Book Reviews

Author: Firoozeh Dumas
In this charming and heartfelt memoir, Iranian (pronounced “E-ranian,” as Dumas might point out) author Firoozeh Dumas captures the spirit of her immigration experience moving from Iran to Southern California. Laughing Without an Accent is filled with funny anecdotes, pop culture references and awkward “lost in translation” cultural exchanges, but don’t let these light and playful vignettes fool you. Dumas effortlessly seams together threads from her youth—her desire for a pet monkey, overdosing on French Fries, and her discovery of the public library system, dating at college—with the common immigrant experience of what it’s like to “float between worlds but never fully land.” As Dumas recounts that “like many immigrants before us, we found not only what we wanted but a few things we didn’t even know we were looking for: Girl Scouts, freedom of speech, affordable community colleges, guacamole, public libraries, clean bathrooms, the pursuit of happiness and Loehman’s. Of course we also found things we didn’t like: marshmallows, the Hilton sisters and all their friends, pants that ride too low…” Students are sure to resonate (Feel It!) with Dumas’ common American experience through hopeful Iranian eyes.

Year Released: 2008
Grades 10-Adult

Author: Judith Ortiz Cofer
Fifteen-year old Maria lives in the New York City barrio with her father in order to get an American education, while her mother remains at home in Puerto Rico. As Maria learns what it means to be Puerto Rican in America, she is caught between two worlds: Puerto Rico, where she was born, and her new home, New York. Through a beautiful combination of prose, letters and, poems, Maria finds her inner voice and is able to express herself beautifully. Although not much of a formal plot exists, Maria does struggle with the conflict over island versus gritty urban life, growing friendships and eventually becoming trilingual, speaking English, Spanish and “Spanglish”. Although sometimes lacking in focus, this would be a beautiful read aloud for any class examining the emotions of recent teenage immigrants, insight into life in the barrio as well as a comparison to life in Puerto Rico.

Year Released: 2004
Grades 5-7

Author: Janet Bode
Author Janet Bode collected stories, poems and essays from students and teachers around the country. Her cultural awareness project includes photographs and recipes in an effort to create a collage of immigration experiences. The accounts date back to the Mayflower as a Texas teacher discovers the last will and testament of an ancestor who bequeathed 5 pounds of sugar to his son. There are stories of descendants of slaves, Mexicans, Asians and Native Americans revealing cultural traditions and essays on what is means to be an American. The last chapter includes results from an immigration survey, sample questions from the citizenship test and a handful of lesson plan ideas. Bode book reads like an American family album where names are changed but the experiences of immigrants frequently depict feelings of sacrifice, fear and ultimately hope.

Year Released: 1999
Grades 4-8

Authors: Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammad
Sangoel is new to America. He is a refugee from Sudan who lost his father and home to war. Sangoel leaves the world of the refugee with his Mother and younger sister to settle down in America. Before he leaves, the village elder reminds him of words that stick with him throughout the story,“You will be Sangoel. Even in America.” From his arrival at the airport to his first day at school, people to struggle to pronounce Sangoel’s name, and although frustrated by his new life, he figures out a creative way to teach people to say his name, even in America. My Name is Sangoel is a great story about the struggles of children retaining their identity while integrating into a new culture.

Year Released: 2009
Grades 1-4