Book Reviews

Author: Ana Veciana-Suarez

Another wonderful addition to Scholastic's superb First Person Fiction series, Flight to Freedom tells the story of the Garcia family, who in 1967, flee from Cuba to Miami, Florida. The story is told through the diary entries of thirteen-year-old Yara Garcia. In Cuba Yara hates the compulsory youth work camps and the strict food rations. However, once Yara is in Miami, she misses the family left behind in Cuba, and struggles with family tensions, a new language, and a new school. While Yara's father joins an anti-Castro group and insists that the family will soon be back in Cuba, Yara, her mother, and her sisters slowly adjust to their new life and opportunities in America. The story is absorbing, with believable characters and informative detail. An effective feature of the series is an afterword in which the writer describes his or her own experiences of immigrating to the United States. The reading level and subject matter make this book appropriate for seventh through ninth grade and TESOL students. It would work well as reading for social studies and English in studies of culture, immigration, point of view and character development.

Year Released: 2002

Grades 7-9

Author: John Son

An outstanding addition to Scholastic's excellent First Person Fiction series, Finding My Hat tells the story of the Parks, a first generation Korean-American family, during the 1970s and '80s. Told in vignettes from the point of view of the eldest child and only son, the story traces Jin-Han's life from his first memories at the age of two to his mother's death when he is a teenager. Jin-Han and his family move from Chicago to Memphis to Houston as the family struggles to find a permanent home in America. Jin-Han struggles to find his own identity, "His hat," from a mix of Korean traditions, American attitudes, and his own special gifts. This engrossing novel captures the universal aspects of Jin-Han's coming of age, as well as the experiences of an immigrant family adjusting to life in the United States. A valuable feature of the series is an afterword in which the writer describes his or her own experiences of immigrating to the United States. The reading level and subject matter make this book appropriate for seventh through ninth grade and TESOL students. It would work well as reading for social studies and English in studies of culture, immigration, point of view, character development, and style.

Year Released: 2003

Grades 7-9

Author: Pam Munoz Ryan

Set during the Great Depression, Esperanza Rising is a story of finding oneself in a foreign environment. As told through the perspective of young Esperanza, the book begins with the characters comfortably living a luxurious  life in Mexico until Esperanza's father is tragically killed. Following his death, Esperanza and her mother have no other choice but to emigrate to California to find work. Thus begins a journey of assimilation within a new country and social class. Having lived a privileged life, it is not easy for Esperanza to remake herself while adjusting to life as a migrant farm worker. Teachers will appreciate the book's connections between the cultural, economic and political issues of California during the 1930's. This fantastic coming of age story corresponds with a historical backdrop of strikes and the labor movement, government sweeps, and injustice. Pam Munoz Ryan's fascinating book is based upon her maternal grandmother's experience of immigrating to California from Mexico. Esperanza's struggles and her ability to rise above her difficulties will surely spark conversation within the classroom. This book is great as a link to exploring historical connections.

Year Released: 2000

Grades 4-8

Author: June Levitt Nislic

Nislick's book tells the story of her grandfather when he immigrated to America as part of the "Galveston Plan", an effort to bring Jewish immigrants to the western United States in the early 20th century. Framed as a story within a story, Zayda's unusual immigration tale is told to his grandchildren when he comes to live with them. Zayda describes life with his family before he was forced to run away to avoid conscription into the Czar's army which, as a Jew, would have led to cruel treatment and even death. After leaving his small Russian town, Zayda made his way to Bremen, Germany where he worked to earn the fare for a ticket to America. Landing in Galveston, Texas, Zayda, whose name was changed to Mike Benson, is greeted by a representative of the Jewish Immigrants Information Bureau, who helps him find a job as a ranch hand. As the story unfolds it describes Zayda's life on the ranch, learning to speak English (and Spanish, as many of the other ranch hands are Mexican), and working on a cattle drive from Texas to Kansas City where he settled, finally and became part of the Jewish community.

Year Released: 2005

Grades 4-7