32 Books to Add to Your Reading List
Looking for your next great read? We've got you covered! RHP has curated a fantastic list of books that are perfect for readers of all ages who want to learn more about the global refugee crisis. Whether you're searching for heartwarming children's stories, thought-provoking young adult novels, or gripping adult narratives, our recommendations offer valuable insights into the experiences, challenges, and resilience of refugees around the world. These compelling reads will help you foster empathy, understanding, and a deeper awareness of the refugee experience. So grab a cozy spot, dive into these enlightening stories, and join us in expanding our hearts and minds. Happy reading!
Written by Refugee Hope Partners Youth
Brave Histories & Hopeful Futures: Voices of a Refugee Community, Volume 1. “Produced through a collaboration between Refugee Hope Partners (RHP) and NC State University’s Literacy and Community Initiative (LCI). During the 2021-2022 school year, RHP students gathered on Saturday mornings to participate in writing workshops led by LCI. The students explored ideas relating to identity, experience, community, and change. Through poetry, prose, narratives, and letters, the students captured their brave histories and hopeful futures. This book details experiences of escaping dangerous countries, reflects on what it means to belong, and calls for action against inequity. Brave Histories & Hopeful Futures: Voices of a Refugee Community serves as a way to share individual and collective voices of strength.”
Brave Histories & Hopeful Futures: Voices of a Refugee Community, Volume 2
“Read and learn from these inspiring writers as they explore their identities, experiences, community, and advocate for meaningful changes in the world. Through poetry, prose, narratives, letters, and multimodal text productions, the students captured their histories, both joyful and sorrowful, and explored their anticipated futures. This book exhibits the beautiful resilience of diverse backgrounds through critical topics and creative prompts. Brave Histories & Hopeful Futures: Voices of a Refugee Community, Volume 2 shows how individual and collective voices come together to demonstrate the strength of their community.”
Brave Histories & Hopeful Futures: Voices of a Refugee Community, Volume 3
“This moving mosaic of writing and art by refugee students offers a reflection on their past experiences and hopes for the future. Through a partnership among Refugee Hope Partners, the Literacy Community Initiative, and the North Carolina Museum of Art, these young students have come together for sessions on Saturday mornings to create and weave together pieces of art, prose, and narratives for this collection. These pieces are not only representative of their individual tales of resilience but also of their now-connected lives. Through these pages, you can hear their laughter, see the beauty of their creativity, admire their courage, and be encouraged to join in their chorus of solidarity as they dream about a world that is better for all. Overall, this multimodal book speaks to the universality of the human experience with pieces of artwork and writing that cover a multitude of topics.”
Other Reads Written by Great Authors
What is a Refugee? “In this simple, graphic and bold picture book for young children, author/illustrator Elise Gravel explores what it means to be a refugee. This book is the perfect tool to introduce an important and timely topic to children”
Brothers in Hope. “Based on heartbreaking yet inspirational true events in the lives of the Lost Boys of Sudan, Brothers in Hope is a story of remarkable courage, and an amazing testament to the unyielding power of the human spirit.”
Four Feet, Two Sandals . “When relief workers bring used clothing to the refugee camp, everyone scrambles to grab whatever they can. Ten-year-old Lina is thrilled when she finds a sandal that fits her foot perfectly, until she sees that another girl has the matching shoe. But soon Lina and Feroza meet and decide that it is better to share the sandals than for each to wear only one.”
All Are Welcome . “Readers will follow a group of children through a day in their school, where everyone is welcomed with open arms. A school where students from all backgrounds learn from and celebrate each other's traditions. A school that shows the world as we will make it to be”
Mustafa. “Mustafa and his family traveled a long way to reach their new home. Some nights Mustafa dreams about the country he used to live in, and he wakes up not knowing where he is. Then his mother takes him out to the balcony to see the moon ― the same moon as in their old country. Through a series of similar evens, Mustafa begins to become part of his new world.
Finding Home . “From war zones to politics, there are many reasons why people have always searched for a place to call home. In Finding Home: The Journey of Immigrants and Refugees we discover how human migration has shaped our world. We explore its origins and the current issues facing immigrants and refugees today, and we hear the first-hand stories of people who have moved across the globe looking for safety, security and happiness.”
My Two Blankets. “Cartwheel moves to a new country with her auntie, and everything is strange: the animals, the plants—even the wind. An old blanket gives Cartwheel comfort when she’s sad—and a new blanket just might change her world”
My Name is Not Refugee. “One day, a mother tells her young son that they must say goodbye to their old friends and leave home - it’s just not safe. They will have to walk a very long way. When they reach a safe place to make a new home, the boy must remember that although children may call him Refugee, that is not his real name.”
Lubna and Pebble. “Lubna's best friend is a pebble. Pebble always listens to her stories. Pebble always smiles when she feels scared. But when a lost little boy arrives in the World of Tents, Lubna realizes that he needs Pebble even more than she does.”
The Journey. “With haunting echoes of the current refugee crisis this beautifully illustrated book explores the unimaginable decisions made as a family leave their home and everything they know to escape the turmoil and tragedy brought by war. This book will stay with you long after the last page is turned.”
Far From Home. “Woken in the middle of the night, a young boy knows that what he fears has come to pass: he and his family must begin their long journey away from everything he’s ever known. When he meets a kind lady at a bus station, she tells him the story of another boy who had to go on a hard journey, but who grew up to save the whole world.”
Tani’s New Home. “Tani was just six years old when he and his family fled persecution in Nigeria and became refugees in New York City. Tani was amazed, and a little overwhelmed, by all the new things in America. But one new experience turned out to be the most wonderful discovery. “
The Red Pencil. “Finally, Amira is twelve. Old enough to wear a toob, old enough for new responsibilities. And maybe old enough to go to school in Nyala-- Amira's one true dream. But life in her peaceful Sudanese village is shattered when the Janjaweed arrive. After she loses nearly everything, Amira needs to dig deep within herself to find the strength to make the long journey-- on foot-- to safety at a refugee camp. Her days are tough at the camp, until the gift of a simple red pencil opens her mind-- and all kinds of possibilities.”
Sea Prayer. “A short, powerful, illustrated book written by beloved novelist Khaled Hosseini in response to the current refugee crisis, Sea Prayer is composed in the form of a letter, from a father to his son, on the eve of their journey. Watching over his sleeping son, the father reflects on the dangerous sea-crossing that lies before them. It is also a vivid portrait of their life in Homs, Syria, before the war, and of that city's swift transformation from a home into a deadly war zone.”
One Good Thing About America. “Back home, nine-year-old Anaïs was the best English student in her class, but here in Crazy America it feels like she doesn't know English at all. Nothing makes sense (chicken fingers?), and the kids at school have some very strange ideas about Africa. So she writes letters to Oma and tells her about Halloween, snow, mac 'n' cheese dinners, and princess sleepovers. She tells her all about the weird things Crazy Americans do, and how she just might be turning into a Crazy American herself.”
When Stars are Scattered. “Omar and his younger brother, Hassan, have spent most of their lives in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya. Life is hard there: never enough food, achingly dull, and without access to the medical care Omar knows his nonverbal brother needs. So when Omar has the opportunity to go to school, he knows it might be a chance to change their future . . . but it would also mean leaving his brother, the only family member he has left, every day.”
A Long Walk to Water. “A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about two eleven-year-olds in Sudan, a girl in 2008 and a boy in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours’ walk from her home: she makes two trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the “lost boys” of Sudan, refugees who cover the African continent on foot as they search for their families and for a safe place to stay.”
Welcome to the New World. “Welcome to the New World tells the Aldabaans’ story. Resettled in Connecticut with little English, few friends, and even less money, the family of seven strive to create something like home. As a blur of language classes, job-training programs, and the fearsome first days of high school (with hijab) give way to normalcy, the Aldabaans are lulled into a sense of security. A white van cruising slowly past the house prompts some unease, which erupts into full terror when the family receives a death threat and is forced to flee and start all over yet again. The America in which the Aldabaans must make their way is by turns kind and ignorant, generous and cruel, uplifting and heartbreaking.”
We are Displaced. “Malala's experiences visiting refugee camps caused her to reconsider her own displacement—first as an Internally Displaced Person when she was a young child in Pakistan, and then as an international activist who could travel anywhere in the world except to the home she loved. In We Are Displaced, Malala not only explores her own story, but she also shares the personal stories of some of the incredible girls she has met on her journeys—girls who have lost their community, relatives, and often the only world they've ever known. “
Refugee. “Three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers -- from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end.”
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow. “Salama Kassab was a pharmacy student when the cries for freedom broke out in Syria. She still had her parents and her big brother; she still had her home. She had a normal teenager’s life Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily. Salama must contend with bullets and bombs, military assaults, and her shifting sense of morality before she might finally breathe free.”
Everything Sad is Untrue. “At the front of a middle school classroom in Oklahoma, a boy named Khosrou (whom everyone calls "Daniel") stands, trying to tell a story. His story. But no one believes a word he says. To them he is a dark-skinned, hairy-armed boy whose lunch smells funny. But Khosrou's stories, stretching back years, and decades, and centuries, are beautiful, and terrifying, from the moment he, his mother, and sister fled Iran in the middle of the night, stretching all the way back to family tales set in the jasmine-scented city of Isfahan, the palaces of semi-ancient kings, and even the land of stories.”
The Beekeeper of Aleppo. “Nuri is a beekeeper; his wife, Afra, an artist. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo--until the unthinkable happens. When all they care for is destroyed by war, they are forced to escape. As Nuri and Afra travel through a broken world, they must confront not only the pain of their own unspeakable loss, but dangers that would overwhelm the bravest of souls. Above all, they must journey to find each other again.”
After the Last Border. “ The welcoming and acceptance of immigrants and refugees have been central to America's identity for centuries--yet America has periodically turned its back in times of the greatest humanitarian need. After the Last Border is an intimate look at the lives of two women as they struggle for the twenty-first century American dream, having won the "golden ticket" to settle as refugees in Austin, Texas.“
When Helping Hurts. “Poverty is much more than simply a lack of material resources, and it takes much more than donations and handouts to solve it. When Helping Hurts shows how some alleviation efforts, failing to consider the complexities of poverty, have actually (and unintentionally) done more harm than good. But it looks ahead. It encourages us to see the dignity in everyone, to empower the materially poor, and to know that we are all uniquely needy—and that God in the gospel is reconciling all things to himself.”
Seeking Refuge. “We can’t ignore the refugee crisis—arguably the greatest geo-political issue of our time—but how do we even begin to respond to something so massive and complex. In Seeking Refuge, three experts from World Relief, a global organization serving refugees, offer a practical, well-rounded, well-researched guide to the issue. Who are refugees and other displaced peoples? What are the real risks and benefits of receiving them? How do we balance compassion and security?”
Beyond Welcome. “Many American Christians have good intentions, working hard to welcome immigrants with hospitality and solidarity. But how can we do that in a way that puts our immigrant neighbors first rather than pushing them to the fringes of white dominant culture and keeping them as outsiders? That's exactly the question Guatemalan immigrant, Karen González, explores in Beyond Welcome. “
No Longer Strangers. “ Evangelism can hurt sometimes. Well-meaning Christians who welcome immigrants and refugees and share the gospel with them will often alienate the very people they are trying to serve through cultural misconceptions or insensitivity to their life experiences. In No Longer Strangers, diverse voices lay out a vision for a healthier evangelism that can honor the most vulnerable—many of whom have lived through trauma, oppression, persecution, and the effects of colonialism—while foregrounding the message of the gospel. “
The Stranger at Our Shore. “A gripping tale of escape from Egypt, The Stranger at Our Shore is the true story of one young man’s journey out of Islam into new life in Christ. Through his remarkable testimony, Chicago pastor Joshua Sherif calls the Western Church to reconsider the plight of the modern day sojourners in our land—the strangers at our shore and the ones living right next door—and to return wholeheartedly to its first charge: making disciples. The book examines three ways believers harden their hearts towards the stranger and suggests three practical remedies to help us begin casting a wider net for discipleship in our communities.”