Find your next great read for World Refugee Day by exploring my reviews of these inspiring YA books about immigration.

According to the Pew Research Center, the United States has more immigrants than any other country in the world. Every year, the US Department of Homeland Security shares detailed Immigration Data and Statistics about lawful and unlawful migrations into the country, refugee and asylum seekers, and profiles on naturalized citizens. Despite being a “melting pot nation,” there is great conflict about this topic within the population, and in the heated political debates, something is lost: humanity.

Reading YA books about immigration can transform all the statistics and news headlines into real people. Stories about migrant families living in the United States can provide insight and help us feel compassion and empathy. Storytelling can be the gate that opens our hearts to deeper understanding, reminding us that we are all human and deserving of love.

Here are my personal recommendations for a few powerful YA books about immigration. Be warned. Some of these stories will break your heart.

The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon

“The trouble with getting your hopes too far up is: it's a long way down.” ― Nicola Yoon, quote from The Sun Is Also a Star

I loved Nicola Yoon’s Everything Everything, so when The Sun Is Also A Star released, I couldn’t wait to read it. This novel is a star-crossed love story between two teens of different backgrounds: Daniel Jae Ho Bae (a middle-class US citizen of South Korean descent) and Natasha Kingsley (a Jamaican girl who is being deported at the end of the day).

The timeline of the novel is 12 hours, and in that time, the characters fall in love. With every page, I kept hoping that something would change and something would stop the inevitable from happening. Because it wasn’t fair. Daniel and Natasha just found each other.

You won’t want to miss this heartbreaking YA book about immigration and doomed love.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

“And isn't that what a poem is? A lantern glowing in the dark.” ― Elizabeth Acevedo, quote from The Poet X

What a surprising and lyrical story!

I wasn’t sure I’d like this book, which is told entirely in verse, but I couldn’t put it down. Xiaomara is a young girl whose traditional Catholic mother prohibits her from doing anything. Xiomara is a good and dutiful daughter. But she wants to participate in the poetry group.

The mother-daughter relationship was well-developed, and there was a powerful moment when the mother did something truly awful. Moments like those between mothers and daughters are the ones that can define the relationship forever. I liked the choices Xiaomara made in response to that. In fact, all of the primary and secondary characters played important roles in her journey. I loved her father, the teacher, the priest; it was refreshing to see so many supportive adults in a young person’s life in a YA novel.

This award-winning YA book about immigration definitely deserves all the accolades, hype, and great reviews it has received. Check it out!

We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez

“We are small people, with small names, meant to live small lives. That’s all we’re allowed to live.” ― Jenny Torres Sanchez, quote from We Are Not From Here

We Are Not From Here is a compelling book about a tough topic. Through the lens of fiction, we see a glimpse of some of the difficulties migrants from south America face on their journey to the U.S. Pulga, Pequena, and Chico are three teenagers fleeing violence in their home country. They believe they are prepared for what awaits them, but they are not.

The first third of the book has a slow pace. The author lingers on the character development and circumstances that forced the teenagers to leave home. Once they’re on the road, though, the narrative is gripping and realistic. I burned through the pages quickly, and several events generated emotional tears. These characters are kids. They are forced to grow up too soon. The violence in this novel didn’t surprise me, but the kindness did. Many people helped them along the way. Some turned their backs, but more offered food, shelter, and human decency. I felt like even in the middle of suffering, goodness is within reach.

If you’re looking for powerful YA books about immigration, add this one to your reading list.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

“If there was only one tree like that in the world, you would think it was beautiful. But because there are so many, you just can't see how beautiful it really is.” ― Betty Smith, quote from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

I first heard about this book from Oprah Winfrey and picked it up during the book club years. A classic YA novel published in 1943, before YA was really “a thing,” A Tree Grows in Brooklyn tells the story of a poor young girl growing up in Brooklyn, a child of struggling immigrant parents.

This YA book about immigration, class, and poverty―and Francie herself―has remained with me for decades. There’s a reason why this novel has stood the test of time and lands in the category of literary classics.

Bordereless by Jennifere De Leon

Maya lives with her mom in Guatemala and dreams of becoming a fashion designer. She has a real shot, too. Her creations are inventive, and she's going to be in this year's show. I liked the descriptions of her dresses and her approaches to solving design problems. These elements really made her character shine.

On the one hand, Maya seems like a well-grounded, mature teen with "a good head on her shoulders" about her future. On the other hand, she says and does the stupidest things. This makes here relatable as a teenager, but many of the cases felt forced and overblown. I also didn't like the tic where Every. Word. Is. A. Separate. Sentence. Gah! And the exclamation marks! Ugh! :-)

Most of the plot points are realistic and true, especially as events escalated. I won't give spoilers about the ending except to say that it was good.

If you are looking for another emotional story about illegal immigration and the impact on young adults, this novel is worth picking up.

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez

“She has compared me to my sister every single day of my life, so why should I expect that to change now that she’s dead?” ― Erika L. Sanchez, quote from I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

I loved the cover on this novel, and with so many stars and enthusiastic reviews, I figured I would love this story. There is an interesting mystery about what happened to Julia’s older sister Olga, who died in front of a truck. There is an interesting view into Mexican culture.

But.

The mother-daughter relationship (which is the title of the book) is not the real focus of the story. The mother is portrayed as traditional and strict, but she’s also mostly a shadow and underdeveloped character. Julia, the daughter, is a hard character to like because she has so many hard edges, and I never reached a point of real empathy or connection with her—even though she is a grieving person. Instead, I felt like the book was a checklist of YA book “issues” without any depth or focus on any of them: immigration, depression, first-time sex, death of a sibling, food, Mexican culture, drug usage, attempted suicide, rape… The list could continue.

You will probably feel differently. Literally thousands of readers on Goodreads loved this book.

Still, this YA book about immigration definitely belongs on the must-read list for books in this category. It was a finalist for the National Book Award, after all.

The Border by Steve Schafer

Four teenagers in Mexico escape a birthday party massacre with their lives and nothing else. Their families are dead. They are wanted as fugitives by drug cartels. They have nothing. With little resources, they head on a journey into the desert to seek asylum in the United States.

This is the premise of Steve Schafer's novel, The Border.

Despite the terrible things that had happened and were happening, I had a hard time connecting with the characters on a deep level. Too much time was spent in superficial dialog. Still, the plot and pacing made the pages turn. I wanted to know whether or not they would make it (or who might not make it), and what they planned to do once they crossed. The constant threat from the gangs who were chasing them was real. Death from thirst, heat, and exhaustion was real.

There were some truly horrific moments in the book that the author could have handled more deftly, such as the young man's body that the group encounters. There are several such scenes.

Still, this YA book about immigration is a good read and definitely worth a look.

Other YA Books about Immigration

If you are looking other YA books about immigration, check out the YA Immigrant Experience, MG and YA Immigration – Themed Fiction, and YA: Refugees and Immigrants lists on Goodreads. You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which has a comprehensive list of reviews of YA books by type of tough topic, including my post on Great Books for Fans of The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan, which is another powerful YA book about immigration.

Do you have any personal favorites to recommend to me? I’m always looking for another great read in this category.

Khristina Chess is the award-winning author of several YA novels about troubled teens turning corners. You can find her on Amazon, Goodreads, and Twitter as an active daily contributor in the #5amwritersclub.