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Refugee BoyBenjamin Zephaniah
Refugee Boy
by Benjamin Zephaniah
Alem's father leaves him in a London hotel for his own safety and goes home to Ethiopia. Alem waits, is fostered, and fights to be allowed to stay.
A story about children and families, moving and thoughtful in tone. We would put it with children of 11–13, and at a reading age of about 11 for reading alone.
Worth knowing before you buy
- Separated from family
- Wartime separation
- A death or grief
None of this makes it a bad book — often the opposite. It is here so you can decide whether it is right for your child now or in a year or two.
If they like this, try these
Chosen by matching age, reading age, tone and subject — not by what is selling.
Boy, EverywhereA. M. Dassu
No Ballet Shoes in SyriaCatherine Bruton
Pig-Heart BoyMalorie Blackman
The Illustrated MumJacqueline Wilson
The Weight of WaterSarah Crossan
Or let them write their own.
Nothing gets a child reading like a story they invented themselves. Your child plans the characters and the plot, and we write, illustrate and print it as a real book with their name on the cover as the author.
Find another book
Tell us the age, the reading age and what they like, and we will suggest a handful.