Mirrors, Windows and Walls: 8 Children’s Books for Seeing Ourselves, Others and Breaking Down the Walls that Separate Us

We have so much information. We have voices on the TV and hot takes on social media. We have photographs that pierce our hearts and haunt our dreams. We have oceans of ink spent on getting the details, the facts – and sometimes the lies – just right. As Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop said, we need mirrors and windows to understand people who are like us (or like our parents or grandparents) and people who are not like us. We need something greater than information. We need story.
 
In my debut YA novel, The Grief Keeper, Marisol Morales crosses borders, sacrifices her physical and mental well-being and endures racism, for the chance of safety for her sister, Gabi, and herself. I can easily understand why someone would risk so much, but I am a daughter of immigrants. The idea of having to flee your homeland, whether because of violence or because of a lack of opportunities does not seem farfetched to me at all. But I know that for some people, it can seem foolish, or downright selfish. My intention in writing The Grief Keeper was to engender understanding and deep empathy—of ourselves and of others who are not like us.

​Here are 8 books for children that I think do the same.

​PANCHO RABBIT AND THE COYOTE: A MIGRANT’S TALE
​by Duncan Tonatiuh

In this allegorical picture book, a young rabbit named Pancho eagerly awaits his papa’s return from the north, where he went to find work and earn money for his family. When Papa does not return, Pancho sets out to find him. A beautiful story about the hardships faced by thousands of families who seek to make better lives for themselves and their children by illegally crossing the border. (Recommended ages 6-9)

BUY THE BOOK

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
​by Yamile Saied Méndez

When a girl is asked where she’s from—where she’s really from—none of her answers seems to be the right one. Unsure about how to reply, she turns to her loving abuelo for help. He doesn’t give her the response she expects. She gets an even better one. (Recommended ages 4-8)

BUY THE BOOK

THE OTHER HALF OF HAPPY
by Rebecca Barcárcel

Quijana is a girl in pieces. One-half Guatemalan, one-half American: When Quijana's Guatemalan cousins move to town, her dad seems ashamed that she doesn't know more about her family's heritage. This lyrical debut from Rebecca Balcárcel is a heartfelt poetic portrayal of a girl growing up, fitting in, and learning what it means to belong.
(Recommended ages 9-12)

​PRE-ORDER THE BOOK

INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN
by Thanhha Lai

Inspired by the author's childhood experience of fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and immigrating to Alabama, this coming-of-age debut novel told in verse has been celebrated for its touching child's-eye view of family and immigration. (Recommended ages 8-12 )

​BUY THE BOOK

INTERNMENT
by Samira Ahmed

A near-future story following 17-year old Layla Amin as she and her family are forced into an internment camp for Muslim Americans, INTERNMENT is horrifying and prescient as it reminds us of our past transgressions, and of the precarious path we’re on as a nation of dehumanizing others. (Recommended ages 13-18)

BUY THE BOOK

NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN AMERICAN DAUGHTER
by Erika Sanchez

When her perfect sister, Olga, is tragically killed, Julia must contend with her own feelings of grief, along with her parents’ expectations that she be their ‘perfect Mexican daughter.’ But Julia struggles with those expectations, and with finding her identity as an American. A bracing view of first generation Americans and the way family can be an anchor and a burden at the same time.
 (Recommended ages 14-18)

BUY THE BOOK

THE RADIUS OF US
by Marie Marquardt
 
A dual point of view love story, The Radius of Us follows Gretchen and Phoenix as each struggles with the trauma that inflicts their lives. Phoenix escapes the violence in his homeland of El Salvador with his brother Ari, only to have to leave Ari behind as he is taken in by a suburban family. 
 (Recommended ages 13-19)

​BUY THE BOOK

THE LINES WE CROSS
by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Michael’s parents belong to an anti-immigrant group, and drag him to rallies that protest the tide of refugees that poor into the country. It all makes sense to Michael until he meets Mina, a beautiful Muslim refugee from Afghanistan. Set in Australia against a backdrop of a refugee crisis, the love story slowly develops to show the complications of family and societal expectations. Love across protest lines is fraught, and issues are never black and white.
(Recommended ages 12-18)

BUY THE BOOK

---

About the author of the blog post...

Alexandra Villasante has always loved telling stories—though not always with words. She has a BFA in Painting and an MA in Combined Media (that’s art school speak for making work out of anything). Born in New Jersey to immigrant parents, Alex has the privilegio of dreaming in both English and Spanish. When she’s not writing, painting or chasing chickens around the yard, Alexandra plans conferences and fundraisers for non-profits. She lives with her family in the semi-wilds of Pennsylvania.
www.alexandravillasante.com