Families who loved World in Between: Based on a True Refugee Story by Kenan Trebinčević and Susan Shapiro often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your child is struggling with a major life transition, feeling like an outsider in a new environment, or asking questions about global justice and why people leave their homes. It is an essential choice for helping children build empathy for the refugee experience and understanding the quiet bravery required to start over. The story follows eleven year old Kenan as he navigates the terrifying outbreak of the Bosnian War and his family's eventual flight to the United States. While the backdrop is a historical conflict, the heart of the book is Kenan's internal journey: his love for soccer, his bond with his brother, and his resilience in a strange new land where he doesn't speak the language. It is a hopeful, grounded memoir that normalizes the complex feelings of grief and excitement that come with relocation.