A War, Refugee, and Survival Middle Grade Book List
The Children’s Book Review
Currently, over 400 million children worldwide are impacted by war or violent conflict, according to UNICEF. Because of this, it is critically important that those children lucky enough to live lives free from violence and terror understand the stories and struggles faced by less fortunate children. In these three superb middle-grade novels, readers can dive into stories that build empathy and understanding for refugees and other people impacted by war through stories that ring with emotion and empowerment. Each story shows readers that even children can survive—and even make a difference!
Here are three books about war, refugees, and survival:
The Freezies
Written by Farrukh Dhondy
Ages: 7-12 | 144 Pages
Publisher: Trade Wind Books (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1990598272
What to Expect: Refugees, Immigration, Music, Friendship, Activism
In The Freezies, a group of middle-grade friends in the UK befriends a traveler and his adopted daughter. Mr. Christaki is a fascinating character who can mend anything and brings music to the little English village. With their help and support (and that of their parents), Mr. Christaki is able to settle and become a valued member of their community. However, when it emerges that Mr. Christaki is an illegal refugee from Syria, their new friend goes on the run—and it is up to the group of friends to find a way to make sure his case is heard fairly when it comes to court. This is a beautiful story about the power of young people to raise awareness and encourage empathy.
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Zia’s Story
Written by Shahnaz Qayumi
Illustrated by Nahid Kazemi
Ages: 7-12 | 96 Pages
Publisher: Trade Wind Books (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1990598142
What to Expect: Refugees, Fundamentalist Islam, Poverty, Education, and Immigration
Zia’s Story is the first-hand account of a young boy who is forced to flee Afghanistan after the rise of the Taliban. After Zia’s father is arrested, he and his mother fall on hard times, barely managing to scrape a living—especially as the Taliban’s strict laws forbid his mother to continue her job as a university professor. After his friends disappear and their street is bombed, Zia and his mother become refugees, seeking a safe haven in Pakistan. They hope to emigrate when they have saved enough money—but when their money is stolen, Zia’s mother falls into depression and does not notice that the new school her son has enrolled in seems to teach nothing but the Quaran… This is a story about the confusion and hurt that befalls children impacted by violent political regimes and the hope that they hold for a better future elsewhere.
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Rise of the Spider
Written by Michael P. Spradlin
Ages: 7-12 | 160 Pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (2024) | ISBN-13: 978-1-6659-4721-3
What to Expect: Hitler, Nazi Germany, Friendship, Brotherhood, Justice
Finally, Rise of the Spider is the first story in a series about a young boy, Rolf, living in Bavaria during Hitler’s rise to power. Through Rolf’s eyes, readers can experience the Nazi party’s growing power over the hearts and minds of ordinary—but suffering—people after the Treaty of Versailles. Rolf’s concern for his country and his Jewish neighbors makes a stark contrast to his brother Romer’s infatuation with the Nazis. As they read about Romer’s recruitment into the Hitler Youth, readers will come to understand how a nation of essentially good people can have assented to the atrocities that followed. This story is thought-provoking, emotive, and insightful.
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Header image from Zia’s Story written by Shahnaz Qayumi, published by Trade Wind Books (2024).
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