Books about refugees and asylum seekers (older children)

Boy 87

Since asylum can be a confusing issue for children (and even adults), here are some books that explore what it really means to flee your home and have to start your life over.

These books are mainly aimed at older children.

Check out our list for younger children

Check out our list for teenagers

  • Leila and the Blue Fox

    Author: Kiran Millwood Hargrave Illustrator: Tom de Freston

    Interest level: 9-11

    Reading age: 9+

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  • Leila and the Blue Fox

    Author: Kiran Millwood Hargrave Illustrator: Tom de Freston

    Interest level: 9-11

    Reading age: 9+

    Can Miso the fox help Leila rediscover her mother? An incredibly moving story with breath-taking illustrations – perfect for upper…

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  • Boy, Everywhere

    Author: A. M. Dassu

    Interest level: 9-11

    Reading age: 9+

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  • Boy, Everywhere

    Author: A. M. Dassu

    Interest level: 9-11

    Reading age: 9+

    The story of Sami, a Syrian boy who is forced to leave his home with nothing when war strikes. 

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  • Refugee Boy

    Author: Benjamin Zephaniah

    Interest level: 10-14

    Reading age: 10+

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  • Refugee Boy

    Author: Benjamin Zephaniah

    Interest level: 10-14

    Reading age: 10+

    Alem's father is Ethiopian and his mother is Eritrean, and there is a dangerous conflict raging between the two countries.

    For his…

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  • Jackdaw Summer

    Author: David Almond

    Interest level: 12+

    Reading age: 8+

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  • Jackdaw Summer

    Author: David Almond

    Interest level: 12+

    Reading age: 8+

    Fate leads Liam to find an abandoned baby and as a result his life becomes entwined with that of Oliver, an African boy seeking as…

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  • Give Me Shelter

    Author: Editor: Tony Bradman

    Interest level: 9+

    Reading age: 9+

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  • Give Me Shelter

    Author: Editor: Tony Bradman

    Interest level: 9+

    Reading age: 9+

    Told through the eyes of children, this moving collection of short stories focuses on the experiences of asylum seekers from all o…

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  • The Bone Sparrow

    Author: Zana Fraillon

    Interest level: 10-14

    Reading age: 10+

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  • The Bone Sparrow

    Author: Zana Fraillon

    Interest level: 10-14

    Reading age: 10+

    Focusing on a friendship between two young refugees, The Bone Sparrow is one of those rare, special books that will break your hea…

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  • Christophe’s Story

    Author: Nicki Cornwell and Karin Littlewood

    Interest level: 8+

    Reading age: 7+

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  • Christophe’s Story

    Author: Nicki Cornwell and Karin Littlewood

    Interest level: 8+

    Reading age: 7+

    Christophe arrives as a Rwandan refugee in an English primary school, and initially suffers bullying...

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  • Azzi in Between

    Author: Sarah Garland

    Interest level: 6-12

    Reading age: 7

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  • Azzi in Between

    Author: Sarah Garland

    Interest level: 6-12

    Reading age: 7

    This is a moving tale of a refugee family told in graphic novel style and so appealing to a wide range of younger readers.

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  • Boy 87

    Author: Ele Fountain

    Interest level: 10-11

    Reading age: 10+

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  • Boy 87

    Author: Ele Fountain

    Interest level: 10-11

    Reading age: 10+

    This is a timely and important book which illuminates the realities of life as a refugee. The horrors that 14-year-old Shif i…

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  • The Island

    Author:

    Interest level: 9+

    Reading age: 8+

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  • The Island

    Author:

    Interest level: 9+

    Reading age: 8+

    This chilling picture book about prejudice, intolerance and the plight of refugees will spark classroom discussions with older rea…

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  • Welcome to Nowhere

    Author: Elizabeth Laird

    Interest level: 9-11

    Reading age: 9+

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  • Welcome to Nowhere

    Author: Elizabeth Laird

    Interest level: 9-11

    Reading age: 9+

    Omar doesn't know much about politics, nor does he care, however, when his older brother, Musa, throws his lot in with the student…

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  • Child I

    Author: Steve Tasane

    Interest level: 9-11

    Reading age: 9+

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  • Child I

    Author: Steve Tasane

    Interest level: 9-11

    Reading age: 9+

    This heartbreaking tale of a group of children living in a refugee camp is based on real events, and will make readers both young …

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  • A Story Like The Wind

    Author: Gill Lewis Illustrator: Jo Weaver

    Interest level: 9-11

    Reading age: 9+

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  • A Story Like The Wind

    Author: Gill Lewis Illustrator: Jo Weaver

    Interest level: 9-11

    Reading age: 9+

    Gill Lewis’s brief but beautiful story is rich in wonder, as well as being a timely reminder of the refugee crisis. Mixed wi…

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  • A Dangerous Crossing

    Author: Jane Mitchell

    Interest level: 9-13

    Reading age: 9+

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  • A Dangerous Crossing

    Author: Jane Mitchell

    Interest level: 9-13

    Reading age: 9+

    This heartbreaking story depicts the reality of fleeing war, as told by a 13-year-old boy. Not only is their story told with compa…

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  • Shadow

    Author: Sir Michael Morpurgo

    Interest level: 9+

    Reading age: 9+

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  • Shadow

    Author: Sir Michael Morpurgo

    Interest level: 9+

    Reading age: 9+

    This is a candid exploration of the injustices of war, at home and away, and an unflinching account of the treatment of asylum see…

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