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Book Reviews

Drita, My Homegirl

Author: Jenny Lombard

Drita My Homegirl is the story of Drita, a Muslim Albanian refugee who has emigrated to New York City from war-torn Kosovo. Drita longs to make friends in school, but faces difficulty due to her limited English. Drita My Homegirl is narrated, through alternating chapters, from the perspective of two fourth graders, Drita and Maxie. As their stories unfold, their unlikely friendship grows, fostered by both girls' tendency to separate themselves from others. Drita is trying to deal with her mother's depression, while at the same time struggling to fit in at school. Maxie, on the other hand, appears to be a fun-loving comedian at school, but she, too is struggling outside of school as she attempts to deal with the death of her mother. As these unlikely friends come together, the themes of family, friendship, and love intertwine around them. Drita My Homegirl is appropriate for grades 3-5 and could be used to engage students in lively group discussions.

Year Released: 2006

Grades 3-5

Memories of Sun: Stories of Africa and America

Author: Jane Kurtz

In Memories of Sun, we hear the stories of children who currently live in various parts of Africa, Americans living in or visiting Africa and Africans living in America. Divided into these three distinct sections, the stories express a variety of cultural experiences as well as the imprint these cultures have on the children who inhabit them both. Some stories are touching, some humorous and some heartbreaking. All are unforgettable. Jane Kurtz, a self- described "Third culture kid," was born in the U.S. but raised, for most of her childhood, in Ethiopia. In Memories of Sun, she has created an anthology of twelve stories and three poems that speak in the voices of children who share that duality of culture. The back of the book contains an informative section about the authors. Students will find much to learn and relate to once they read these powerful stories

Year Released: 2004

Grade 5-Adult

La Línea

Author: Ann Jaramillo

Miguel and his younger sister Elena desperately struggle to escape poverty in southern Mexico and to join their parents in California in ESL teacher Ann Jaramillo's frst novel. Fear of starvation and a longing for family drives these two teenagers through the dark gauntlet of illegal immigration. Violence, corruption and narrow escapes keep the ordeal fast-paced and gripping. The siblings survive the journey and face further disappointment through deportation. Compelling and suspenseful, the story exemplifes the plight of countless people, destitute and looking for better lives across the border. While the media argues over the big picture of illegal immigrants in terms of jobs, employers, security, fences and amnesty, Jaramillo looks at the issue from ground level through the eyes of two children with few options. It's a perilous adventure best saved for at least junior high school-age students.

Year Released: 2006

Grades 6-12

Living as a Refugee in America: Mohammed's Story

Author: Helen Howard

Now a student in an American high school, Mohammed, 15, tells the story of how he fled the Taliban in Afghanistan and wandered through Iran and Turkey before coming to the U.S. with his mother, brother and sister. Living as a Refugee in America weaves Mohammed's story with facts about Afghanistan's recent history and discusses the plight of refugees driven by war and famine across the world. The compelling first-person narrative, printed in italics, features full-color, captioned photos of Mohammed, his family and friends. It also discusses issues such as discrimination, cultural barriers and maintaining dual identity. This non-fiction book contains a glossary of helpful vocabulary as well as suggestions for how American students can take action to help the displaced by providing an annotated list of international human rights organizations to contact.

Year Released: 2006

Grades 4-9

We Are Americans: Voices of the Immigrant Experience

Author: Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler

We Are Americans is an excellent resource for the classroom, presenting the history of American immigration chronologically, from the new theories of prehistoric immigration to the groups arriving in the present day. Using archival images, artifacts, data charts and personal narratives, the book explores the factors responsible for immigration, the aspirations of immigrants, adjustments to a new culture, and contributions these new Americans have made to our nation. While they learn about the groups and individuals from every culture and continent that have formed our country, students will find connections to their own immigration history. This well-researched and well-produced book offers a detailed index and a further reading list.

Year Released: 2003

Grade 4-Adult

The Stone Goddess

Author: Minfong Ho

Twelve-year-old Nakri and her family live comfortably and happily in Phnom Penh until their lives are forever altered by the civil war in Cambodia. Forced out of their homes by Khmer Rouge soldiers, the family flees to safety in the country home of their grandparents. Their security is shattered again when the father and three older siblings, including Nakri, are sent away to forced labor camps. After years of deprivation and loss, Nakri is reunited with members of her family, only to be forced to move again, first to refugee camps in Thailand and finally to a new life in America. Compassionately written, The Stone Goddess explores themes of family and culture, war and death, hope and renewal.

Year Released: 2005

Grades 6-9

The Journal of Otto Peltonen: A Finnish Immigrant

Author: William Durbin

In 1905, fifteen-year-old Otto, his mother and two younger sisters, leave Finland to join his father who's laboring as a miner in Hibbing, Minnesota. The poor family suffers through an miserable voyage only to land in a squalid mining camp where Otto's father faces mortal danger six days a week below ground. Otto eventually joins his dad in the mines as the family scrimps and saves to buy a farm. The harsh life, fueled by corruption and corporate callousness, gave rise to the organized labor movement that eventually unionized the U.S. mining industry. Author William Durbin, a high school English teacher in Hibbing, recreates the dismal world that many of the 250,000 Finnish immigrants faced a hundred years ago in order to get a foothold in the American dream.

Year Released: 2000

Grades 4-8

Pasquale's Journey

Author: Marilyn Freeman

The journey described in the book Pasquale's Journey is a familiar immigration story. The opening of the novel finds Pasquale and his family waiting at home in Italy for word from his father who has traveled to the United States ahead of them. When Papa finally sends for the family, Mama must sell the family farm and prepare everyone for the voyage. The long, difficult sea passage does not diminish the family's happiness upon arriving in the United States. The reading level and content matter make this book an appropriate choice for intermediate-level (grades 3-4) elementary school students. The book is also well-suited for TESOL students at any level.

Year Released: 2003

Grades 3-4

Behind the Mountains (First Person Ficton Story)

Author: Edwidge Danticat

Living in rural Haiti, Celiane Esperance, her mother, and brother Moy anxiously await the cassettes Papa sends them from New York each month. Forced by economic circumstances to seek work in America, Papa has been gone for three years and the family anticipates joining him when the proper visas can be arranged. While visiting an aunt in Port-Au-Prince, Celiane and her mother are nearly killed by a bomb, leaving them more determined to join Papa. However, the family finds that there are more challenges to face when they are reunited with Papa in New York. Celiane shares her feelings about her family and experiences through the diary she was awarded by her teacher in Haiti. Beautifully written by Edwidge Danticat, (recognized by The New York Times as one of our best young writers), Behind The Mountains explores the themes of coming of age, family relationships, separation and reunification, as well as immigration and cultural identity. Behind The Mountains is one of the books in the Scholastic First Person Fiction series exploring the experiences of teenagers of various backgrounds who immigrate to America.

Year Released: 2004

Grades 6-9

Shanghai Messenger

Author: Andrea Cheng

Shanghai Messenger is a beautiful book of poetry written by Andrea Cheng and embellished with the lovely illustrations of Ed Young. The poems and drawings work together harmoniously as they tell the story of young Xiao Mei- who is half American and half Chinese- and her experiences visiting family in Shanghai. Xiao Mei is excited about the trip, but nervous about meeting her strange relatives as well as having to deal with cultural differences. Ultimately, she learns to appreciate her Chinese heritage through her many experiences in Shanghai, from wearing traditional hair braids, to making wontons and even learning about Tai Chi. Upon returning to the United States, Xiao Mei is filled with pride and appreciation for both her Chinese and American cultures. This is a fantastic book for children ages 9-12 years old.  Readers will enjoy the book's lovely cadence as well as its thoughtful and heartfelt story and delicate drawings.

Year Released: 2005

Grades 3-6