We’ve teamed up with A Day of Welcome, Empathy Lab, and Refugee Week to create a list of recommended books for both young people and adults, to build empathy for those forced to flee their homeland and seek sanctuary.
Stories connect us—to ourselves, to each other, and to the communities we build. Directly or indirectly, we all have links to stories of migration and displacement, and this June we encourage you to harness the power of stories to help create more welcoming, empathetic school communities.
Below is a selection of the incredible books we have included in our book list. They are broken down into age groups: Primary (ages 5–11) and Secondary (aged 11–16), plus a handful of recommendations for adults!
You can download the full book list by clicking the button below.
For primary schools
Courage in a Poem by various poets (Caterpillar Books)
A vibrant, beautifully illustrated poetry collection exploring courage, self-belief and kindness. Through powerful, uplifting poems by Kate Wakeling, Matt Goodfellow, Sophia Thakur and others, young readers are encouraged to recognise their inner strength and celebrate themselves.
Star! by Michaela Morgan (Troika Books)
The biography of Nadia Nadim who, with her mother and siblings, escaped the Taliban in Afghanistan. As an adult, Nadia has championed girls’ education, been a celebrated football star, a surgeon and role model. Her inspirational story shows the power of human determination to overcome extreme challenge.
Wild Journey by A.M. Dassu (Bloomsbury Publishing PLC)
Five children across Egypt, Morocco, Spain and France witness the sweeping movement of starling murmurations. As the birds migrate, their stories of adventure, danger and discovery unfold, linking the children’s lives and marking the beginning of their own transformative journeys.
Ellis Island: Immigration and the American Dream by Felipe Galindo Feggo (Macmillan Publishers)
An engaging introduction to Ellis Island, once America’s busiest immigration centre and a symbol of hope for millions seeking refuge and new beginnings. This book explores how the island came to process over 12 million arrivals and how it became an enduring landmark of freedom, history and human journeys.
Mayowa and the Sea of Words by Chibundu Onuzo (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
Ten‑year‑old Mayowa discovers she can ‘book jump,’ using the emotions in stories to affect the real world. When she sees a chance to help refugees, she leaps into action—but other book jumpers have darker plans. An imaginative adventure about empathy, courage and the power of stories.
For secondary schools
My Name is Samim by Fidan Meikle (Floris Books)
It has never been more important to help young people understand the experience of people forced to flee their homes. This story is inspired by a true event. Samim is a boy carrying unimaginable trauma, so thank goodness for the compassion of the new family and friends who fight for him and help him heal.
Refugee by Alan Gratz, illustrated by Syd Fini (Scholastic)
A gripping graphic novel following three refugee children—Josef in Nazi Germany, Isabel in 1990s Cuba and Mahmoud in wartorn Syria. Their dangerous journeys, decades apart, reveal courage, hope and
unexpected connections, brought vividly to life with powerful, atmospheric illustrations.
Choose Love by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Petr Horáček (Graffeg Books)
A compassionate poetry collection by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Petr Horáček, offering powerful glimpses into refugee experiences— leaving home, facing fear and searching for safety. Evocative poems and artwork invite readers to understand, empathise and choose love.
Phoenix Brothers by Sita Brahmachari (Oxford University Press)
Mo and Amir arrive in the UK as refugees. Two friends trying to make sense of their new lives whilst dealing with such loss. They react differently – Mo is angry, Amir is quiet and fearful. But through people who open their hearts to the boys, they finally find hope and joy.
One Day: A True Story of Courage and Survival in the Holocaust by Michael Rosen & Benjamin Phillips (Walker Books Ltd)
This picture book for older readers tells the true story of Eugène and Oscar Handschuh, a father and a son who escaped transportation to Auschwitz and joined the resistance. A story of human endurance and courage and a reminder of the intense cruelty that follows when empathy is lost.
For adults
Martyr by Kaveh Akbar (Pan Macmillan)
This award-winning haunting debut novel follows Cyrus, a young man grappling with grief, memory and identity as he searches for the truth behind his mother’s death on a plane shot down over the Persian Gulf. Travelling from New York to Tehran, he uncovers revelations that challenge everything he thought he knew.
Crossing: A love story between Italy and Palestine by Sabrin Hasbun (Footnote Press)
A beautiful family memoir and winner of the 2025 Footnotes X Counterpoints Prize, tracing Sabrin Hasbun’s half-Italian, half-Palestinian heritage. After her mother’s death, she revisits her parents’ love story and her dual identity, exploring grief, belonging and what it means to lose both people and place.
Hostile Environment: How immigrants became scapegoats by Maya Goodfellow (Verso Books)
A sharp, accessible critique of the UK’s immigration system, showing how decades of racist, xenophobic policy have created a punitive and
dehumanising framework. Drawing on interviews and analysis, Maya Goodfellow reveals its human cost and makes a compelling case for a fairer, more compassionate approach.
Still Alive by Safdar Ahmed (Fantagraphics Books)
Weaving journalism, history, and autobiography, Still Alive is an intensely personal indictment of Australia’s refugee detention policies and procedures, which are not unlike those in many Western nations. It is also a searching reflection on the redemptive power of art (and death metal).
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch (Oneworld Publications)
A gripping Booker Prize-winning novel set in a nearfuture Ireland sliding into
totalitarian rule. When secret police detain her husband, Eilish is pushed into a terrifying struggle to protect her children. A powerful portrait of a society unravelling and a mother’s fierce resilience in the face of rising tyranny.
A Day of Welcome (13 June 2026)
A Day of Welcome is an annual day of solidarity and learning in schools that aims to build a culture of welcome and understanding for people seeking sanctuary. Celebrated by over 820 schools in 2025, it’s designed to support teachers in kickstarting Refugee Week by providing free live events, resources and activities for pupils of all ages.
Refugee Week (15–21 June 2026)
Through art, stories, and community, Refugee Week celebrates the courage that lives within us all – and how connection helps it grow. This year’s theme, ‘Courage’, invites us to celebrate refugees for their courage to face unknown journeys, learn new languages, navigate unfamiliar systems, or simply to wake up each morning and step into an uncertain world.
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