Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah

Refugee Boy tells the story of Alem, a young boy with an Ethiopian father and Eritrean mother, who is left alone in London and needs all his courage as he faces up to the British justice system. It is a powerful and topical novel that demands to be read.

• Contemporary relevance
• Themes of cultural identity, war, separation and relationships

Stone Cold by Robert Swindells

Link is 17 when his mum’s boyfriend kicks him out onto the streets. How will he survive, particularly when there’s a serial killer preying on the young and vulnerable homeless? A tense, exciting thriller combined with a perceptive and harrowing portrait of life on the streets.

• Contemporary relevance
• Homelessness, loneliness, friendship, growing up

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani

The novel is set during the Partition of India in 1947 and follows the diary entries of a 12-year-old girl named Nisha, who is half-Muslim and half-Hindu. It explores her journey as she and her family cross the border between India and Pakistan.

• Partition of India
• Identity
• Family
• Independence

The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon

Subhi is a refugee. Born in an Australian permanent detention centre after his mother fled the violence of a distant homeland, life behind the fences is all he has ever known. But as he grows, his imagination gets bigger too, until it is bursting at the limits of his world.

• Important cultural knowledge
• What it means to be a refugee
• Themes of friendship and family, grief and loss, hope, fear and freedom.

Needle by Patrice Lawrence

A powerful and emotional read exploring Charlene’s life with her foster carer (and her foster carer’s son), friends and her little sister (who lives elsewhere since her mother died). Charlene experiences anger and frustration, which results in many challenges - but knitting keeps Charlene calm and gives her focus.

• Criminal justice system for young people
• Looked after children
• Emotions

Now is the Time for Running by Michael Williams

Now Is the Time For Running is a young adult novel of two brothers who are forced to leave Zimbabwe when government soldiers raid their village, steal their food and attack the people.

• Important cultural knowledge
• Cultural and world knowledge
• Apartheid and dictatorships