Living in Limbo: a reading list for Refugee Week 2020 Cover illustration: 'LandEscape' created by Jal Kong age 15 from South Sudan, currently living in Kakuma refugee camp. Contents Fiction for Younger Readers ...................................................................................................... 2 Fiction for Young Adults ............................................................................................................. 7 Adult Fiction ............................................................................................................................. 12 Non-Fiction ............................................................................................................................... 16 1 | P a g e Fiction for Younger Readers Nadine Dreams of Home by Bernard Ashley Age recommendation 7+ A touching yet serious story with an ultimately uplifting ending. Nadine doesn't like her new life. She doesn't speak the language, she can't understand what's going on, and more than anything, it's just not home. Especially since her father isn't here with them in the UK. But it just wasn't safe in Goma anymore, not with the uprising and the violence of the rebel soldiers. So, Nadine tries to find something in her new life that will remind her of the happy memories of Africa. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 7+ Give Me Shelter edited by Tony Bradman Age recommendation 9+ The phrase 'asylum-seeker' is one we see in the media all the time. It stimulates fierce and controversial debate, in arguments about migration, race and religion. The movement of people from poor or struggling countries to those where there may be opportunities for a better life is a constant in human history, but it is something with particular relevance in our own time. This collection of short stories shows us people who have been forced to leave their homes or families to seek help and shelter elsewhere. Some are about young people travelling to other countries, others are concerned with children left behind when parents are forced to flee. These are stories about physical and emotional suffering, but also about the humanity of some people from host countries who act with generosity and sympathy. Running on the Roof of the World by Jess Butterworth Age recommendation 9+ There are two words that are banned in Tibet. Two words that can get you locked in prison without a second thought. I watch the soldiers tramping away and call the words after them. 'Dalai Lama.' Tash has to follow many rules to survive in Tibet, a country occupied by Chinese soldiers. But when a man sets himself on fire in protest and soldiers seize Tash's parents, she and her best friend Sam must break the rules. They are determined to escape Tibet - and seek the help of the Dalai Lama himself in India. And so, with a backpack of Tash's father's mysterious papers and two trusty yaks by their side, their extraordinary journey across the mountains begins. 2 | P a g e Illegal by Eoin Colfer and Eoin Donkin Age recommendation 10+ This is a powerful and timely story about one boy's epic journey across Africa to Europe, a graphic novel for all children with glorious colour artwork throughout. Ebo is alone. His sister left months ago. Now his brother has disappeared too, and Ebo knows it can only be to make the hazardous journey to Europe. Ebo's epic journey takes him across the Sahara Desert to the dangerous streets of Tripoli, and finally out to the merciless sea. But with every step he holds on to his hope for a new life, and a reunion with his sister. Christophe’s Story by Nicki Cornwell and Karin Littlewood Age recommendation 8+ This is the story of a young Rwandan refugee now living in the UK. Christophe is having trouble getting used to his new school, new language and new life. Life has been very lonely for him. Most of all he misses his grandfather who they had to leave behind. His teacher persuades Christophe to share his story with his classmates - so he tells them of the terrifying day the soldiers came to his house and killed his baby brother. The spoken story fills the air and his classmates are spellbound. But when his teacher asks him to write it down and read it out in assembly, Christophe is horrified. You lose the fire from a story once you write it down! But with the help of his new friends, his family and the memory of his beloved grandfather, Christophe finds a way to break through the barriers - and share his story with everyone. Boy 87 by Ele Fountain Age recommendation 10+ Shif is just an ordinary boy who likes chess, maths and racing his best friend home from school. But one day, soldiers with guns come to his door - and he knows that he is no longer safe. Shif is forced to leave his mother and little sister and embark on a dangerous journey; a journey through imprisonment and escape, new lands and strange voices, and a perilous crossing by land and sea. He will encounter cruelty and kindness; he will become separated from the people he loves. Boy 87 is a gripping, uplifting tale of one boy's struggle for survival; it echoes the story of young people all over the world today. 3 | P a g e The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon Age recommendation 10+ Sometimes, at night, the dirt outside turns into a beautiful ocean. As red as the sun and as deep as the sky. Yet the ocean is something Subhi has never seen and the sky only as wide as the he can see. Born in a refugee camp, all Subhi knows of the world is that he's at least 19 fence diamonds high, the nice Jackets never stay long, and at night he dreams that the sea finds its way to his tent, bringing with it unusual treasures. Then, one day it brings him Jimmie. Carrying a notebook that she's unable to read and wearing a sparrow made out of bone around her neck - both talismans of her family's past and the mother she's lost - Jimmie strikes up an unlikely friendship with Subhi beyond the fence. As he reads aloud the tale of how Jimmie's family came to be, both children discover the importance of their own stories in writing their futures. Azzi in Between by Sarah Garland Age recommendation 6+ Azzi and her parents are in danger. They have to leave their home and escape to another country on a frightening journey by car and boat. In the new country they must learn to speak a new language, find a new home and Azzi must start a new school. With a kind helper at the school, Azzi begins to learn English and understand that she is not the only one who has had to flee her home. She makes a new friend, and with courage and resourcefulness, begins to adapt to her new life. But Grandma has been left behind and Azzi misses her more than anything. Will Azzi ever see her grandma again? Drawing on her own experience of working among refugee families, renowned author and illustrator Sarah Garland tells, with tenderness and humour, an exciting adventure story to be enjoyed by readers of all ages. The Island by Armin Greder Age recommendation 9+ In the morning the people of the island found a man sitting on the shore, there where fate and the ocean currents had set him and his frail raft in the night. When he saw them coming towards him, he rose to his feet. He was not like them. This internationally acclaimed, award-winning picture book is astonishing, powerful and timely. 4 | P a g e Oranges in No-Man’s Land by Elizabeth Laird Age recommendation 8+ Since her father left Lebanon to find work and her mother tragically died in a shell attack, ten-year-old Ayesha has been living in the bomb-ravaged city of Beirut with her granny and her two younger brothers. The city has been torn in half by civil war and a desolate, dangerous no man's land divides the two sides. Only militiamen and tanks dare enter this deadly zone, but when Granny falls desperately ill, Ayesha sets off on a terrifying journey to reach a doctor living in enemy territory. Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth Laird Age recommendation 11+ Twelve-year-old Omar and his brothers and sisters were born and raised in the beautiful and bustling city of Bosra, Syria. Omar doesn't care about politics - all he wants is to grow up to become a successful businessman who will take the world by storm. But when his clever older brother, Musa, gets mixed up with some young political activists, everything changes . .Before long, bombs are falling, people are dying, and Omar and his family have no choice but to flee their home with only what they can carry. Yet no matter how far they run, the shadow of war follows them - until they have no other choice than to attempt the dangerous journey to escape their homeland altogether. But where do you go when you can't go home? A Story Like the Wind by Gill Lewis, illustrated by Jo Weaver Age recommendation 9+ A beautifully illustrated story of freedom, music, and seeking refuge. A small group of refugees is crowded on to a boat on the sea. They share their stories as the boat travels towards the dream of safety and freedom. One boy, Rami, has brought his violin, and his story of how the violin was invented, and of a stallion that could run like the wind, weaves through the other stories, bringing them all together into a celebration of hope and of the power of music and story.