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Picture Books
Picture Books
I’m From (2023)
I’m From (2023)
Written by Gary R. Gray, Jr., Illustrated by Oge Mora
Written by Gary R. Gray, Jr., Illustrated by Oge Mora
Summary: A poetic writing that follows a young African American boy through his days and tells about where he is from by describing so many aspects of his days and life. He creates a picture of his life by telling about all the small moments in his life that make him who he is. He describes foods, handmade blankets, music, hair styles, books, and bedtime rituals, and transportation that all make up who he is. It gives many different ways a person can describe themselves and where they come from.
Recommended Audience: Ages 3-10 years
Review: The author, Gary R. Gray an African American writer who was born and raised in Preston, Nova Scotia, the largest Black community in Canada. He holds a master's degree in Early Elementary Pedagogy and has spent the last eleven years teaching abroad in Kuwait, Singapore, the Philippines, and most recently in Vietnam. His book is a way for children to see themselves through words that they hear in their families and that they hear words that are used in their house. Its illustrations are creative and carefree and create a beautiful picture of this young boys’ description of who he is and where he is from.
I’m from.movHome in a Lunchbox (2024)
Home in a Lunchbox (2024)
Written by Cherry Mo
Written by Cherry Mo
Summary: Jun moves from Hong Kong to America and only knows four words, (hello, thank you, toilet, and I don’t know. Each day she goes to school is overwhelming and scary and she does not understand but she finds peace and comfort each day when she opens her lunch box from home. Her favorite foods from home are always there, like dumplings and bok choy and she remembers that home isn’t that far away. She finds friendship and a feeling of calmness and belonging through sharing her food from home that her mother packs her.
Recommended Audience: Elementary Ages
Review: This book has excellent graphic novel like pictures that leave the reader following the story with very little dialogue. It is beautifully drawn showing the characters feelings and thoughts throughout and uses just enough words to give an understanding of the experience of coming to a new country and trying to fit in, understand what is going on, and not become completely overwhelmed. Food is the connection that brings the main character comfort and calmness and brings friendship and sense of belonging through sharing. The author of this book, Cherry Mo grew up in Hong Kong and moved to the United States at age 10 and this book is her share of her experience. I highly recommend this book to all readers.
A Different Pond (2017)
A Different Pond (2017)
Written by Bao Phi; Illustrated by Thi Bui
Written by Bao Phi; Illustrated by Thi Bui
Summary: A story of a refugee family who came from Vietnam to Minneapolis. The story focuses on a young boy and his father who go fishing before dawn to get dinner for the family before the father has to go to one of his many jobs. The simple quiet fishing trip is a discussion between the boy and his father about the hopes they have for the future and the reasons they left Vietnam.
Recommended Audience: Older Students
Review: A Different Pond is a beautifully written story about a family making ends meet as they move to the United States to flee war and conflict and find a safe place to live. It is a bit descriptive on war and loss and therefore may be best for older elementary ages. It does a nice job describing the struggles of this family and the difficult traumatic events that they went through. It paints a picture of the hard work of the parents to make a life for their children away from the war and their extended family. Both the author and illustrator grew up in Vietnam and moved to the US as children and these are the experiences that they had.
The Bicycle (2024)
The Bicycle (2024)
Written by Patricia McCormick and Mevan Babakar, Illustrated by Yas Imara
Written by Patricia McCormick and Mevan Babakar, Illustrated by Yas Imara
Summary: The Bicycle is based on the true story of Mevan Babakar’s own childhood as her family was forced by the Iraqi government to leave their long generation home that they loved so much in Kurdistan. Her family is forced to travel from country to safety. The family first fled to Turkey but were not welcome there. They then made their way to Azerbaijan but could not stay there. Mevan and her family had to hide and make themselves invisible to survive. They finally made the long trip to Russia where they could stay if they hid. Mean watched from her window other children play outside or with their toys but was never invited to join in. The other children made fun of her because of the color of her skin and because her hair was different. Mean made herself very small and tried to be invisible. After two years, her family had enough money to leave Russia and move to the Netherlands, where the people welcomed them and told them they could stay. Evan still hid in her apartment and watched the city below where everyone rode bikes to work, school, and the store wishing she could be outside and join them. The man who took care of the apartment that her family was staying in, would bring families things they needed. This kind man one day brought Mevan a bike and she was able to be just a kid like all the other kids. This one act of kindness was life changing for Mevan.
Recommended Audience: Elementary
Review: This book is a wonderful example of how one act of kindness can change a life. The book's author describes how being forced out of one's own country with nowhere to feel welcome and always feeling like an outsider in a way that young readers and listeners can understand. It teaches about the significant power of kindness and why it matters. The author went back to the Netherlands as an adult to find Egbert, the kind man who gave her a bike to thank him and let him know the profound impact he had on her life. This book is highly recommended as it may help others build empathy for all the people who do not have a safe place to live and the struggles and feelings they encounter.
Home is in Between (2021)
Home is in Between (2021)
Written by Mitali Perkins; Illustrations by Lavanya Naidu
Written by Mitali Perkins; Illustrations by Lavanya Naidu
Summary: A story of a little girl,named who is an immigrant from India to the United States and her experience of living in between two spaces, home and her Indian culture, and outside of the home and the US culture. The story tells about all the many things that Bahli has to switch between throughout her days. This is so very exhausting and difficult for her at times and she feels like she doesn't fully belong in either world.
Recommended Audience:
Review: I thought this book painted an accurate picture of what it must be like for so many children who have to code switch not only between languages all day long but also cultures. The author moved with her family from Bengal to the United States when she was seven years old. This book is her story of how hard she worked to understand American language and rituals and also stay fluent in Bengali language and culture. As an adult she realized what a gift it was and she hopes to spread the word to other young immigrants to celebrate the best of many worlds. There is a glossary at the end of words in Bangla. This is a book that I feel would be very relatable to many immigrant children and their families and a chance to see themselves in a book.
Dreamers (2018)
Dreamers (2018)
Written by Yuyi Morales
Summary: Dreamers is about a mother who comes to the U.S. with her 2 month old son. The story shows us how they didn't know the language or what to do. they walk around until they find a library and their world opens up. The books help them find words and speak up and dream about what they can become.
Recommended Audience:Anyone
Review: This book was inspiring and hopeful! There is beautiful language with a few Spanish words mixed in. The illustrations are disjointed in such a beautiful way showing how the characters' imaginations grow through books. The author talks about books feeling like home to her. There is also an alebrije at the start of the book when she is still in Mexico that disappears and returns when she discovers the library which I think adds an interesting layer to the story. The illustrations do an excellent job of showing Mexican culture, then her new country, and then Mexican culture again to show how isolated she is feeling in a new place. The author also includes a long list of books that inspired her, an author's note, and a description of how she created the book in the back matter. I highly recommend this book as it can be examined from different lenses for each read.
dear juno (1999)
dear juno (1999)
Written by Soyung Pak; Illustrated by Susan Kathleen Hartung
Summary: A boy named Juno receives a letter from his grandmother in Korea. He is unable to read the words but can decipher her message through the pictures she includes. He decides to send a "letter" back which is a series of pictures. They learn to communicate this way and deepen their bond even when far apart.
Recommended Audience: K-2
Review: This book was published in 1999, but I think it is able to stand the test of time due to the simple story. This book reminds me of Drawn Together by Minh Le. Juno is excited to get a letter from his grandmother and eager to share her news. He also brings it to school and the teacher hangs it on the board. This story shows how families can feel connected even when far apart and speaking different languages.
drawn together (2018)
drawn together (2018)
Written by Minh Le; Illustrated by Dan Santat
Summary: A boy goes to visit his grandfather who doesn't speak English. The boy does not want to visit his grandfather. They are unable to communicate until the boy starts to draw. The grandfather takes out his sketchbook and they draw together creating a new bond.
Recommended Audience: K-2
Review: There are few words in the story and the pictures do the telling. The expressions on the boy's face convey exactly what he is feeling which drives the story. The grandfather is a playful character that just wants his grandson to be happy. This book is a reminder of the importance of connecting with one another and there are other ways to do that besides talking.
I'm New Here (2018)
I'm New Here (2018)
Written by Anne Sibley O'Brien
Summary: New students are learning to find their way in the U.S. without knowing the language. There are 3 students from different places learning the spoken language, learning how to read and write English, and finding new friends.
Recommended Audience: K-2
Review: I like the diversity in this book and that it has perspectives from three different students and their different frustrations with being in a new culture. I also feel as though the other students in their class embrace their culture and learn a few things from the new students. The book shows that as the students are able to communicate better with their peers, their school lives improve. There is also a companion book called "Someone New" written by the same author. It shows the perspective of the classmates of the new students.
Lailah's Lunchbox (2015)
Lailah's Lunchbox (2015)
Written by Reem Faruqi; Illustrated by Lea Lyon
Summary: Lailah is excited to fast for the first time for Ramadan, but she is new to the U.S from Abu Dhabi and worried about explaining to her classmates why she isn’t joining at lunch.
Recommended Audience: K-2
Review: This was a really sweet book. I enjoyed seeing how proud Lailah was to begin fasting. She was mostly worried that people at her school would not know what Ramadan was. She confided in the librarian who suggested some ways that Lailah could feel more comfortable and encouraged Lailah to do some writing about her feelings. I appreciated how the adults in the story helped empower Lailah to advocate for herself while also coming up with a plan to support her. This book embraced differences and brought them into the community.
Gibberish (2022)
Gibberish (2022)
Written & Illustrated by Young Vo
Written & Illustrated by Young Vo
Summary: It’s Dat’s first day of school in a new country! Dat and his Mah made a long journey to get here, and Dat doesn’t know the language. To Dat, everything everybody says — from the school bus driver to his new classmates — sounds like gibberish. How is Dat going to make new friends if they can’t understand each other? Luckily there’s a friendly girl in Dat’s class who knows that there are other ways to communicate, besides just talking. Could she help make sense of the gibberish?
Recommended Audience: PreK - 3rd Grades
Review: This is a fantastic book that tells the story of a boy moving to a new country with a different language, but the author presents it in a way that feels relatable to everyone. Trying something new is hard; moving is hard; learning a new language is hard. But this story reminds us that with support, there’s always hope, and things can get better. The illustrations are stunning—every detail, from the expressive colors to the intricate quality, helps tell the story beautifully. Although it’s intended for grades Pre-K to 3rd, readers of any age can enjoy, discuss, and learn from this book. There’s so much to explore and talk about!
The Rock in My Throat (2024)
Written by Kao Kalia Yang; Illustrated by Jiemi Lin
The Rock in My Throat (2024)
Written by Kao Kalia Yang; Illustrated by Jiemi Lin
Summary: Written by a Hmong American based on her experience as a selective mute for most of her life. Kalia is an English learner who finds “recess is the hardest time of day.” After witnessing a grocery store clerk’s impatience with her mother’s limited English Kalia’s embarrassment gives way to selective mutism. Her family and her teacher ask her why she won’t speak. The reader gets an inside view of the heaviness within young Kalia and just how much she carries.
Recommended Audience: K and up
Review: From the Hmong embroidery on the end papers to the larger than life cashier clerk the illustrations are a beautiful complement to this complex and unique story. If kids can’t relate directly to Kalia they can relate to her struggle to find her voice in the classroom when the substitute is taking attendance and hopefully they relate to the end sequence when Julia Change invites Kalia to play at recess. Kalia can’t quite find her voice even then but the last line provides some hope: “One day, maybe she can be my friend.” The author’s note outlines Kao Kalia Yang’s experience as a selective mute for most of her life.
Extra: Two sentences of Hmong are only translated in the end at the conclusion of the author’s note. There is also a short note about the Hmong. Kao Kalia Yang is the author of many books for adults and children fulfilling her dream of going to a library and finding a book about her community.
Middle Grade
Middle Grade
Kareem Between (2024)
Kareem Between (2024)
Written by Shifa Saltagi Safadi
Written by Shifa Saltagi Safadi
Syrian-American Kareem is in 7th grade and wants to be on the American football team at his school more than anything. His friend moved away and he doesn’t make the team. The coach’s son and resident bully convinces Kareem to do his assignments in exchange for a place on the team. Meanwhile Kareem’s mom must return to Syria to help her ailing parents and the Muslim ban is preventing her from returning. This historical fiction novel in verse will be very popular with sports fans. It is accessible in length and content.
Audience: 4th - 8th grade
Review: Author, Shifa Saltagi Safadi, a middle school ESL teacher provides a plethora of content for educators and book clubs on her website. Her Syrian background and Chicago upbringing merge Arabic and football beautifully. I think a lot of middle grade readers will be able to relate to being between right and wrong, between friends, between parents and working to meet in the middle. The novel in verse format makes this chapter book accessible to many readers, especially sports fans.
When Stars Are Scattered (2020)
When Stars Are Scattered (2020)
Written By Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed; Illustrated by Victoria Jamieson
Written By Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed; Illustrated by Victoria Jamieson
Summary: When Stars are Scattered is a graphic novel about the life of Omar Mohamed (the book’s co-author), a Somalian refugee who lived for 15 years in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. As the primary caregiver of his disabled younger brother Hassan, Omar struggles with the decision to start attending school, and as the book follows him for the next 6 years, we see how that decision changes the course of his and Hassan’s life.
Review: When Stars Are Scattered is an emotional and eye-opening retelling of Omar Mohamed’s childhood in a refugee camp. He recounts the many challenges of growing up in such a place, causing any reader to reflect on their own lives and the privileges of having your basic needs met without a second thought. You are sucked into Omar and Hassan’s world, developing compassion and care for his foster mother Fatuma, and his friends Jeri, Nimo and Maryam. You root for Omar as he struggles with attending school, caring for his brother Hassan and hoping to one day be reunited with his mother, all while he works toward his dream of being resettled, first back to Somalia, and then to America.
Audience: 3rd grade- 8th grade
Content warnings: brief mentions of suicide, war violence, teen marriage and pregnancy
Formats: paperback graphic novel, audiobook, e-book
Additional resources: Omar Mohamed's nonprofit Refugee Strong
Unsettled (2022)
Unsettled (2022)
Written by Reem Faruqi
Written by Reem Faruqi
Summary: When her family moves from Pakistan to Peachtree City, all Nurah wants is to blend in, yet she stands out for all the wrong reasons. Nurah’s accent, floral-print kurtas, and tea-colored skin make her feel excluded, until she meets Stahr at swimming tryouts.
And in the water Nurah doesn’t want to blend in. She wants to win medals like her star athlete brother, Owais—who is going through struggles of his own in the U.S. Yet when sibling rivalry gets in the way, she makes a split-second decision of betrayal that changes their fates.
Ultimately Nurah slowly gains confidence in the form of strong swimming arms, and also gains the courage to stand up to bullies, fight for what she believes in, and find her place.
Recommended Audience: 3rd - 7th Grades
Review: This book is written in a novel-in-verse format, which makes it particularly appealing for reluctant readers. The poetic structure offers an engaging experience, breaking up the traditional block of text and making it feel less intimidating. This is a heartfelt story that provides valuable insight into the challenges and emotions of leaving one’s homeland to start anew in a different country. Loosely based on the author’s own experiences, the story carries a sense of authenticity and vulnerability that draws readers in. This personal connection shines through, adding depth and relatability to the characters and their struggles. In recent years, there has been an increase in books exploring themes of immigration and identity, but the novel-in-verse format sets this one apart. Its lyrical nature not only enhances the emotional resonance but also offers a fresh perspective, making it a standout choice among similar stories.
Other Words For Home (2021)
Other Words For Home (2021)
Written by Jasmine Warga
Written by Jasmine Warga
Summary: Other Words for Home is about a 12-year-old Syrian girl named Jude who moves to Cincinnati, Ohio with her mother to escape the violence in Syria. Moving in with her uncle and his family, Jude must learn how to adopt to her new surrounds. New friends, new culture and most important new language, Jude quickly learns that at first it is going to be challenging straddling two cultures but with her family and friends she quickly learns that her new home is not so bad.
Recommended Audience: Middle School 6-8
Review: After leaving her home and family in Syria Jude comes to the United States to get away from the political turmoil that has engulfed her family. Now leaving in Cincinnati with her uncles family and her mom and younger siblings. She has to navigate her new life, school, friends and family.
Areas of Intersectionality: Identity
Young Adult
Young Adult
Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice (2024)
Written by Anna Lapera
Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice (2024)
Written by Anna Lapera
Summary: Quiet Mani wants to be a woman and on the cusp of her 13th birthday she and her friends, “Las Nerdas” are anxiously awaiting their first menstrual periods. While navigating tampons and bra-snapping in middle school, Mani is struggling with an upcoming trip to Guatemala and an overprotective mother with some secrets of her own.
The author's experience as a middle school teacher informs her spot on account of harassment and recording in the halls while teachers turn a blind-eye or worse, blame victims for their clothing and demeanor.
Recommended Audience: 5th/6th grade or upper elementary and middle school
Review: The author has much in common with her main character. Both come from a Guatemalan mother and Hawaiian-Filipino German father (Mani’s father is actually Chinese-Filipino) and both spend their days at middle school. This much needed upper elementary middle school chapter book has well-developed characters and true to life hallway and bus abuse that kids will surely relate to. One secondary character is outlined as a cool girl, one of the in-crowd and out of reach of Mani and her friend group but when Mani witnesses her assault in the hallway and encourages her to report the incident the administration shuts them down. The cool girl leaves both social media and school leaving Mani confused but empowered to not let the culture of harassment continue. It is a frank and sometimes shocking account of what it is like to be an adolescent girl today: phones in class, bathroom passes (or lack thereof), misogynistic jokes, oblivious teachers and administrators. Ultimately, it is a story of finding your voice, collective action and fighting to change school culture.
Areas of Intersectionality: Identity, Gender & Sexuality
Frontera (2023)
Frontera (2023)
Written by Julio Anta & Jacoby Salcedo
Written by Julio Anta & Jacoby Salcedo
Summary: Mateo is a normal American teenager--at least he thought he was until his family is deported and he learns he is undocumented. Now in Mexico, Mateo is determined to get back to his friends and his normal life in Arizona and to cross the border. Abandoning the smugglers his parents have paid to guide him, Mateo decides to go alone. But the desert is more dangerous than Mateo realizes, and before long he knows that to make it home he'll need to seek help from unexpected sources if he's going to get home alive.
Recommended Audience: Grades 9-12
Review: This was such an unexpected way to share the story of undocumented Americans and the dangers of making the journey across the southern border. Frontera weaves together the history of border crossings, deportation, and migrant workers with paranormal elements (ghosts! Mystical magical jaguars!) and a very moving connection between the living and the dead. Mateo also encounters Native communities who live in the borderlands, vigilante groups terrorizing migrants and asylum seekers, and the vicious, painful reality that he is just a kid who needs help. I found this gripping and moving and an important part of the undocumented American experience.
Almost American Girl (2020)
Almost American Girl (2020)
Written by Robin Ha
Written by Robin Ha
Summary: When Robin leaves Korea for a vacation to visit family friends of her mom's in Alabama, she doesn't realize that they are actually moving to America until after they've arrived. Her mom is getting married and for the first time, it won't just be Robin and her mom against the world. Dropped into a culture and language, completely cut off from friends back home, and isolated at home where she doesn't get along with her new stepfamily and isn't speaking to her mother, Robin is miserable. But when she takes a class to learn how to draw comics, Robin slowly begins to open doors to a new life in the United States.
Recommended Audience: Grades 7-10
Review: I loved this memoir about Robin Ha's experience as young immigrant arriving in the U.S., away from her home culture and language in Korea. Her inability to communicate with peers and her isolation and bullying that she endures as the sole "foreign kid" was heartbreaking, but we also see her mother's strength and determination as a single Korean mom and desire to break the patriarchal model she's been forced to follow back in Korea. And we see how Robin begins to blossom under the friendship of a handful of welcoming kids, a kind and supportive English teacher, and art classes where she does not need language to communicate what she is feeling. A moving story that would pair well with other graphic memoirs about finding community through art like Hey, Kiddo, this is really wonderful and I think would make for an excellent all class read for middle schoolers or early high school.
Additional Reading:
LA Times: "Culture Chameleon: As a Korean American, I Often Feel Pressured to Change Who I Am" (2021)
ComicsBeat.com: "Interview: In Almost American Girl, the Universal Language of Comics Connected Robin Ha to Her New Culture" (2020)
This website is a work in progress and reflects the opinions of the professionals in the course Exploring Diversity in Children's Books 2024-2025. Please use this as a starting point and use your own judgment as to whether or not a book is appropriate for your teaching goals.
This website is a work in progress and reflects the opinions of the professionals in the course Exploring Diversity in Children's Books 2024-2025. Please use this as a starting point and use your own judgment as to whether or not a book is appropriate for your teaching goals.
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