Windrush Day Booklist

Every year on 22nd June, we mark Windrush Day - a celebration of the extraordinary courage and contribution of the people who travelled from the Caribbean to the UK from 1948 onwards, helping to shape the country we live in today. Named after the MV Empire Windrush, one of the first ships to make that journey, it's a day to honour their stories, their sacrifices, and their lasting legacy.

Reading is one of the most powerful ways children can connect with this history - building empathy, sparking curiosity, and helping them understand the rich, diverse communities that make up modern Britain. Whether your child is discovering these stories for the first time or deepening what they already know, the books below in our Windrush Day booklist are a brilliant place to start.

For Key Stage 1 Readers (ages 4-7)

John Agard's Windrush Child

by John Agard and Sophie Bass (Illustrator)

Travel with a young child on the Empire Windrush from the Caribbean to a new life in Britain, in this poetic picture book that gently shows how brave it is to start again somewhere new.

Granny Came Here on the Empire Windrush

by Patrice Lawrence and Camilla Sucre (Illustrator)

When Ava asks about her granny’s suitcase, she discovers a special family story about travelling to Britain on the Empire Windrush and building a new home, filled with love, colour and hope.

Coming to England (picture book edition)

by Baroness Floella Benjamin and Diane Ewen (Illustrator)

Floella Benjamin shares her real childhood journey from sunny Trinidad to a very different England, helping younger readers understand how it feels to leave your home and begin again in a new country.

For Key Stage 2 Readers (ages 8-11)

Windrush Child

by Benjamin Zephaniah

Leonard leaves Jamaica for 1950s Britain and suddenly everything changes - school, weather and the way people treat him - in this powerful, short novel about courage, racism and finding where you belong.

The Place for Me: Stories About the Windrush Generation

by Dame Floella Benjamin, K. N. Chimbiri, E. L. Norry, Judy Hepburn, Katy Massey, Salena Godden, Jermain Jackman, Quincy the Comedian, Kevin George, Kirsty Latoya and Ashley Hickson-Lovence

Twelve different children and families share their Windrush stories in this collection of short tales, showing the hopes, fears and everyday lives behind the headlines.

Coming to England (chapter book edition)

by Baroness Floella Benjamin and Joelle Avelino (Illustrator)

In this inspiring true story, Floella Benjamin remembers her happy childhood in Trinidad, the long sea journey to Britain and the challenges of starting school in a new country that does not always feel welcoming.

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