Despite all of its problems, America is still the land of opportunity. We live in an amazing country blessed enough to where people from all over the world want to come and experience all that America has to offer. We have a fantastic immigrant with some amazing stories to tell in this melting pot. Introducing these different stories and cultures at a young age is crucial to building strength in our nation and understanding each other.
1. Tani's New Home by Tanitoluwa Adewumi
Like many refugees, Tani ( a young boy) finds himself in the busy city of New York! While the bewildering city can be a bit overwhelming for your Tani, he finds himself captivated by the game of Chess. This incredible true story of a brilliant young man is one that you will want in your classroom.
Learn more: Amazon
2. Flight for Freedom by Kristen Fulton
Based in 1979, the true story of a young boy named Peter (along with his family) sewing together a homemade hot air balloon to escape the persecution of Eastern Russia. This fantastic story is sure to capture the attention of young readers.
Learn more: Amazon
3. One Good Thing about America by Ruth Freeman
This unique story about a young girl in a family of African immigrants shares her experiences at her new school in her new surroundings. In the story, this young lady often calls those around her "crazy Americans" but finds herself becoming more of the same every day.
Learn more: Amazon
4. Dreamers by Yuyi Morales
This story is a first-hand account from the author, Yuyi Morales, of what it looks like to come to a new place with very little on your back and a heart full of dreams. The theme of hope is overwhelming because if one person, like Yuyi, can overcome so much, you can too.
Learn more: Amazon
5. Where are you From by Yamile Saied Méndez
Who could have thought such a simple question could evoke such thought-provoking ideas? Where are you From? takes the unique perspective of a little girl trying to find the answer to that question so she can better explain it when asked.
Learn more: Amazon
6. Saving the Butterfly by Helen Cooper
This story highlights immigration in the light of small children who are refugees and experienced extreme loss and circumstances. The butterfly in this story is symbolic of taking flight in their new lives in a new place.
Learn more: Amazon
7. If Dominican were a Color by Sili Recio
This book is truly original in this long list of immigration books. Almost to be sung in a song is the lyrical story of all the beautiful things about the Dominican culture.
Learn more: Amazon
8. All the Way to America by Dan Yaccarino
I genuinely love books about immigration written in tribute to an author's family because it does not get any more genuine than that. In this story, the author tells about his great-grandfather, his arrival on Ellis Island, and the making of a family in America.
Learn more: Amazon
9. Be Bold! Be Brave by Naibe Reynoso
While many books about immigration are geared toward younger children, many are fictional stories. I love this one because it talks about 11 Latina women who have made real history, and those young children can see themselves.
Learn more: Amazon
10. Adem and the Magic Fenjer by Selma Bacevak
One of the many things cultures do differently is food! Who would've thought that something as simple as this would be an identifying factor in the cafeteria? This story begins with a young boy asking his mother why he eats something.
Learn more: Amazon
11. The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
I believe the best books on immigration highlight the importance of carrying on cultural tradition. In The Keeping Quilt, author Patricia Polacco shares the story of passing a quilt down from one generation to the next.
Learn more: Amazon
12. What Was Ellis Island? by Patricia Brennan Demuth
If you have never been to Ellis Island, it is an incredibly humbling experience to stand where hundreds of thousands of people came for a new life. Generations of people were changed from that very spot. This factual book tells all about this significant landmark and what it means.
Learn more: Amazon
13. The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates
While not specifically a story about immigrants, I believe that The Big Umbrella shares some of the main themes of immigration through the concept of love and acceptance.
Learn more: Amazon
14. Coqui in the City by Nomar Perez
Coqui in the City is about a small boy from Puerto Rico traveling to the big American city of New York! While Coqui is overwhelmed, he meets great people who make him feel more at home.
Learn more: Amazon
15. Agnes's Rescue by Karl Beckstrand
Coming from Scotland in the 1800s to a stage new land, Agnes has to learn everything all over again. Agnes travels through incredible difficulties at a young age and even experiences great loss.
Learn more: Amazon
16. The Arabic Quilt by Aya Khalil
The idea of a quilt, all different pieces coming together to form something beautiful, is a perfect representation of immigrants coming to a new land. In this story, a young girl finds that in making her own quilt with her class.
Learn more: Amazon
17. Playing at the Border by Joanna Ho
This amazing story written by an extremely talented musician shares how, through music, we can become one united front.
Learn more: Amazon
18. Ellis Island and Immigration for Kids
Sometimes you don't need a storybook, just the facts. This awesome picture and graphics book allows kids to have fun flipping through the pages while learning about history. Plus, many engaging activities can be completed as you read along.
Learn more: Amazon
19. The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
Even Shakespeare recognized the extreme significance of a name. Among the many challenges immigrants experience, school-age children sometimes experience shame with a name that isn't easily pronounced by others. This young girl in The Name Jar is on a journey to appreciate her given Korean name.
Learn more: Amazon
20. A Different Pond by Bao Phi
I love this story because beautiful experiences can be shared through simple things. This story shows the bond between a father and a son, fishing, and the telling about the father's homeland in Vietnam. The father explains how he used to fish in a pond near his homeland. Now, in this new land, he fishes in the new pond. However, the result is the same.
Learn more: Amazon
21. Far from Home by Sarah Parker Rubio
Sarah Parker Rubio shows the strength and resilience of refugee children in the game of waiting and wanting to be in a place they can call home.
Learn more: Amazon
22. Peeling Potatoes by Jayne M. Booth
This age-old immigrant tale tells the encompassing story of those who escaped from Poland, Hungary, and Ukraine during the early 1900s. This true recounting of what it was like to work hard and live in extreme poverty is humbling.
Learn more: Amazon
23. Island Born by Junot Diaz
This New York Times best-selling book is the story of a young girl who searches for her memories to discover where she came from. It isn't always easy for children who come to a new place at a very young age. While many know they are from somewhere else, the child may not remember that place.
Learn more: Amazon
24. Pete Comes to America by Violet Favero
There aren't many children's stories that circle around those coming from Greece. However, this true story is about a young man who travels with his immigrant family from a Greek Island in search of something better.
Learn more: Amazon
25. Letters from Cuba by Ruth Behar
Letters from Cuba shares the harrowing story of a young Jewish girl who leaves her native country to go to Cuba and join her father. This dangerous journey could have meant life or death in Nazi-occupied Germany. However, this story ends happily.
Learn more: Amazon
26. Story Boat by Kyo Maclear
I love this sweet story that shares the immigrant experience of finding comfort in the smallest things amidst the uncertainty of fleeing your native land as a refugee. This story tells the challenges immigrants experience in a way that children can grasp.
Learn more: Amazon
27. Something Happened to my Dad by Ann Hazzard PhD
When speaking to children about immigration, it is important to consider and be prepared to deal with children who may have lost a parent in the process. Author Ann Hazzard addresses this real situation beautifully in this story.
Learn more: Amazon
28. A Bear for Bimi by Jane Breskin Zalben
Bimi moved from his country as a refugee with his family to America, only to discover everyone is not so accepting. Bimi shares his challenging experiences as well as his triumphs.
Learn more: Amazon
29. If you Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 by Anna McGovern
This book is a great addition if you like to read factual bedtime stories to your children. Among the themes of immigration, this story asks children to consider what they would need if they were going on that boat.
Learn more: Amazon
30. Children of the Dust Bowl by Jerry Stanley
Many do not think about history and the many facets of migrant labor. During the Great Dust Bowl of the 1920s, many children moved from one workplace to the next and were removed from school to be migrant workers. Even within our country, migration and having enough food to eat and a place to live was a struggle.
Learn more: Amazon
31. A Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say
From the East Asian Country of Japan comes the story of the author's grandfather, who journeyed to the great state of California. Allen Say writes this challenging journey as a tribute to his family and their struggles in coming to the United States.
Learn more: Amazon
32. Coming to America by Betsy Maestro
This immigration story spans from the early 1400s to laws passed in the 1900s regarding limits on immigration. Betsy Maestro does a fantastic job at conveying the overall feeling of all immigrants: to come to America for a better life, knowing it is worth the struggle.
Learn more: Amazon
33. All from a Walnut by Ammi-Joan Paquette
Among the books on immigration, this one is my favorite. In this sweet story, a grandfather shares his immigration experience with his granddaughter. All this story has circled a walnut he brought in his pocket and how he grew many trees from that seed. This story focuses on the symbolism behind the seed and the humility of life.
Learn more: Amazon
34. Fatima's Great Outdoors by Ambreen Tariq
I love this family story about a group of immigrants experiencing their first camping trip in the U.S.! This is entirely the essence of families spending time together and building memories, whether you are from the U.S. or somewhere far away.
Learn more: Amazon
35. Anna's Prayer by Karl Beckstrand
This book on immigration takes the perspective of two young girls sent to the United States on their own, leaving their families behind in Sweden. Taking place in the late 1800s, this story still has relevance in our modern-day society.
Learn more: Amazon
36. A Thousand White Butterflies by Jessica Betan-Court Perez
In this story, a little girl and her mother and grandmother recently came from Colombia. Her father was left behind, and she has feelings of loss. However, something as simple as experiencing something new, like snow, brings joy.
Learn more: Amazon
37. Her Right Foot by Dave Eggars
In a nation divided on the many facets of immigration, this story displays the simplicity of the symbol of Lady Liberty. That no matter what, her light shines out for all who wish to pursue happiness.
Learn more: Amazon
40 Impactful Children’s Books about Empathy