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40 pp.
| Philomel
| June, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-399-23727-5$$15.99
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
William Low.
In a story based on real events in New York's Chinatown in the 1920s, children from Little Italy keep demolishing Grandfather Chin's magnificent kites. After Henry Chu and his friends discover why, the children negotiate a satisfying resolution for their problem. The kites in Low's dramatic paintings differ somewhat from those described in the text, but he portrays the setting and characters with sensitivity.
116 pp.
| Chelsea
| March, 2003
|
LibraryISBN 0-7910-7129-4$$22.95
|
PaperISBN 0-7910-7509-5$$9.95
(4)
YA
Immigrants in America series.
Covering stereotypes, challenges, and prejudices, each of these comprehensive but dryly written books discusses the history and contributions of a specific immigrant group. Archival photos and text boxes break up the presentation and extend the information. Profiles of notable immigrants are interspersed. Addresses, reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Immigrants in America titles: Italian Americans, Irish Americans, Swedish Americans, Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans, and German Americans.]
(3)
1-3
My America series.
In Hope, when Sofia and her family arrive at Ellis Island from Italy in 1903, the doctors think she has trachoma, an eye disease. She is quarantined for two months without her family. In Home, Sofia, reunited with her family, settles in Boston's North End and adjusts to her new country. Sofia describes these events in her diary in a strong voice. A historical note is appended. [Review covers these My America titles: Home at Last and Hope in my Heart.]
(3)
1-3
My America series.
In Hope, when Sofia and her family arrive at Ellis Island from Italy in 1903, the doctors think she has trachoma, an eye disease. She is quarantined for two months without her family. In Home, Sofia, reunited with her family, settles in Boston's North End and adjusts to her new country. Sofia describes these events in her diary in a strong voice. A historical note is appended. [Review covers these My America titles: Home at Last and Hope in my Heart.]
(4)
K-3
We Are America series.
This informative series introduces young readers to the immigrant experience, from life in the homeland to life adapting to a new culture. Personal narratives, photographs, maps, and timelines present a vivid portrait of the challenges and successes encountered, while descriptions of pastimes and traditions offer cultural perspective. Reading list. Glos., ind. [Review covers these We Are America titles: Chinese Americans, German Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Indian Americans, Filipino Americans, and Italian Americans.]
32 pp.
| Holiday
| October, 2002
|
TradeISBN 0-8234-1682-8$$16.95
(4)
K-3
When a park is overrun by "hangouts" who litter, graffiti, and otherwise scare off "old-timers" and parents, narrator Angelo and his grandfather join a neighborhood group. After their cleanup efforts are undone, the unlikeliest of park-goers restore order. Although the book is slow to gain momentum, the dialogue is snappy, the message is subtly articulated, and the gouache illustrations bring the community to life.
156 pp.
| Clarion
| April, 2002
|
TradeISBN 0-618-13339-9$$15.00
(4)
4-6
When Italian immigrants arrive to work in the new coal mines of western Pennsylvania, the "original settler stock" is alarmed, especially Nathan's father. But eleven-year-old Nathan gets to know one of the newcomers and their friendship eventually helps avert a dangerous conflict. Although the telling is occasionally bogged down by transparent political statements, the plot is believable, and the 1880s historical setting is well realized.
158 pp.
| Lerner/Millbrook
| March, 2002
|
LibraryISBN 0-7613-1607-8$$21.90
(4)
4-6
Century Kids series.
In another installment of the multigenerational saga, Lucy Vivanti's family clashes when one cousin volunteers for service in Vietnam and another becomes a war protester. Meanwhile, Sam, a descendent of the Aldrich family, lives in a commune with his mother. Sam's story feels particularly superficial in a volume that, despite its photographic reproductions, doesn't seem to be rooted in its specific era as well as the previous entries were.
53 pp.
| Candlewick
| March, 2002
|
TradeISBN 0-7636-1537-4$$13.99
(4)
4-6
Illustrated by
Scott Hunt.
Growing up in an Italian-American family, Joseph Paul describes his love for his grandfather, his anger at his law-breaking and abusive father, and his devotion to baseball player Joe DiMaggio. Spread over a series of years, Joseph Paul's meditations and observations are related in first-person free verse. Although they form a fairly skimpy book, the poems may attract sports fans not otherwise interested in poetry.
32 pp.
| Blue Earth
| September, 2001
|
LibraryISBN 0-7368-0796-9$$22.60
(4)
4-6
Coming to America series.
The accessible books in this series focus on reasons for immigration, traditional life in the "old country," conditions on the voyages, hardships faced in the United States, and the economic, political, and social advances made. Soft edges around the photos give the archival pictures a sentimental feeling while the contemporary color photos just look odd. Included are a recipe (no warnings about adult help), a time line, and places to write and visit. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Coming to America titles: German Immigrants, 1820-1920; Irish Immigrants, 1840-1920; Chinese Immigrants, 1850-1900; Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish Immigrants, 1820-192; Italian Immigrants, 1880-1920; Japanese Immigrants, 1850-1950.]
153 pp.
| Winslow
| October, 2001
|
TradeISBN 1-890817-61-9$$9.95
(4)
4-6
Dear Mr. President series.
Twelve-year-old William Pratt writes to President Adams about, among other issues, the plight of the Creek Indians; Emma Bartoletti corresponds with President Roosevelt about her family's Depression-era experiences. Despite their unlikely scenarios, the books in this series present intriguing historical portraits. The busy design includes photographs, reproductions, and editorial cartoons. Ind. [Review covers these Dear Mr. President titles: John Quincy Adams and Franklin D. Roosevelt.]
163 pp.
| Pleasant
| September, 2000
|
TradeISBN 1-58485-089-2$$9.95
|
PaperISBN 1-58485-088-4$$5.95
(3)
4-6
History Mysteries series.
Before leaving Ohio to pursue life as a peddler, sixteen-year-old Will Spencer helps Noah, a slave, escape to Canada. When he learns that Noah's family is still in Kentucky, he agrees to steal them and bring them north to freedom. Though Will's horrified discovery--that slave owners view slaves as "stock" that they own, work, and breed--seems naive, his passion for abolishing slavery is inspiring.
159 pp.
| Lerner/Millbrook
| March, 2000
|
LibraryISBN 0-7613-1601-9$$21.90
(4)
4-6
Century Kids series.
A multigenerational theatrical family is introduced in the first two volumes of a series that follows the Aldriches through each decade of the twentieth century. The group rings in New Year 1900, races Oldsmobiles, and loses relatives on the Titanic. The diffuse plots touch on issues such as women's suffrage and child labor, and while the books' premise is intriguing, the execution is somewhat superficial.
162 pp.
| Clarion
| November, 2000
|
TradeISBN 0-395-77610-4$$20.00
(2)
4-6
In 1910, sixteen-year-old D'Angelo and his father left their Italian village to travel to New York City but found life less than rosy for new immigrants. By skillfully interspersing historical details with D'Angelo's own account of his life from his autobiography, and by illustrating the text with documentary photos, Murphy provides a compelling tribute to the indomitable masses who helped to modernize America. Bib., ind.
32 pp.
| Harcourt
| October, 1999
|
TradeISBN 0-15-201656-2$$16.00
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Nancy Carpenter.
Young narrator Tony laments his Italian-American family's annual fall excursion to the Statue of Liberty: he's cold, their picnic is heavy (it includes Lady Liberty's birthday cake), and his grandparents get "soppy." But pride overrides embarrassment after he encounters three recent immigrants who lift his grandparents' story from abstraction. Accomplished acrylic paintings illustrate the somewhat sentimental story.