Looking for more in Book Lists?

Children's books for understanding migrant and refugee experiences

Language: English
Genre: Identity, Migration, Travel
Age group: 6-8, 9-11, 12-14
Topics: Anti-racism

We believe that books are a powerful tool and can provide a useful starting point for understanding the experience of migrants and refugees. These books tell moving stories about seeking refuge in a sensitive and hopeful way, encouraging older children to consider the challenges people face when forced to leave their homes. For further resources, see our taking a rights-based approach to fiction resource. Whilst we have marked these books with suggested ages, please note that they do depict the experience of migrants and refugees, including depictions of racism, bullying, war and death.

As with all our resources, we advise that you read the book before using it with your class and use your judgment about whether it is appropriate for the children you work with.

More information and useful links

Scotland extends a warm welcome to refugees and asylum seekers, recognising that it is a human right to be able to seek asylum. The New Scots integration strategy aims to support people who have fled conflict and persecution, or been forcibly displaced from their homes, and is supported both by the Scottish Government and a number of charities.

  • The Scottish Refugee Council is an independent charity dedicated to supporting people in need of refugee protection.

  • The Scottish Guardianship Service is run by Aberlour Children's Charity and the Scottish Refugee Council, supporting children and young people who arrive in Scotland alone and separated from their families.

  • Just Right Scotland is an organisation which uses the law to defend and extend the rights of people and which supports migrants, refugees and those who have been trafficked.

  • The Refugee Survival Trust provides refugees and people seeking asylum with practical support when it is most needed and seeks to build connections between people and campaign for change.

  • The UNHCR is the UN Refugee Agency which works to protect and assist refugees everywhere.

  • Refuweegee is a Glasgow-based charity which provides personal welcome packs and emergency support packs to people who have been forcibly displaced, predominantly in Glasgow but also across Scotland.

Kate Milner My Name Is Not Refugee

For readers aged 6-8 this is the story of a mother preparing her child to leave home and the uncertainty and strange new experiences this will bring. She tells him he will be called Refugee but must remember that this is not his name or identity. Perfect for sharing with young readers, this book helps children understand the emotional challenges and changes a child migrating may face.

Kathryn White Rachael Dean Home for Grace

For readers aged 6–8, this picture book follows Jess and her mum who strike up a friendship with Grace, a homeless woman who appears in a doorway in their town. Grace’s story of how she became homeless reveals that she is a refugee. We love how this story offers a nuanced look at both refugees and homelessness and illustrates the power of kindness and understanding.

Diane Ewen Floella Benjamin Coming To England

For readers aged 6–8, this book is inspired by Floella Benjamin's personal account of her family's move to the UK during the late 1950s as part of the Windrush Generation. Her father came first, seeking work. Soon after, her mother and two siblings moved to the UK, leaving Floella and her remaining siblings with family in Trinidad. Fifteen months later, Flora followed her parents to England. Floella shares her experience settling in the UK, missing her home, and encountering suspicion, hostility and a lack of welcome in some quarters. This is an eye-opening read that should be shared widely.

Issa Watanabe Migrants

For readers aged 9–11, this beautiful book follows a group of animals as they are forced to leave their homes and experience hurt, sacrifice and loss. However, hope is there in their strong bond and kindness. The story ends on an optimistic note, which will make all readers consider the responsibility of those who welcome migrants to a new home. This book is perfect for exploring with children and promises to spark conversations around migration and what it means to leave home to seek refuge.

Francesca Sanna The Journey

For readers aged 9–11, this book is a moving story of one family's experience of migration, loss and the search for a new home. Across borders and seas, a young girl and her family must travel to find safety – the unconditional love and security of their mother is the only constant in their lives. The reality of the experience makes for a difficult read, but it's not without hope for a better life too. Stunning illustrations capture the breadth of emotion experienced along the journey – contrasts of dark and light representing the dangers and hope along the way. A touching and important story to share with every child.

Catherine Bruton No Ballet Shoes in Syria

For readers aged 9–12, this chapter book follows eleven-year-old Aya, who has come to the UK with her baby brother and Mum from Syria, escaping the war. They are seeking asylum and must fight to remain in the UK. Aya stumbles across a local ballet class where the teacher spots her talent and recognises her potential to achieve a scholarship to a specialist ballet school. At the same time, Aya's Mum is suffering from depression, and the whole family is struggling to adapt to a new way of life. This book is about family and hope and is perfect for sharing and reading together. It champions the rights of refugees in a captivating and heart-warming way.

Doug Chayka Karen Lynn Williams Khadra Mohammed Four Feet, Two Sandals

For readers aged 9–12, this book is set in a refugee camp in Pakistan. When a relief worker brings clothes for those in the camp, ten-year-old Lina finds a sandal that fits her foot perfectly. She is thrilled until she discovers that another girl, Feroza, has already laid claim to the matching sandal. Together the girls find a way to share the sandals. Friendship, sacrifice and compromise are all explored in this beautiful story.

George Butler Drawn Across Borders: True Stories Of Migration

For readers aged 9–12, this book of drawings comes from George Butler’s real travels across different countries around the world. The words are carefully matched to the pictures to make an excellent book ideal for sharing with children and young people. There is something for everyone to explore in this book.

The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle

For readers aged 9–12, this book highlights some of the many practical, physical, and emotional challenges of settling in a new country. It also explores the different experiences of each family member as they make their own personal adjustments to the same situation. It is a book that shows the importance of human connections and the benefits of making friends and sharing and building a community together. An ideal book to read aloud and share with a class or large group.

Remy Lai Pie in the Sky

For readers aged 9–12, this is a poignant and laugh-out-loud story about moving to a new country and feeling like you have landed on Mars. Told through prose and comic-style illustrations, this is the story of Jingwen and his struggle to learn English and feel at home in a new land. It is also a story about cake and the importance of food to place, family and memory. This book will tickle your taste buds and pull at your heartstrings. Beautifully written and illustrated, it is a must-read.

Iman Geddy Omar Mohamed When Stars Are Scattered

For readers aged 11–14, this remarkable graphic novel explores the realities of growing up in a refugee camp. Hassan and his older brother Omar have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. This is a story of a childhood spent waiting and the dilemmas Hassan is faced with at a young age. He loves school and desires to learn, but how can he leave Omar alone when he is nonverbal? Part story and part memoir, the day-to-day events draw from the authors' own experiences. This is a moving and important read.

Shaun Tan The Arrival

For readers aged readers aged 12+, this wordless graphic novel depicts the experience of a man who leaves his wife and daughter to travel to a new and strange land. The story can be interpreted subjectively but explores the experiences of getting accustomed to a new place and situation while coping with feelings of loneliness. As a wordless book, this is a unique read and is accessible to all young people.

Andrew Donkin Eoin Colfer Giovanni Rigano Illegal

For readers aged 12–14, this is a powerful graphic novel that follows the story of one young man's quest to reach Europe and seek refuge. Ebo is alone, his sister left a month ago and his brother has disappeared too. He knows it is a dangerous journey to reach Europe, but it's worth the risk to see his family again. The dream of a reunion with his sister drives him across deserts, into treacherous seas and onto a boat that he knows might not last the journey. Beautifully illustrated, this is a moving story of a desperate quest to find family.

Deborah Ellis The Breadwinner

For readers aged 12–14, this novel follows Parvana, a young girl living under the Taliban. When Parvana's father is removed from the family home, there is no male in the household. Under Taliban law, women and children cannot leave their homes without a man, making them prisoners in their own home, facing starvation. Parvana makes the brave decision to dress as a boy, takes her father's place in the market and translates letters to earn money. How long can the family manage? This fictional story is based on genuine interviews with women and girls in refugee camps and is an insightful read into the challenges women around the world face.

Elizabeth Laird Welcome to Nowhere

For readers aged 12–14, this novel follows Omar and his brother Musa, who live in the beautiful city of Bosra, Syria, but are caught up in the civil war. First, they must flee to safety with family members. Soon they must make the dangerous journey to escape their homeland and seek refuge elsewhere. They take with them only what they can carry and ultimately arrive in a refugee camp where they struggle to survive. A moving and thought-provoking read, this book is a stirring call to action.