Staff Picks
Immigration and Refugee Stories: Children's Novels and Nonfiction
- Caitlin B.
- Tuesday, August 16, 2022
Collection
Refugee and immigrant stories are American stories. Richland Library has a multitude of beautiful novels and nonfiction books that tell a variety of stories of children and families coming to America in search of a better life. You can place books on hold online or call us in the Children's Room at (803) 929-3434 and we will happily place holds for you to pick up in the CR or at any branch location.
Hear My Voice
The Testimonies of Children Detained at the Southern Border of the United States
Published in 2021
"A moving picture book for older children and families that introduces a difficult topic, amplifying the voices and experiences of immigrant children detained at the border between Mexico and the US. The children's actual words (from publicly available court documents) are assembled to tell one heartbreaking story, in both English and Spanish (back to back). Each spread is illustrated in striking full-color by a different Latinx artist. A portion of sales will be donated to human rights organizations thatwork with children on the border"-- Provided by publisher.
Sing, Don't Cry
Published in 2017
Presents a loving Abuelo who brings his guitar and memories on visits spent singing with his grandchildren in the face of good and bad times.
Zenobia
Published in 2018
When the Syrian war reaches Amina's village she is forced to escape, and during her perilous journey she thinks of the brave warrior Zenobia to remind her to stay strong.
Enchanted Air
Two Cultures, Two Wings
Published in 2015
Offers an account of the first fourteen years of the author's life in poems, telling of her time spent between her mother's native Cuba and her home in Los Angeles, until the revolution in Cuba dramatically alters relations between the two countries she loves.
One Good Thing About America
Published in 2017
"Anais, who has recently emigrated from Africa to Maine with her mother and young brother, copes with acclimating herself to a new country, understanding American culture, learning English, figuring out how to fit in at school, and moving from motel to shelter and finally to a permanent apartment"-- Provided by publisher.
Refugee
Published in 2017
Although separated by continents and decades, Josef, a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany; Isabel, a Cuban girl trying to escape the riots and unrest plaguing her country in 1994; and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy in 2015 whose homeland is torn apart by violence and destruction, embark on harrowing journeys in search of refuge, discovering shocking connections that tie their stories together.
Samira Surfs
Published in 2021
After months of rebuilding a new life in Bangladesh with her family, Samira decides to become a Bengali surfer girl of Cox's Bazar, in this novel in verse about a young Rohingya girl's journey from isolation and persecution to sisterhood, and from fear to power.
When Stars Are Scattered
Published in 2020
"Omar and his younger brother Hassan live in a refugee camp, and when an opportunity for Omar to get an education comes along, he must decide between going to school every day or caring for his nonverbal brother in this intimate and touching portrayal of family and daily life in a refugee camp"-- Provided by publisher.
Inside out & Back Again
Published in 2011
Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama.
Stormy Seas
Stories of Young Boat Refugees
Published in 2017
"A desperate last hope for safety and freedom. The plight of refugees risking their lives at sea has, unfortunately, made the headlines all too often in the past few years. This book presents five true stories, from 1939 to today, about young people who lived through the harrowing experience of setting sail in search of asylum: Ruth and her family board the St. Louis to escape Nazism; Phu sets out alone from war-torn Vietnam; José tries to reach the United States from Cuba; Najeeba fl es Afghanistan and the Taliban; and after losing his family, Mohamed abandons his village on the Ivory Coast in search of a new life. Stormy Seas combines a vivid and contemporary collage-based design with dramatic storytelling to produce a book that makes for riveting reading as well as a source of timely information. These remarkable accounts will give readers a keen appreciation of the devastating effects of war and poverty on youth like themselves, and helps put the mounting current refugee crisis into stark context."-- Provided by publisher.
Dreamers
Published in 2018
"An illustrated picture book autobiography in which award-winning author Yuyi Morales tells her own immigration story"-- Provided by publisher.
The Red Pencil
Published in 2014
"After her tribal village is attacked by militants, Amira, a young Sudanese girl, must flee to safety at a refugee camp, where she finds hope and the chance to pursue an education in the form of a single red pencil and the friendship and encouragement of a wise elder"-- Provided by publisher.
Look Both Ways in the Barrio Blanco
Published in 2015
When Jacinta Juarez is paired with a rich, famous mentor, she is swept away from the diapers and dishes of her own daily life into a world of new experiences. But crossing the line into Miss's world is scary. Half of Jacinta aches for the comfort of Mama and the familiar safety of the barrio, while the other half longs to embrace a future that offers more than cleaning stuff for white people. When her family is torn apart, Jacinta needs to bring the two halves of herself together to win back everything she's lost. Can she channel the power she's gained from her mentor and the strength she's inherited from Mama to save her shattered home life? --Amazon.com
The Land of the Cranes
Published in 2020
Nine-year-old Betita and her parents fled Mexico after her uncle was killed by the cartels, and settled in Los Angeles seeking political asylum and safety in what her father calls Aztlan, the land of the cranes; but now they have been swept up by by the government's Immigration Customs Enforcement, her father deported back to Mexico, and Betita and her mother confined in a family detention camp--Betita finds heart in her imagination and the picture poems her father taught her, but each day threatens to further tear her family apart.
Escape from Aleppo
Published in 2018
After Nadia is separated from her family while fleeing the civil war, she spends the next four days with a mysterious old man who helps her navigate the checkpoints and snipers of the rebel, ISIS, and Syrian armies that are littering Aleppo on her way to meeting her father at the Turkish border.
Other Words for Home
Published in 2019
Sent with her mother to the safety of a relative's home in Cincinnati when her Syrian hometown is overshadowed by violence, Jude worries for the family members who were left behind as she adjusts to a new life with unexpected surprises.
Brothers in Hope
The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan
Published in 2005
Eight-year-old Garang, orphaned by a civil war in Sudan, finds the inner strength to help lead other boys as they trek hundreds of miles seeking safety in Ethiopia, then Kenya, and finally in the United States.
Harbor Me
Published in 2018
"When six students are chosen to participate in a weekly talk with no adults allowed, they discover that when they're together, it's safe to share the hopes and fears they have to hide from the rest of the world"-- Provided by publisher.
Front Desk
Published in 2018
Recent immigrants from China and desperate for work and money, ten-year-old Mia Tang's parents take a job managing a rundown motel in Southern California, even though the owner, Mr. Yao is a nasty skinflint who exploits them; while her mother (who was an engineer in China) does the cleaning, Mia works the front desk and tries to cope with demanding customers and other recent immigrants--not to mention being only one of two Chinese in her fifth grade class, the other being Mr. Yao's son, Jason.
Room to Dream
Published in 2021
"After years of hard work, Mia Tang finally gets to go on vacation with her family--to China! A total dream come true. Mia can't wait to see all her cousins and grandparents again, especially her cousin Shen. As she roams around Beijing, witnessing some of the big changes China's going through, Mia thinks about the changes in her own life, like . . . 1. Lupe's taking classes at the high school! And Mia's own plans to be a big writer are . . . stuck. 2. Something happened with Jason and Mia has no idea what to do about it. 3. New buildings are popping up all around the motel, and small businesses are disappearing. Can the Calivista survive? Buckle up! Mia is more determined than ever to get through the turbulence, now that she finally has . . . room to dream!"--Provided by publisher.