Do you live in a city? Have you ever moved to a different city? Books can shed light on the places we live but also on the reasons why we live there and how our surroundings influence our lives. The following books can serve as starting point for classroom discussions as well as inspiration in students’ writing about their own places.

Why Humans Build Up, The Rise of Towers, Temples and Skyscrapers. This book is written by Gregor Craigie and illustrated by Kathleen Fu, and it starts with a question most kids ask: ‘Why?’ Why did people start building higher and higher? The answers are interesting and sometimes surprising. Starting with the Tower of Babylon and going throughout history to the Burj Khalifa, the book takes a look at many diverse towers and highrises, including totem poles, temples and commercial buildings. Budding architects and any kid fascinated by towers, will enjoy the details. ISBN 978-1-4598-2188-0, Orca Books

City of Neighbors by Andrea Curtis snd Katy Dockrill. Cities don’t need to just be concrete buildings and roads. Cities are places where people live. In this book, we learn about making cities more livable and enjoyable for all. Cheerful murals, wheel chair accessible buildings, parks where people can meet are all vital parts of a city. Find out how people make their cities more attractive, from Portland, Oregon to Tokyo, Japan. The back pages have suggestions for how you can make a difference in your city. ISBN 978-1-77306-816-9, Groundwood Books

Do You Remember by Sydney Smith. What if you had to move to a new city? This picture book shows strong emotions, both in text and in art. Written in two voices, the art shows ‘now’ in dark pages and ‘past’ in light memories as a mother and young son cuddle in bed and recall different times: a picnic, a bike ride, a car ride; the lovely picnic on a blue blanket; the red bicycle that flew into a hay stack; the teddy bear who showed the way in the car.  There used to be a father. Is he dead? Are they divorced? Why did they have to leave their home and move to a new city? Will ‘now’ become a memory, too? 

The present time, in a new place, shows us that it’s all still there – the blanket, the teddy, the bike. And yes, this, too, will become a memory to treasure no matter the reason. This picture book truly allows the reader to bring his or her own experiences to the story and to recognize their own memories in this universal story full of memories of love and a promise of endurance. ISBN 978-1-77306-986-9, Groundwood Books

Alone, The Journeys of Three Young Refugees by Paul Tom and Mélanie Baillairgé is also a story of new beginnings in new places. This novel for slightly older readers is told in three voices. These are the stories of two boys and a girl, from Iran, Burundi and Uganda. For different reasons these children have to flee their country, alone. Facing hardships they never imagined, each finds their way and their voice en route to a new country. They also finally find freedom but at a high cost – leaving their homes and families they have to learn to live without a parent, learn a new language, make decisions no child should have to make. At first it might sound like fun not to have to go to school, but they soon discover that work, no food, and too much time is even harder than school. And what about once you arrive in a new, cold country where everything is strange? Told in a different format with lots of art, Alone is based on the true experiences of three refugee children. A touching, important account of both refugees and those willing to support them.  ISBN 978-1-77306-927-2, Groundwood Books

Margriet Ruurs writes books for children in Canada. She conducts author talks in schools around the world and has a book/travel blog: www.globetrottingbooklovers.com