somali, Somali American, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Building Futures, Theme: Civil War, Theme: Community, Theme: Family Death, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Foster Care, Theme: Identity, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Loss of Childhood, Theme: Refugee Life, Theme: Sibling Relationship, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma | Comments Off on When Stars Are Scattered

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...

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The Bone Sparrow

Posted by on Apr 11, 2020 in Ages 09 and up, Australia, Muslim, Oceania, Rohingyan, Theme: Bi-racial Identity, Theme: Community, Theme: Cross-Group Friendship, Theme: Detention, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Refugee Life, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma | Comments Off on The Bone Sparrow

The Bone Sparrow

The Bone Sparrow By Zana Fraillon Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers ISBN-13: 9781484781517 Age Range: 9+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat While addressing themes of loss, desperation, and injustice in an all-too-relevant setting, Fraillon’s resonant novel underscores the healing power of story.  —Publishers Weekly Description Subhi is a refugee. He was born in an Australian permanent detention center after his mother and sister fled the violence of a distant homeland, and the center is the only world he knows. But every night, the faraway whales sing...

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Without Refuge

Posted by on Apr 4, 2020 in Ages 09 and up, Middle East, Syria, Syrian, Theme: Civil War, Theme: Fleeing Persecution, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Loss of Childhood, Theme: Refugee Life, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma | Comments Off on Without Refuge

Without Refuge

Without Refuge By Jane Mitchell Published by Lerner Publishing Group ISBN-13: 9781541500501 Age Range: 9+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “After narrowly surviving an airstrike, Ghalib suddenly finds himself being forced to join the Kurdish Protection Units or else risk his life fleeing to Europe.”  —Kirkus Reviews Description Thirteen-year-old Ghalib wishes his life could go back to normal. He wishes he could still hang out at the market with his friends, root for his favorite soccer team, even go to school. But civil war has destroyed his home. As...

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Welcome to Nowhere

Posted by on Apr 4, 2020 in Ages 09 and up, Middle East, Syria, Syrian, Theme: Civil War, Theme: Community, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Fleeing Persecution, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Refugee Life, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma | Comments Off on Welcome to Nowhere

Welcome to Nowhere

Welcome to Nowhere By Elizabeth Laird Published by Pan Macmillan ISBN-13: 9781509840472 Age Range: 9+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat …where do you go when you can’t go home? Description Twelve-year-old Omar and his brothers and sisters were born and raised in the beautiful and bustling city of Bosra, Syria. Omar doesn’t care about politics – all he wants is to grow up to become a successful businessman who will take the world by storm. But when his clever older brother, Musa, gets mixed up with some young political activists, everything...

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Kunkush: The True Story of a Refugee Cat

Posted by on Apr 4, 2020 in Ages 08 and up, Iraq, Iraqi, Middle East, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Refugee Life, Theme: Separation & Reunion, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma | Comments Off on Kunkush: The True Story of a Refugee Cat

Kunkush: The True Story of a Refugee Cat

Kunkush: The True Story of a Refugee Cat By Marne Ventura Illustrated by Beidi Guo Published by Capstone ISBN-13: 9781515773191 Age Range: 8+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “A poignant and unvarnished depiction of immigration—both the heartache and the rewards.”  —School Library Journal Description Uses Common Core narrative nonfiction approach to tell the true story of a cat that becomes separated from his family when they flee Iraq for refuge in Europe. Their reunion will bring tears to the coldest heart. Groups Represented Iraqi Themes Family...

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Efren Divided

Posted by on Mar 30, 2020 in Ages 08 and up, Mexican American, North America, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Bi-racial Identity, Theme: Citizenship, Theme: Community, Theme: Deportation, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Loss of Childhood, Theme: Migrant Life, Theme: Sibling Relationship, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma, Theme: Undocumented Immigration, United States | Comments Off on Efren Divided

Efren Divided

Efren Divided By Ernesto Cisneros Published by HarperCollins Publishers ISBN: 9780062881687 Age Range: 8+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “Debut author Cisneros paints a vivid and palpable #ownvoices picture of the lost childhoods as children and parents are separated due to immigration issues.”  —Kirkus Reviews Description Efrén Nava’s Amá is his Superwoman—or Soperwoman, named after the delicious Mexican sopes his mother often prepares. Both Amá and Apá work hard all day to provide for the family, making sure Efrén and his younger siblings Max and Mía...

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Navid’s Story

Posted by on Mar 30, 2020 in Ages 08 and up, Asian (West), Iran, Kurdish Iranian, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Historical, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Loss of Childhood, Theme: Refugee Life, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma | Comments Off on Navid’s Story

Navid’s Story

Navid’s Story By Andy Glynne Published by Capstone ISBN-13: 9781515814153 Age Range: 8+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “The ordeals of refugee families [having to flee from conflict] are explored here in an attempt to ease the fears and emotions such turmoil can generate.”  —School Library Journal Description This is the real-life story of Kurdish Iranian refugee, Navid. Told in Navid’s own words, the story describes the fear and uncertainty Navid and his mother feel after they are forced to flee Iran, as well as the long journey they endure...

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The Everything I Have Lost

Posted by on Mar 27, 2020 in Ages 10 and up, Mexican, Mexico, North America, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Community, Theme: Family Relationships, Theme: Family Separation, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Learning English, Theme: Migrant Life, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma, United States | Comments Off on The Everything I Have Lost

The Everything I Have Lost

The Everything I Have Lost By Sylvia Zeleny Published by Cinco Puntos Press ISBN-13: 9781947627178 Age Range: 10+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | “This high-interest, authentic coming-of-age novel adds an important perspective to young adult collections.”  —School Library Journal Description 12-year-old Julia keeps a diary about her life growing up in Juarez, Mexico. Life in Juarez is strange. People say it’s the murder capital of the world. Dad’s gone a lot. They can’t play outside because it isn’t safe. Drug cartels rule the streets. Cars and people...

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Brown Girl Ghosted

Posted by on Mar 27, 2020 in Ages 14 and up, Indian American, North America, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Bi-racial Identity, Theme: Community, Theme: Cross-Group Friendship, Theme: Cultural Identity, Theme: Cultural Traditions, Theme: Race, Theme: Racial Discrimination, Theme: Trauma, United States | Comments Off on Brown Girl Ghosted

Brown Girl Ghosted

Brown Girl Ghosted By Mintie Das Published by HMH Books ISBN-13: 9780358128892 Age Range: 14+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “…deftly weaves an intricate and believable set of parallel worlds, expertly using Violet’s relationship with the Aiedeo and her own powers to explore tough issues of racism, misogyny, and sexual assault.”  —Kirkus Reviews Description Violet Choudhury may be part of the popular clique at school, but as one of a handful of brown girls in a small Illinois town, all she really wants to do is blend in and disappear....

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Story Boat

Posted by on Mar 10, 2020 in Ages 03 and up, Theme: Community, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Refugee Life, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma | Comments Off on Story Boat

Story Boat

Story Boat By Kyo Maclear Illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh Published by Tundra ISBN-13: 9780735263598 Age Range: 3+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat “A timely and uplifting book about and for refugees.”  —Kirkus Reviews Description When a little girl and her younger brother are forced along with their family to flee the home they’ve always known, they must learn to make a new home for themselves — wherever they are. And sometimes the smallest things — a cup, a blanket, a lamp, a flower, a story — can become a port of hope in a terrible storm. As the...

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Refugees

Posted by on Jan 12, 2020 in Ages 05 and up, Theme: Community, Theme: Fleeing Persecution, Theme: Human Rights, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Migrant Life, Theme: Refugee Life, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma, Theme: War | Comments Off on Refugees

Refugees

Refugees By Brian Bilston Illustrated by Jose Sanabria Published by Palazzo Editions ISBN-13: 9781786750723 Age Range: 5+ Find a copy at Amazon | IndieBound | B&N | Worldcat There are two sides to every debate. There are two sides to a wall. This story shows both sides of the issue with skill… Description Refugees is a book of two voices. The first one sees the people fleeing from war and persecution and asks, “Why here? Why my country?” It is a feeling many people share. It is one of fear and suspicion. But when you read the text the opposite way, a new voice emerges....

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The Unexpected Friend: A Rohingya Children’s Story

Posted by on Dec 17, 2019 in Asian (South), Bangladesh, Muslim, Theme: #OwnVoices, Theme: Fleeing Persecution, Theme: Immigration, Theme: Loss of Childhood, Theme: Refugee Life, Theme: Survival, Theme: Trauma | Comments Off on The Unexpected Friend: A Rohingya Children’s Story

The Unexpected Friend: A Rohingya Children’s Story

The Unexpected Friend: A Rohingya Children’s Story By Raya Rashna Rahman Illustrated by Inshra Russell Published by Guba Publishing LLC ISBN-13: 9781946747105 Find a copy at Amazon  | B&N | …made in partnership with Save the Children… Description A thoughtfully illustrated picture book, made in partnership with Save the Children, and based on the real lives of Rohingya children living in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The Rohingya are a Muslim minority of 1.3 million, formerly living in the Rakhine State within Myanmar. In summer 2017, hundreds of...

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