Ava is asked to dress up as an inspirational figure for her school assembly, but who should she choose? Granny suggests famous familiar figures such as Winifred Atwell, Mary Seacole, and Rosa Parks, and tells Ava all about their fascinating histories, but Ava’s classmates have already claimed them and she must choose someone else. But who? When Ava finds a mysterious old suitcase and Granny shares her own history, and how she came to England on the Empire Windrush many years ago. She tells her story through the precious items that accompanied her on the original voyage, each one evoking a memory of home. As Ava listens to how Granny built a life for herself in England, determined to stay against the odds and despite overwhelming homesickness, and she realizes that there is a hero very close to home, her very own brave and beloved granny.
Immigrants
I’m An Immigrant Too!
Illustrations and simple, rhyming text reveal how all of our lives are enriched by the vibrant cultural diversity immigrants bring to their new communities.
Lucy And Linh
Lucy is a bit of a pushover, but she’s ambitious and smart, and she has just received the opportunity of a lifetime: a scholarship to a prestigious school, and a ticket out of her broken-down suburb. Though she’s worried she will stick out like badly cut bangs among the razor-straight students, she is soon welcomed into the Cabinet, the supremely popular trio who wield influence over classmates and teachers alike
Calling The Water Drum
A young boy loses both parents as they attempt to flee Haiti for a better life, and afterward is only able to process his grief and communicate with the outside world through playing the drums. Includes author’s note.
Featured in WOW Review Volume XI, Issue 2.
Hidden
For fourteen-year-old Alix, life on Hayling Island off the coast of England seems insulated from problems such as war, terrorism and refugees. But when Alix and her friend Samir go to the beach and pull a drowning man out of the incoming tide, her world changes.
Their Great Gift
With lyrical text and thought-provoking photography, Their Great Gift explores the experiences of immigrants in the twenty-first century, focusing on the lives of children.
Featured in WOW Review Volume IX, Issue 1.
The Distance Between Us
At the age of 8, Reyna Grande made the dangerous and illegal trek across the border from Mexico to the United States, and discovered that the American Dream is much more complicated that it seemed.
Mamá The Alien
A young girl misunderstands the word alien on her mother’s Resident Alien Card and let’s her imagination run wild, coming to the conclusion that her mother is from outer space. Includes author’s note and glossary.
Fiona’s Lace
“Fiona and her family moved from Ireland to Chicago to begin a new life. Yet, when the family is struck with misfortune, will Fiona’s lace help save them?”–
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 8, Issue 2
My Two Blankets
Cartwheel moves to a new country with her auntie, and everything is strange: the animals, the plants even the wind. An old blanket gives Cartwheel comfort when she’s sad, and a new blanket just might change her world.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 8, Issue 3
This book has been included in WOW’s Kids Taking Action Booklist. For our current list, visit our Boolist page under Resources in the green navigation bar.