In this short blog post I am going to list beautiful, amazing, moving and brave books that tackle the ever-present issue of being a refugee.  I was moved to do this very late at night having read an article on the far-right anti-foreigner movement in Germany and their attacks on refugee camps, which follows on from the crisis in Calais and the shameful British press response.

Many schools find themselves with new pupils who have suffered the trauma of having to leave behind all they know in order to find a safe place to live. As educators it is our role to tackle these meaty issues head-on and what better way than through story.

‘Four feet, Two Sandals’ K. Williams – honours the experiences of refugee children around the world.

‘The Librarian of Basra’ J. Winter – a true story from Iraq

Here is the video link from Youtube –

‘Give Me Shelter: Stories About Children Who Seek Asylum’  T. Bradman – human physical and emotional suffering, but also about the humanity of some.

‘Christophe’s Story’ N. Cornwell – about a young refugee who struggles to share his experiences with others

‘Malalal Yousafai: Warrior with Words’ – child friendly biography

‘Malala a Brave Girl from Pakistan / Iqbal a Brave Boy from Pakistan’ J. Winter – a seriously moving tale.  Tragically Iqbal did not survive so the story needs to be sensitively used.

‘I have the right to be a child’ A.Serres – the Convention on the rights of the Child drawn up by the United Nations.

‘The Hundred Dresses’ E. Esten – a Polish girl is mocked for her stories. A valuable lesson for all.

‘The Matchbox Diary’ P. Fleischman – a story of immigration across the genarations

‘A Child’s Garden : A Story of Hope’ M. Foreman – a boy’s world is in ruins.  Can a tiny green shoot give him hope in a bleak landscape?

‘The Silence Seeker’ B. Morley – a family of asylum seekers move in next door.

‘The Island’ A. Greder – Picture book about a man on a tattered raft discovered on a beach. A powerful picture book about refugees and xenophobia and human rights.

‘The Arrival’ S.Tan – What drives someone to leave all they know behind.  A wordless book – the story of every migrant.

These are just a small sample of the powerful books you need to share with your children.