Tag Archives: refugee

These Olive Trees by Aya Ghanameh

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Aya Ghanameh tells the story of her grandmother’s youth in Palestine. Oraib has a deep connection to the olives she collects with her mother, and, together, they use the olives in many ways to aid and improve their lives in the refugee camp. When the war comes to their camp, Oraib is forced to quickly gather her things to leave the only home she has known. As she leaves, Oraib uses an olive to give a message of hope for a better tomorrow. Ghanameh does a nice job presenting a complicated and heartbreaking story in a child-appropriate manner. The illustrations of Oraib and her family are charming, while the illustrations of the occupying forces as large ghostly hands are powerful and haunting. The author’s note in the back gives additional information about her grandmother’s story and the Israeli occupation of Palestine. 

My Name is Bana by Bana AlAbed

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This book is based on the words of a Syrian child refugee and human rights activist. Bana talks about what her name means in her native Arabic language – strong. She shows how she is strong and is a survivor. How war came to her home land and her family had to flee. She flies to a new place where she has to learn the language and make friends all over again. This is a very powerful picture book written from the voice of a 12 year old now living in Turkey with her family. I would STRONGLY recommend this book for students. As I once lived in Beirut, Lebanon, I saw many refugees from Syria. This book truly resonated with me.

Wherever I Go, by Mary Wagley Copp and illustrated by Munir D. Mohammed

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Beautifully illustrated picture book of a refugee family from who has been at the Shimelba Refugee Camp the longest — seven years! In spite of having to flee their humble home and community, the main character Abia (elementary aged) has been told by her father as she plays imaginary games, that she is a queen. He makes her a crown of the Acacia tree crowns and she feels like she has super powers while helping her mother with chores, or simply walking the perimeter of the camp with other kids. Eventually this family makes their way to the United States, where Abai can still howl to the hills.

This picture book concludes with resources and additional information in the back of the book. Such as informing the reader that there are 68 million displaced people in the world right now. About 25 million are classified as refugee status. Relevant books to further your reading are suggesting in a list in the back as well as middle grade and young adult list. Recommended+ for your library!

The Suitcase, by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros

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This simply-illustrated picture book would be a nice springboard for a discussion of welcoming refugees. Primarily written as a conversation between animals, each character’s dialogue is printed in the same color as their fur, eliminating the need for identifiers in the text.  When a strange animal arrives, three local animals are curious about his big suitcase. As the locals ask questions about the suitcase they become suspicious about the answers. Their mistrust leads to a violation of privacy, but also an act of contrition which creates an opening for friendship. The simplicity of the book means it is not a deep dive on the topic of providing a welcome for strangers, but creates the space for an adult to move the conversation in that direction. Younger children would appreciate the simple nature of the book, but it could lead to richer conversations with older elementary students.