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Book Reviews

Who Belongs Here: An American Story

Author: Margy Burns Knight

Nary, a young refugee from Cambodia, is the subject of the book Who Belongs Here? Through narrative and illustrations, the story of Nary's escape from the Khmer Rouge and his resettlement- first in a Thai refugee camp and later in New York City- is told. Accompanying each part of the story is a running commentary on both how and why people emigrate to the United States. This story deals sensitively with the difficulties Nary faces and with the joy he experiences upon being accepted in his new community. This book would work well for young children, who might focus on Nary's story, and with older children, who could use Nary's experience as a way to study immigration history and the process of immigration.

Year Released: 1993

Grade 2-5

Waiting for Pap

Author: Rene Colato Lainez

When the family's home in El Salvador is burned down, five-year old Beto and his mother moved to the United States. His father is not able to get a visa and remains behind. Now, three years later, Beto expresses his longing for his father as Father's Day approaches. Although his mother works closely with an immigration lawyer working to bring Papa to the U.S., she makes no headway. A class project and a resultant radio broadcast finally open the door to the long-awaited reunion. Beto's classmates help him raise money to buy his father a very special gift. The pen-and -ink and watercolor illustrations are simple and straight forward. This book is an adequate introduction to the many issues surrounding immigration and its impact on families.

Year Released: 2004

Grade 1-5

The Color of Home

Author: Mary Hoffman

Newly immigrated from Somalia and knowing little English, Hassan feels like an outsider. Though his classmates and teacher are friendly, everything is very different in America and he is homesick. When his teacher shows him how to paint, he discovers a way to communicate. Through painting Hassan is able to share the experiences of his family in war-torn Somalia and begin to adjust to his new home. Karin Hoffman's bright expressionistic watercolors compliment this perceptively-written story. The Color Of Home is a book that will appeal to young readers who will easily relate to the adjustment difficulties faced by new immigrants, especially children, as they learn English and adapt to new schools and classmates.

Year Released: 2002

Grade K-3

No English

Author: Jacqueline Jules

No English is a colorfully illustrated picture book that tells the story of Blanca, a new girl from Argentina, who struggles to adjust and acclimate to her second grade American classroom. Blanca's story is told from the perspective of her classmate, Diane, who initially has trouble dealing with the fact that they don't speak the same language. Early on, "No English," is all that Spanish speaker, Blanca, can say-thus making her misunderstood by her classmates. However, with the help of her teacher, Mrs. Bertram, the students are able to better understand Blanca by learning about her homeland. This is a lovely story that could be read aloud to students of all ages and will make a great addition to any classroom library.

Year Released: 2007

Grade 1-2

Super Cilantro Girl

Author: Juan Felipe Herrera

When Esmeralda Sinfronteras learns her mother, an American citizen, has been stopped at the border for lack of a green card, she transforms into Super Cilantro Girl. Turning green like a bouquet of cilantro, salsa verde, and the earth in spring, Esmeralda the superhero is able to leap over border walls, scale control towers and turn everything cilantro green so the border will disappear and her mother can return home. Written in both English and Spanish by nationally known Mexican-American poet Juan Filipe Herrera, Super Cilantro Girl examines themes of cultural duality, immigrant status and national borders as they affect children. This entertaining, imaginative and brightly-illustrated story can be used to initiate classroom explorations into these timely issues with young students.

Year Released: 2003

Grade K-4

Sparrow Jack

Author: Mordicai Gerstein

This picture book is based on a true story and it is truly a must-have in the elementary classroom. Sparrow Jack is the whimsical tale of a perseverant immigrant who saves Philadelphia by importing sparrows to rescue the trees from a plague of inchworms. Seasick, Jack is miserable while crossing the Atlantic to the United States.  When the people of Philadelphia declare a state of emergency because the trees are disappearing with an infestation of inchworms, the main character comes up with a novel solution to solve a problem, but his community doubts him. He wants to try out his theory and on his own dime and dreading the journey, he once again sails back to his native England to collect sparrows. He returns and sets the sparrows free, saving Philadelphia from the infestation. This is a lovely picture book that can be used in any elementary classroom.

Year Released: 2003

Grade 1-4

Miss Bridie Chooses A Shovel

Author: Leslie Connor

Upon embarking on her voyage to America in 1856, Miss Bridie chose a shovel to help carve a new life in a new land. Told in simple lyrical language, Leslie Connor's story of one young Irish woman's journey symbolizes the contribution made by millions of immigrants in building our nation. Illustrated with colorful woodcuts by Caldecott medalist Mary Azarian, Miss Bridie Chose a Shovel offers the opportunity to engage very young students in an exploration of the themes of immigration, history and social values.

Year Released: 2004

Grades K-3

How People Immigrate

Author: Sarah De Capua

This up-to-date, matter-of-fact explanation of the immigration process in the United States defines the question, "What is immigration?" Contemporary color photographs-including images of Rwandan refugees and Homeland Security border patrols- add authenticity to a quick read. This is an inexpensive introductory book on contemporary immigration issues evidently designed for early readers and/or ESL students.

Year Released: 2004

Grade 2-4

The Name Jar

Author: Yangsook Choi

Clutching a small wooden block with the characters of her Korean name carved into it, Unhei worries about being accepted and fitting in at her new school and new country. When she finds that the children have difficulty pronouncing her name, she decides to pick a new American name. Sensing her difficulty in choosing a name, Unhei's classmates create a name jar with suggestions for her. Finally, with the help of a new friend, she not only chooses a name that reflects her heritage and culture but also inspires her classmates to better understand cultural differences and similarities.Yangsook Choi's charming story and illustrations explore issues of assimilation and cultural duality faced by immigrant children and their American classmates. It could well serve as the basis for classroom discussions of these issues and would be a welcome addition to class libraries.

Year Released: 2001

Grades K-3

One Green Apple

Author: Eve Bunting

Farah, a young Muslim girl, begins her story on her second day in a new school in a new country. She listens and nods but doesn't speak. So many things are strange to her, including the clothes and language. Her class is going on a field trip to an apple orchard where they will each pick an apple to be made into cider. When she puts a green apple into the cider press instead of a ripe red one, as her classmates have done, they symbolically protest. But the cider from all the apples they have mixed together is a beautiful metaphor for the benefits of the intermingling of different peoples. Farah begins to make friends. She even learns a new word:  "App-ell." Her simple story helps us to understand the feelings of one of millions of immigrant children striving to make their way in our American world. Tee Lewin's gorgeous full-page watercolor illustrations depict the apple-picking adventure. This is a great picture book for early primary and ESL classrooms.

Year Released: 2006

Grades 1-4