See the world from an unexpected perspective.
As our nation — along with our global community — struggles with the complicated issues of crisis migration and immigration policy, great fiction can play an essential role in helping families understand the human story behind the headlines. Doing Good Together has gathered the stories below for this purpose. Enrich your reading with thoughtful conversation starters to help readers think deeply about the experiences of others.
Don’t forget to check out our collection of picture books about immigrants and refugees for even more stories to broaden your perspective.
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Download this incredible (and free) tool to talk about immigration, including books, videos, and conversation starters for elementary, middle school, and high school kids.
What would it be like to be forced to leave home suddenly? What would you pack if you had just a little time? What would you miss?
What could help make a refugee feel more comfortable and less scared in their new home?
With older children, explain what "refugee" means -- someone who is forced to flee their home because they fear they will lose their lives or freedom if they stay.
Together, imagine arriving in a new country without knowing the language or customs. Help your child "walk in the shoes" of a refugee child by asking:
What would it be like to have to leave home suddenly?
What would you pack if you had just a little time? (Many refugees leave their homes with little warning and cannot even bring basic necessities.)
What would you miss?
How would you feel?
What could help make a refugee feel more comfortable and less scared in their new home?
Always reassure children that they are safe, and focus on positive ways to make a difference rather than on despair.
Featured Title
Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh
This captivating novel introduces two young boys from very different backgrounds — one is a refugee from Syria and the other is an American who has just moved to Belgium. While tackling the weighty issues of prejudice, fear, friendship, and kindness, the boys forge a friendship and learn from each other what it means to be brave and how hope can change your destiny.
More DGT Favorites
Middle Grade (ages 8 to 12)
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
This wordless graphic novel does an exceptional job of illuminating the immigrant experience.
Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q Raúf
All of Onjali Q Raúf’s books offer incredible moments for reflection and empathy, especially the earnest portrayal Ahmed — a Syrian refugee — in Boys at the Back of the Class. Alexa is excited to befriend Ahmed when he joins her London school, but from day one, he d don’t talk or make eye contact. Alexa’s mom helps her understand Ahmed’s experience, deconstructing misconceptions Alexa hears from classmates at school. Join Alexa, Ahmed, and their friends on a moving adventure to reunite Ahmed with his family, an adventure that takes them all the way to the Queen.
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Sudden tragedy during the great depression forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California and settle in a camp for Mexican farmworkers. Esperanza isn’t ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance and bullying she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances. It’s a powerful, award-winning, and much-loved story.
Extra Credit by Andrew Clements
To pass the 6th grade, Abby Carson has to take on an extra credit project: find a pen pal in a distant country. She’s paired with Sadeed in Afghanistan, and readers will be captivated by the letters flow back and forth, uncovering important truths about community, the world, and their place in it.
Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate
Join Kek on his journey from Africa to Minnesota. Separated from his month, Kek finds himself in foster care where he slowly begins to make friends — and learns to handle Minnesota’s tough winters — while he waits to connect with his mother.
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
This stunning story is drawn from the author’s own experience as a refugee. Told through poetic verse, this novel is known for its illumination of the immigrant experience, but watch for heart-wrenching lessons in the importance of treating people well even when they speak, look, and act differently.
Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar
This novel in poetry follows 9-year-old Betita from her home in the United States to a detention facility. To cope with the horrible conditions and separation from her parents, Betita relies on poetry, and her father’s story of cranes, using this overarching metaphor to talk about her clipped wings and her song. She draws and writes poetry to send to her Papi which she gives to a lawyer to pass along and tell her story. Ultimately, the family is reunited, though they are forced to agree to voluntary departure and an uncertain future.
My Family Divided: One Girl’s Journey of Home, Loss, and Hope by Diane Guerrero with Erica Moroz
Reflective of the experiences of millions of undocumented immigrant families in the United States, Diane Guerrero (Orange is the new Black) shares her personal story in My Family Divided. This book, like so many on our list, is at once heartbreaking and hopeful.
Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
This hopeful novel in verse features Jude, a Syrian refugee who must move to America, where at first everything seems too fast and too loud. Jude finds herself pleasantly surprised to find new friends, a new family, and even a new hobby that just might spark a new kind of joy.
Refugee by Alan Gratz
Three stories are expertly woven together in this unforgettable, best-selling novel, perfect for fifth graders on up. Living in different times, different countries, and facing different dangers, these children all face harrowing dangers in storylines that come together in a satisfying and unforgettable conclusion.
Shooting Kabul by N.H. Sendai
This award-winning book about immigration is a powerful story of hope, love, and perseverance. When Fadi and Mariam’s parents flee their home of Afghanistan and emigrate to the United States, Fadi unexpectedly has to leave Mariam behind. Even while he struggles to adjust to life in America, Fadi is looks for ways to bring Miriam to their new home.
When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
A former Somali refugee teams up with the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl to create this remarkable graphic novel about growing up in a refugee camp. Full of heartbreak, hope, tenderness, and humor, this is an unforgettable book.
Teens and Parents
Americanized: A Rebel without a Greencard by Sara Saedi
This funny memoir shares one teen’s experience growing up undocumented in America. The book opens with thirteen-year-old Sara Saedi uncovering a family secret: she was breaking the law simply by living in the United States. After all, she was only two years old when her parents fled Iran. Balancing her fear of not having a green card with her fear of not having a prom date isn’t easy, but her story is both hilarious and enlightening.
American Street by Ibi Zoboi
Here the author fictionalizes her own experience as a teen immigrating from Haiti to the U.S., transforming her story into a magical, intense, and all-too difficult portrayal of the true cost of the American Dream. Never more relevant than now, American Street opens with the mother and daughter arriving immigrating to Detroit only to be quickly separated when Fabiola’s mother is sent to a detention facility. Fabiola is left to navigate the complexities of their new home, her new school, and the grittiness of this new life on her own.
The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez
The main plot is sewn together with the stories of many men and women who have immigrated to the U.S., giving the reader a profound sense of the common fears, hopes, and obstacles faced by immigrants as they work to build new lives for themselves.
The Distance Between Us: Young Readers Edition by Reyna Grande
This captivating memoir starts when Reyna’s parents set out on the dangerous journey to cross the Mexican border in search of the American Dream while she and her brother stay with their grandmother.
The Lines We Cross by Randal Abdel-Fattah
The divided political opinions about immigration seem much less black-and-white when viewed up close and personal through the eyes of those affected. At least, that’s what Michael discovers when he meets Minna, a lovely Muslim refugee from Afghanistan, whose personal story opens his eyes to the complicated, heart-breaking, and hopeful stories hidden behind the political divide.
You Bring the Distant Near by Mitali Perkins
Told in alternating teen voices across three generations, this beautiful story of love, family, and friendship captures the immigrant experience for one Indian-American family with humor and heart. Perkins weaves together the threads of a family growing into an American identity. Here is a sweeping story of five women at once intimately relatable and yet entirely new.
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