Refugees
Picture Books:
Playing war by Kathy Beckwith (Tilbury House, 2005)
Dan, Jen, Jeff and Luke enjoy dividing into soldiers and enemies to play war, but when Sameer, a new boy in the neighborhood, tells of losing his family in a real war, they feel differently about the game.
Gleam and Glow by Eve Bunting (Harcourt Inc., 2001)
After his home is destroyed by war, eight-year-old Viktor finds hope in the survival of two very special fish.
The long road by Luis Garay (Tundra Books, 1997)
The story of one boy’s frightening and arduous journey to a new country far away.
The lotus seed by Sherry Garland (Harcourt Brace, 1993)
A young Vietnamese girl saves a lotus seed and carries it with her everywhere to remember a brave emperor and the homeland she has to flee from.
The color of home by Mary Hoffman (Frances Lincoln, 2002)
Hassan has been forced to emigrate from war-torn Somalia and finds adjusting to a new culture and language a struggle.
Anna’s Goat by Janice Kulyk Keefer (Orca Books, 2000)
Based on a true story of World War II, Anna’s Goat is a moving statement about the refugee experience, told from a child’s unique point of view.
The roses in my carpets by Rukhsana Khan (Stoddart, 1998)
For a young refugee living with loss and terror-filled memories, time is measured by the next bucket of water, the next portion of bread, and the next call to prayer. Here, where everything - walls, floor, courtyard - is mud, a boy's heart can still long for freedom, independence, and safety. And here, where life is terribly fragile, the strength to endure grows out of need. But the strength to dreams comes from within.
From Far Away by Robert Munsch (Annick Press, 1995)
The story of a girl who came to North America from Beirut when she was five years old, to escape the war in her home country.
Little Dog Moon by Maxine Trottier (Stoddart Kids, 2000)
Two Tibetan children trying to reach Nepal, are assisted by a small dog who leads them through the mountains to safety.
Chapter books:
The Cat from Kosovo by Mary Jane Hampston (Nimbus, 2001)
A young couple are forced to flee their home in Kosovo. Their cat is not going to be left behind. So begins the tale of a cat who becomes a Canadian.
Kiss the Dust by Elizabeth Laird (Dutton, 1992)
Because the Iraqi secret police are looking for her father, Tara Hawrami and her family must flee the only home they have ever known and live in a brutal refugee camp.
The other side of truth by Beverly Naidoo (HarperTrophy, 2001)
After their mother's murder, Sade and her brother are smuggled out of Nigeria and sent to London foster homes. Their father escapes to join them, but will be sent back to Nigeria unless Sade can tell the world what happened to her family.
Grab hands and run by Frances Temple (Orchard Books, 1993)
Jacinto opposes the oppressive government of El Salvador. When he disappears, his wife, Paloma, & their son, 12-year-old Felipe, try to escape to freedom in Canada.
Non-fiction:
Where the river runs by Nancy Price Graff (Little, Brown, 1993)
Describes the experiences of a family of Cambodian refugees as they learn to adjust to a different way of life in the United States while holding on to their ethnic heritage.
One more border by William Kaplan (Groundwood Books, 1998)
The true story of one family’s escape from war-torn Europe.
Leaving Vietnam by Sarah Kilborne (Simon & Schuster, 1999)
Tells the story of a boy and his father who endure danger and difficulties when they escape by boat from Vietnam, spend days at sea, and then months in refugee camps before making their way to the United States.
Refugees by Carole Seymour-Jones (Macmillan, 1992)
Presents the history of refugees and their struggle to find homes in new lands.
One day we had to run by Sybella Wilkes (Millbrook Press, 1995)
Refugee children tell their stories in words and paintings.
Why We Left series by various authors (Steck-Vaughn Publishers)
An informative series that introduces children to the history, culture, and life-styles of displaced children who, for one reason or another, have been forced to leave their homes (some of the countries in the series include Bosnia, China, India, Palestine, Somalia and Vietnam).
Where possible, book descriptions have been taken from the books themselves.
