Tens of thousands of people around the world flee their homes every year to escape conflict beyond their control. War, famine, religious violence, and oppressive rule are just some of the reasons refugees may leave their homelands in search of a better life and more stable environment.
After a journey that may itself present life-threatening conditions, refugees may face the challenge learning a different language, managing a higher cost of living, and navigating unwelcoming neighbors.
Explaining to your child that some people are forced to leave their homes for different reasons, and then go to great lengths to build a new home in a different place, will give them perspective about the experiences others go through. Creating awareness of the refugee experience also sets your child up to be more welcoming and have more empathy for people in this position.
For its 100th anniversary, Scholastic spoke with experts to identify a set of books, articles, and tips that make starting a conversation with your child about the refugee experience thoughtful and informative. These resources are part of a broader initiative, called the Scholastic Bookshelf, created for Instagram to raise awareness around contemporary issues affecting children today.
Nonfiction Books Featuring Refugee Stories
Based on exclusive interviews and using real names, dates, and places, 10 True Tales: Escape to Freedom tells the stories of young refugees — from Syria, Iraq, Burma (also known as Myanmar), Bosnia, Somalia, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Cambodia, and Vietnam — and their brave pursuit of a better life in the United States.
Meanwhile, the rescue effort to transport Jewish children from Hitler’s Germany to England ahead of World War II and the events of the Holocaust are documented in We Had to Be Brave: Escaping the Nazis on the Kindertransport. Award-winning author Deborah Hopkinson uses personal accounts of Kindertransport survivors to piece together this moving story of sacrifice and starting over.
Fiction Books Featuring Refugee Stories
A popular teacher pick for the classroom, Alan Gratz’s Refugee is an action-packed novel about three children seeking refuge across space and time. Josef is fleeing 1930s Nazi Germany. Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994 hoping to find safety with her family in the U.S. And in 2015, Syrian Mahmoud and his family set off for Europe amid religious violence at home. Their three timelines will connect in surprising ways by the book’s end.
And a harmonica connects the three main characters in Echo, from award-winning author Pam Muñoz Ryan (whose works include Esperanza Rising). Hitler’s Nazi Germany, Depression-era Pennsylvania, and post-Pearl Harbor California are the backdrops of this innovative novel that explores the healing powers of music.
Be sure to visit the Scholastic Bookshelf for more resources on refugees and other must-discuss topics. If you’re planning to talk with your child about other complex topics and seek tips or book recommendations, we invite you to visit our Tough Topics hub. You’ll find a wealth of advice from Scholastic editors to help you navigate challenging conversations thoughtfully. Recent topic additions include:
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