Children’s and Young Adult Literature – Structured Reviews Sue Christian Parsons
Understanding the Refugee Experience through Literature for Children and Young Adults
A refugee is an individual forced to leave their homeland due to war or other violence, persecution, or disaster (UNHCR, 2016). Such displacement is a historical constant in human society, an ancient and persistent tale, one that is vigorously playing out in the world today. In the past year, my own community, like others around the nation and world, has welcomed refugees from the war in Afghanistan. Many of these are children. Worldwide, as of mid-2021, an estimated 84 million people are forcibly displaced; 35 million of those are children (UNHCR, n.d.). The causes of the crisis are complex, interconnected with such human forces as culture, religion, ethnicity, and the thirst for power, often enacted through violence and cruelty, and accompanied by hunger, thirst, and fear. As refugees move, human lives become political conversations, nations weighing what they can and cannot or will not do to harbor them. Amid all this hard stuff, we also witness great love, courage, and determination to find a way to care for the strugglers, both by individuals, organizations, and communities. Each book explored below offers insights into the refugee experience. Some are appropriate for very young readers and thinkers while others, more complex in construction, scope, or concept, are better suited for older ones. Since many picture books are included, it is important to note that books in picture book format are not automatically intended for younger readers. In fact, the interplay between art and text in a picture book offers layers of meaning that come together in powerful synergy. Thus, picture books warrant careful consideration and lend themselves well to rereading for new insights. I’ve offered a suggestion of appropriate audience for each book, but reader experiences and interests may push those boundaries. For many readers, these books will offer new insight into what people who are refugees experience. Others may find reflections of their own lives, a respect all readers deserve. Each book lends itself to dialogue and response, with readers sharing perspectives and considering implications for how to be in the world. No one book can capture what it means to be a refugee. While the books addressed are roughly categorized according to topic, they can be connected to each other in myriad ways so that, considered together, they illuminate the many facets of the refugee experience. Some
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