5 books about immigrant and refugee experiences that you’ll want to read with your kids

Over the past several weeks, we’ve had heartrending conversations about what’s happening to migrant children and their families at the U.S. border. 

The Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy has separated children from their parents and raised the possibility that the U.S. will indefinitely detain migrants, even those seeking asylum. Explaining these recent developments to children as a parent or caregiver can feel challenging — and emotionally daunting. 

Yet such conversations are imperative, says Ladislava Khailova, professor at the Founders Memorial Library at Northern Illinois University. Storytelling helps children become attached to a character’s fate, which can increase their empathy for the experiences and people they read about. Avoiding the subject all together, or dodging tough questions, can contribute to cultural misunderstandings that grow into hostility or even hatred toward immigrant and refugee groups over time.  Read more…

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