SchoolS of Sanctuary Reading List
11-13 Years Fiction
Boy 87 by Ele Fontaine
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
The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Rauf
When a new boy joins their class, a group of children try to befriend him They soon learn that Ahmet is a refugee and has been separated from his family None of the grown-ups seem to be able to help him, so the friends come up with a daring plan, embarking on an extraordinary adventure.
The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
It’s 1947, and India, newly independent of British rule, has been separated into two countries: Pakistan and India. Half-Muslim, half-Hindu twelve-year-old Nisha doesn’t know where she belongs, or what her country is anymore. When Papa decides it’s too dangerous to stay in what is now Pakistan, Nisha and her family become refugees and embark first by train but later on foot to reach her new home. Told through Nisha’s letters to her mother, The Night Diary is a heartfelt story of one girl’s search for home, for her own identity…and for a hopeful future
No Ballet Shoes in Syria by Catherine Bruton
Aya is eleven years old and has just arrived in Britain with her mum and baby brother, seeking asylum from war in Syria.
When Aya stumbles across a local ballet class, the formidable dance teacher spots her exceptional talent and believes that Aya has the potential to earn a prestigious ballet scholarship.
But at the same time, Aya and her family must fight to be allowed to remain in the country, to make a home for themselves and to find Aya's father - separated from the rest of the family during the journey from Syria
11-13 Years Fiction
Welcome to Nowhere by Elizabeth
Laird
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.
A House Without Walls by Elizabeth Laird
Thirteen-year-old Safiya and her family have been driven out of Syria by civil war Safiya knows how lucky she is – lucky not to be living in a refugee camp, lucky to be alive. But it's hard to feel grateful when she's forced to look after her father and brother rather than go back to school, and now that she's lost her home, she's lonelier than ever
As they struggle to rebuild their lives, Safiya realizes that her family has always been incomplete and with her own future in the balance, it's time to uncover the secrets that war has kept buried
Boy, Everywhere by A.
M. Dassu13 year old Sami has a good life in Damascus, playing football and computer games with his friends, nagging his parents for new trainers and trying to get time on the iPad. Although he knows there is war in the rest of the country, he never seriously imagines it will reach Damascus It’s a normal life; a peaceful life – and as it turns out, a life that can be destroyed at any moment. When a bomb goes off at a shopping mall, shattering his little sister’s childhood, his family decide to sell everything and flee Syria So begins Sami’s journey across Europe, and into danger, poverty and fear.
Shadow by Michael Morpurgo
Never have Aman and his mother needed a friend more than when a Springer Spaniel appears – thin and war-ravaged – in the mouth of their Afghan cave Nursed back to health by Aman, the dog becomes a constant companion, a shadow, and that's what Aman decides to call her But life in Afghanistan becomes more dangerous by the moment. Eventually, Aman, his mother and Shadow find the courage to embark upon the treacherous journey from war-torn Afghanistan to the safely of a relative's home in Manchester, England.
11-13 Years Fiction
Chose Love by Nicola Davies
A cycle of poems about the realities people face as they are forced to leave everything they know behind to seek safety and asylum in other countries. The essence of the stories come from true accounts of refugees and the aid workers who help them on their perilous journeys. Readers can expect to be emotionally kidnapped for the duration of the book Split across three parts: departure, arrival and healing, the poems within each section correspond to the thoughts and emotions surrounding each section of a refugee’s journey
Island by David Almond
Louise has travelled with her father to the island of Lindisfarne every year ever since she can rememberit's the place Louise's mother loved best of all. The arrival of Hassan from war-torn Syria changes everything Louise is restless and yearning for independence; meanwhile, the fiercely free and selfreliant Hassan seems to know the island from long ago as if it were his home from birth. Hassan is an acrobat, maybe a sorcerer, possibly a source of great danger. The wild boys who call the island their home want to cast him out
The forces of love, death and hope move Louise and Hassan together. Lindisfarne will change their lives forever.
Safiyyah‘s War by Hiba Noor Khan
When war arrives in Paris and the Nazi occupation begins, the lives of Saffiyah and her family and friends change forever. Safiyyah lives at the Grand Central Mosque in Paris with her family This book shines a light on the role the Great Mosque in Paris played in helping the Jewish community, offering an insight into a less known part of World War Two. Drawn into danger, will Safiyyah be able to summon the courage to enter the catacombs beneath Paris and lead the Jews to safety in this daring, exciting and genuinely tense read?
13-16 Years Fiction
The Bone Sparrow by Zana
FraillonBorn 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
The Crossing by Manjeet Mann
Natalie's world is falling apart She's just lost her mum and her brother marches the streets of Dover full of hate and anger Swimming is her only refuge Sammy has fled his home and family in Eritrea for the chance of a new life in Europe. Every step he takes on his journey is a step into an unknown and unwelcoming future
A twist of fate brings them together and gives them both hope. But is hope enough to mend a broken world?
Salt to the Sea by Rutya Sepetys
It's early 1945 and a group of people trek across Germany, bound together by their desperation to reach the ship that can take them away from the war-ravaged land
Four young people, each haunted by their own dark secret, narrate their unforgettable stories...
Ruta Sepetys devoted three years of research into what still remains the worst maritime disaster in history, the sinking of the German military transport ship the Wilhelm Gustloff in 1945 Some 9,400 lives were lost.
As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Fatouh
Salama Kassab was a pharmacy student when the cries for freedom broke out in Syria She still had her parents and her big brother; she still had her home. She was even supposed to be meeting a boy to talk about marriage. Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors. She knows that she should be thinking about leaving, but who will help the people of her beloved country if she doesn't?
13-16 Years Fiction
I
Am Malala by Malala YousafzaiIn the face of Taliban oppression, one girl's unwavering defiance sparked a worldwide movement Shot in the head for daring to seek an education, Malala Yousafzai defied all odds, emerging stronger than ever. From a valley in Pakistan to the global stage, she became a beacon of peaceful resistance and the youngest Nobel laureate I Am Malala is an extraordinary story of resilience, a family shattered by terrorism and the power of one voice to inspire change in the world.
Stateless by Elizabeth Wein
It is 1937 and tensions are high A spectacular air race around Europe seeks to promote unity among a group of young pilots, but distrust and animosity are rife The British and sole female contestant, Stella North, is determined to prove not only her skill, but also her identity as her Nansen passport declares her 'stateless'
However, barely a few hours in, Stella is witness to a horrifying attack when a contestant’s plane is forced out of the air and crashes. Was this the work of another competitor desperate to win? Was the attack random or premeditated and, most importantly, will it happen again?
With the competition heating up and the death ruled an accident, Stella is left to form her own investigation. Can she find allies among her fellow competitors or will suspicion and deceit bring them all down?
Refugee by Alan Gratz
Josef is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America Mahmoud is a Syrian boy in 2015 With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe…All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge
16+ years Fiction
In the Sea There Are Crocodiles by
Fabio Geda(translated from Italian)
One night before putting him to bed, Enaiatollah's mother tells him three things: don't use drugs or weapons, don't cheat, don't steal The next day he wakes up to find she isn't there Ten-year-old Enaiatollah is left alone at the border of Pakistan to fend for himself. In a book that takes a true story and shapes it into a beautiful piece of fiction, Italian novelist Fabio Geda describes Enaiatollah's remarkable five-year journey from Afghanistan to Italy where he finally managed to claim political asylum aged fifteen. A series of almost implausible strokes of fortune enabled him to get to Turin, find help from an Italian family and meet Fabio Geda, with whom he became friends
When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi
Mahmoud's passion for his wife Fereiba, a schoolteacher, is greater than any love she's ever known But their happy, middle-class world-a life of education, work, and comfort-implodes when their country is engulfed in war, and the Taliban rises to power. Mahmoud, a civil engineer, becomes a target of the new fundamentalist regime and is murdered. Forced to flee Kabul with her three children, Fereiba has one hope to survive: she must find a way to cross Europe and reach her sister's family in England
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Afghanistan, 1975: Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to win the local kite-fighting tournament and his loyal friend Hassan promises to help him. But neither of the boys can foresee what will happen to Hassan that afternoon, an event that is to shatter their lives After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must return to Afghanistan under Taliban rule to find the one thing that his new world cannot grant him: redemption
The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christi Lefteri
Nuri is a beekeeper; his wife, Afra, an artist. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo - until the unthinkable happens When all they care for is destroyed by war, they are forced to escape As Nuri and Afra travel through a broken world, they must confront not only the pain of their own unspeakable loss, but dangers that would overwhelm the bravest of souls Above all - and perhaps this is the hardest thing they facethey must journey to find each other again.
16+ years Fiction
Everything I Never Told You by
Celeste NgLydia is the favourite child of Marilyn and James Lee; a girl who inherited her mother's bright blue eyes and her father's jet-black hair Her parents are determined that Lydia will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursuein Marilyn's case that her daughter become a doctor rather than a homemaker, in James's case that Lydia be popular at school, a girl with a busy social life and the centre of every party But Lydia is under pressures that have nothing to do with growing up in 1970s small town Ohio. Her father is an American born of first-generation Chinese immigrants, and his ethnicity, and hers, make them conspicuous in any setting
Small Island by Andrea Levy
It is 1948, and England is recovering from a war Queenie Bligh's neighbours do not approve when she agrees to take in Jamaican lodgers, but Queenie doesn't know when her husband will return, or if he will come back at all
Gilbert Joseph was one of the several thousand Jamaican men who joined the RAF to fight against Hitler. Returning to England as a civilian he finds himself treated very differently It's desperation that makes him remember a wartime friendship with Queenie and knock at her door Gilbert's wife Hortense, too, had longed to leave Jamaica and start a better life in England. But when she joins him she is shocked to find London shabby, decrepit, and far from the golden city of her dreams
This Lovely City by Louise Hare
With the Blitz over and London reeling from war, jazz musician Lawrie Matthews has answered England's call for help. Fresh off the Empire Windrush, he's taken a tiny room in south London lodgings, and has fallen in love with the girl next door Lawrie has poured his heart into his new home - and it's alive with possibility. Until, one morning, he makes a terrible discovery. As the local community rallies, fingers of blame are pointed at those who had recently been welcomed with open arms And, before long, the newest arrivals become the prime suspects in a tragedy which threatens to tear the city apart.
16+ years Fiction
Babel by R. F. Kuang
Oxford, 1836.
The city of dreaming spires
It is the centre of all knowledge and progress in the world
And at its centre is Babel, the Royal Institute of Translation. The tower from which all the power of the Empire flows
Orphaned in Canton and brought to England by a mysterious guardian, Babel seemed like paradise to Robin Swift.
Until it became a prison… But can a student stand against an empire?
A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende (translated from Spanish)
That September 2, 1939, the day of the Spanish exiles' splendid arrival in Chile, the Second World War broke out in Europe.
Victor Dalmau is a young doctor when he is caught up in the Spanish Civil War, a tragedy that leaves his lifeand the fate of his country - forever changed
Together with his sister-in-law, the pianist Roser Bruguera, he is forced out of his beloved Barcelona and into exile. When opportunity to seek refuge in Chile arises, they take it, boarding a ship chartered by the poet Pablo Neruda to the promised 'long petal of sea and wine and snow' over the seas
There, they find themselves enmeshed in a rich web of characters who come together in love and tragedy over the course of four generations, destined to witness the battle between freedom and repression as it plays out across the world
This Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini Afghanistan, 1975: Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to win the local kite-fighting tournament and his loyal friend Hassan promises to help him But neither of the boys can foresee what will happen to Hassan that afternoon, an event that is to shatter their lives. After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must return to Afghanistan under Taliban rule to find the one thing that his new world cannot grant him: redemption
Graphic Novels
When Stars Are Scattered by Jamieson, Mohamed, and Geddy
Omar and his brother Hassan, two Somali boys, have spent a long time in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. Separated from their mother, they are looked after by a friendly stranger Life in the camp isn't always easy The hunger is constant but there's football to look forward to, and now there's a chance Omar will get to go to school
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
What drives so many to leave everything behind and journey alone to a mysterious country, a place without family or friends, where everything is nameless and the future is unknown.
This silent graphic novel is the story of every migrant, every refugee, every displaced person, and a tribute to all those who have made the journey
non-fiction
The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla (editor)
Bringing together 21 exciting black, Asian and minority ethnic voices emerging in Britain today, The Good Immigrant explores why immigrants come to the UK, why they stay and what it means to be 'other' in a country that doesn't seem to want you, doesn't truly accept you - however many generations you've been here - but still needs you for its diversity monitoring forms
Inspired by discussion around why society appears to deem people of colour as bad immigrants - job stealers, benefit scroungers, undeserving refugees - until, by winning Olympic races or baking good cakes, or being conscientious doctors, they cross over and become good immigrants, editor Nikesh Shukla has compiled a collection of essays that are poignant, challenging, angry, humorous, heartbreaking, polemic, weary and - most importantly - real.
We all have a part to play in building a welcoming and inclusive society. We are a growing network of more than 680 primary and secondary schools, nurseries and sixth forms all committed to creating a culture of welcome, understanding and belonging for those forced to flee.
Driven by teachers, school staff, parents, governors and community groups, this network supports the thousands of children and young people seeking sanctuary in the UK, raises awareness of the experiences of people seeking safety, and plays a key role in building a culture of kindness and compassion. The Schools of Sanctuary programme aims to advise, support and inspire schools to achieve these goals.
www.schools.cityofsancturay.org
Reading List compiled by Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School Library
Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School