Finding Home: Words from Kids Seeking Sanctuary by Gwen Agna and Shelley Rotner, photographed by Shelley Rotner (Clarion Books, 32 pages, ages 4-8). Children and their families from around the world come to the United States seeking sanctuary from war, famine, natural disasters, and other dangers. Many of the photos have cartoon bubbles with kids describing in their own words how they felt when they had to leave their countries, what they miss, and the difficulties and joys in their new homes. There’s additional narrative at the end about how some of the families got to the United States, as well as resources for kids, adults, and parents, caregivers, and educators about how to make families feel welcome.
This book has some personal connections to me, because: 1. the author and photographer live near me, and I have met Shelley Rotner, 2. my Quaker meeting is part of a Circle of Care for one of the families in this book, and 3. my school in Springfield has three classes of refugee kids who have missed at least two years of school due to their circumstances. This book is at just the right level for helping kids (and adults) understand what these families have gone through and to help make them welcome in the U.S.
The Circuit: Graphic Novel by Francisco Jiménez, illustrated by Celia Jacobs (Clarion Books, 240 pages, grades 4-8). Francisco Jiménez’s memoir has been adapted as a graphic novel, telling the story of Francisco as a child, moving with his family from Mexico to California, where they became migrant workers, traveling from one farm to the next to pick cotton, strawberries, grapes, and other crops. Francisco loves to learn, but school is sandwiched between jobs, and his story is a series of losses, as he befriends kids he’ll never see again and loses his precious journal in a fire. There’s enough humor and joy to prevent the story from getting too bleak, and the story feels somewhat timeless, although I think it takes place in the 1940’s. The heart stopping cliffhanger on the last few pages will leave readers like me fervently hoping that more of Jiménez’s books will be published in graphic format.
Lost & Found: Based on a True Story by Mei Yu (Union Square Kids, 128 pages, grades 2-5). Mei Yu recounts her memories of moving from China to Canada at a young age (probably six or seven). With English words in a green font, readers can see how few words she understands at school and the scary situations that ensue: using the wrong bathroom, thinking kids are laughing at her, losing her beloved sketchbook. Mei eventually uses the sketchbook to create a collection of English words, and before long, she is able to communicate and begin to make friends. An author’s note gives more information about her experience, as well as a simple glossary of Chinese words. There’s a funny bonus story about how Mei got her beloved toy cat, who appears real to her, a la Calvin and Hobbes.
It’s a pretty simple story, but the difficulties of immigration are presented in a way that beginning readers will be able to understand, and everyone is sure to love the manga-style artwork.