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Quick answer: If you read Refugee, read Alan Gratz's Prisoner B-3087 and Projekt 1065, then Inside Out & Back Again, Other Words for Home, Number the Stars and Salt to the Sea. All are powerful stories of young people forced to flee their homes.
Alan Gratz's 2017 novel follows three children in different eras: Josef, a Jewish boy fleeing Nazi Germany in 1939, Isabel, a Cuban girl escaping in 1994, and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy fleeing war in 2015, whose stories are linked. It is fast, tense and moving. The books below offer similar stories of displacement and courage.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prisoner B-3087 | Alan Gratz | Ages 10-14 | Holocaust survival |
| Projekt 1065 | Alan Gratz | Ages 11-15 | spy in Nazi Germany |
| Grenade | Alan Gratz | Ages 12+ | Okinawa 1945 |
| Inside Out & Back Again | Thanhha Lai | 8-12 | readers who like verse novels |
| Other Words for Home | Jasmine Warga | 9-13 | immigrant stories |
| Number the Stars | Lois Lowry | Ages 9-13 | courage in war |
| Salt to the Sea | Ruta Sepetys | Ages 12+ | wartime refugees |
| Between Shades of Gray | Ruta Sepetys | Ages 12+ | Soviet deportation |
| The Boy in the Striped Pajamas | John Boyne | Ages 12+ | child's view |
| The Book Thief | Markus Zusak | Ages 13+ | narrated by Death |
| The Diary of a Young Girl | Anne Frank | Ages 11+ | classic diary |
| When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit | Judith Kerr | Ages 8-12 | refugee childhood |
| Esperanza Rising | Pam Munoz Ryan | 9-13 | immigrant resilience |
| Front Desk | Kelly Yang | 8-12 | readers who like humor and heart |
| Maus | Art Spiegelman | Ages 13+ | graphic memoir |
1. Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz
A boy survives ten concentration camps. Fast and moving.
Best for: Holocaust survival.
2. Projekt 1065 by Alan Gratz
A boy in Hitler Youth secretly spies for the Allies. Tense and thoughtful.
Best for: spy in Nazi Germany.
3. Grenade by Alan Gratz
Two teenagers face the brutal battle of Okinawa. Intense and honest.
Best for: Okinawa 1945.
4. Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Ha, ten, leaves Saigon in 1975 and settles in Alabama. A verse novel based on Lai's own life, with humor and grace.
Best for: readers who like verse novels.
5. Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
A Syrian girl moves to the United States and adapts to a new school. A moving novel in verse.
Best for: immigrant stories.
6. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
A girl in Denmark helps her Jewish friend escape the Nazis. Short and powerful.
Best for: courage in war.
7. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
Four young refugees face the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff. Gripping and sad.
Best for: wartime refugees.
8. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
A Lithuanian girl is deported to Siberia. Lyrical and heartbreaking.
Best for: Soviet deportation.
9. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
The son of a camp commandant befriends a boy behind the fence. Simple, haunting and sometimes debated.
Best for: child's view.
10. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
A girl in Nazi Germany steals books and shares them. Moving and widely loved.
Best for: narrated by Death.
11. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Anne Frank writes during two years in hiding. The most famous Holocaust document for young readers.
Best for: classic diary.
12. When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
A Jewish family flees Germany. Warm and gentle, based on the author's life.
Best for: refugee childhood.
13. Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
A rich Mexican girl becomes a farm worker in California during the Depression. Beautiful and emotional.
Best for: immigrant resilience.
14. Front Desk by Kelly Yang
Mia Tang's family runs a motel, and she helps guests and fights for her future. Funny, hopeful and inspired by the author's life.
Best for: readers who like humor and heart.
15. Maus by Art Spiegelman
Spiegelman tells his father's survival story with animals as characters. A landmark of comics.
Best for: graphic memoir.
How to Choose
For more Gratz choose Prisoner B-3087, Projekt 1065 or Grenade. For refugee stories pick Inside Out & Back Again or Other Words for Home. For wartime courage read Number the Stars, Salt to the Sea or Between Shades of Gray. For memoir try The Diary of a Young Girl or Maus. Refugee deals with danger and death, so it suits readers around ten and up. Refugee is widely used in classrooms to teach about migration, and the three storylines connect at the end. Gratz has said he based the details on real accounts and research.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Refugee about?
Three children in different eras flee war and persecution.
Who wrote it?
Alan Gratz.
When was it published?
2017.
What age is it for?
Roughly ages 10 to 14.
Is it based on real events?
Yes, on real histories, with fictional characters.
Is it sad?
It is tense and emotional.
Is it used in schools?
Yes, widely.
What should I read next?
Try Prisoner B-3087 or Inside Out & Back Again.
Which book here is best for readers who like verse novels?
Try Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai, which suits readers looking for readers who like verse novels.
Which book here is best for wartime refugees?
Try Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, which suits readers looking for wartime refugees.
Which book here is best for narrated by Death?
Try The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, which suits readers looking for narrated by Death.