Book Finder

On a summer day when no one can think of anything to do, “playing war” seems like the perfect way to spend the day to Luke and his friends — until they realize that their new friend, Sameer, has had more experience with war than any of his friends can imagine. Beckwith and Lyon offer a poignant look at real and imagined war from a child’s point of view. Teachers with refugees may find this an effective bridge for discussion.

Playing War

Kathy Beckwith

Illustrator:

Lea Lyon

Age Level:

6-9

After much practice, Mai is finally ready to make her own pa’dau, or embroidered story cloth. Listening to the stories of her grandmother and the other women at the refugee camp, however, she feels that there are no stories left for her to stitch. Can she find a story of her own? This moving tribute to the Hmong people is richly enhanced by a breathtaking, intricate story cloth woven for the book by pa’ndau artist You Yang.

The Whispering Cloth

Pegi Deitz Shea, You Yang

Illustrator:

Anita Riggio

Age Level:

9-12

Lina has not worn shoes for two years. On the day that new clothes are delivered to her refugee camp, she is excited to find a beautiful yellow sandal with a blue flower in the middle. She wonders where the other sandal might be — until she sees it on another girl. Evocative paintings capture the spirit of friendship that develops between these two survivors, as well as the dramatic setting of their story. Based on the lives of Afghan refugees living in the Peshawar Refugee Camp.

Four Feet, Two Sandals

Karen Lynn Williams, Khadra Mohammad

Illustrator:

Doug Chayka

Age Level:

6-9

Ziba has left the war-torn Afghanistan to come to a place that is safer and warmer — Australia. As the tiny fishing boat rises and falls on the sea, Ziba remembers all that she left behind, and dreams of the freedom that awaits her in her new life. Haunting illustrations convey both the pain and hope that consumes Ziba on her journey. Based on the stories of the Hazara refugees living in Australia.

Ziba Came on a Boat

Liz Lofthouse

Illustrator:

Robert Ingpen

Age Level:

6-9

Every day, Angelina tells her mother she wants to go home. Not to their new city home, cold and gray and unfamiliar — but their old island home in Jamaica, sunny and colorful and filled with rainbow-colored fruits and birds. Angelina believes she’ll never feel at home in this new place, until her mother finds a wonderful surprise in the newspaper. A beautiful tribute to the traditions of the West Indies, Carnival, and the longing for home that young immigrants will recognize immediately.

Angelina’s Island

Jeanette Winter

Age Level:

3-6

Genre:

Fiction

As a young girl begins to get used to her new life in the U.S., she compares everything around her to life back in her country. Some things — like sharing a big meal with her family — are just like home. Other things, however, like not being able to speak to her classmates easily, are not like home. The simple structure and colorful illustrations of the story provide an interesting model for immigrant or new students to compare one home to another. Bilingual text.

Just Like Home

Elizabeth I. Miller

Illustrator:

Mira Reisberg

Age Level:

3-6

When Krysia is six, her family leaves Poland for America. The journey is difficult, as is the arrival at Ellis Island when the family is separated. While the family waits for Papa, Krysia sits down by the Christmas Tree of the Great Hall at Ellis Island and watches as other fellow travelers begin to sing and dance. The mood is festive, but Krysia begins to worry — will Papa ever return? Cultural details from Polish customs passed down through the author’s family enhance the touching story of one family’s Ellis Island experience.

An Ellis Island Christmas

Maxinne Rhea Leighton

Illustrator:

Dennis Nolan

Age Level:

9-12

Every once in awhile, Grandma shares the story of her mother’s journey to America as a young girl. Grandma doesn’t leave anything out, from the moment her mother boards the ship with her older brother to the moment the children are reunited with their parents. Levinson offers a touching portrayal of the immigrant experience that children will relate to, complemented by Goode’s detailed and often humorous illustrations.

Watch the Stars Come Out

Riki Levinson

Illustrator:

Diane Goode

Age Level:

6-9

Annala lives with her family in New York — everyone, that is, except for her two little brothers. She misses them terribly, but whenever she asks her parents when they will come, they can only respond, “Soon, Annala.” Annala can’t help wonder, however, if that day will ever arrive. A touching depiction of the separation that so many immigrant families endure in search of a better life. Out of print but may be available in libraries.

Soon, Annala

Riki Levinson

Illustrator:

Julie Downing

Age Level:

6-9

When Miss Bridie left her homeland in 1856, she could have brought any number of things on her journey — but she chose a shovel. With the shovel, she creates a new life for herself filled with gardens, orchards, ice skating, and a family. The story provides an opportunity for students to think about what they would take if they were moving to a new country, as well as the ingenuity and hard work of our nationâ€™s immigrants.

Miss Bridie Chose a Shovel

Leslie Connor

Illustrator:

Mary Azarian

Age Level:

6-9

Meet Rachel and her cousin, Grisha, two Jewish children living in a small town in Russia. When soldiers begin to attack their town, the family decides that they must set sail for America and their grandmother offers Grisha a new coat instead of his old, tattered coat so that the family will make a good impression at Ellis Island. Grisha insists, however, on keeping the coat that is so special to him — a decision that ultimately helps keep the family together in America. Based loosely on a true story, young readers will appreciate the emotional impact of the story as well as the beautifully evocative illustrations.

The Memory Coat

Elvira Woodruff

Illustrator:

Michael Dooling

Age Level:

6-9

Meet Sofia, a feisty 9-year-old who has left Italy and her precious tomatoes behind for a new life in America. Despite a grueling journey, all goes according to plan — until she is detained at Ellis Island. This chapter book from the “My America” series offers an unusual look at the experience of detained immigrants from a young girl’s point of view.

My America: Hope in My Heart

Katherine Lasky

Age Level:

9-12

Mario is leaving El Salvador with a new pair of shoes — and a good thing, too, because he has a long and difficult journey ahead of him to reach a new country. His shoes carry him through rain and across mountains, all the way to the river where his mother is waiting on the other side. Young readers may need some information explaining the context of the story, which is based on the author’s journey from El Salvador in 1985. Painted illustrations on grainy wood backgrounds match the gritty but hopeful tone of the story.

My Shoes and I

René Colato Laínez

Age Level:

9-12

Betsy Maestro takes readers through America’s rich and complex history of immigration, highlighting the ways that each wave of immigrants helped America become the nation it is today. Maestro’s inclusion of Native Americans and African slaves underscores her thoughtful and sensitive approach, which she masterfully conveys through her accessible writing. Readers will pore over Susannah Ryan’s detailed and playful illustration spreads depicting immigrants of all backgrounds sharing activities here in America together.

Coming to America: The Story of Immigration

Betsy Maestro

Illustrator:

Susannah Ryan

Age Level:

6-9

Raymond Bial begins his introduction to Ellis Island with the question, “What are visitors hoping to find on this small island?” Filled with historic and modern photos of the Island, immigrants, and their belongings, Bial thoughtfully answers this question with extensive information about Ellis Island and the immigrants who passed through its gates. Quotes from immigrants about their journey, arrival, medical exams, and occasional detention add a personal touch. Difficult topics such as genocide, epidemics, and grueling medical exams are included.

Ellis Island: Coming to the Land of Liberty

Raymond Bial

Age Level:

9-12

Carl Erik’s father isn’t sure what to do when the rain won’t come, the crops won’t grow, and the cows won’t give milk. When a letter comes from Uncle Axel in America, he and Mamma decide to leave Sweden behind and start a new life. Written as an I-Can-Read-Book (Level 3), the story conveys the emotion, hardship, and excitement of emigrating to America during Sweden’s “hunger years” in 1868-9.

The Long Way to a New Land

Joan Sandin

Age Level:

3-6

We Were There, Too!: Young People in U.S. History

Philip M. Hoose

Age Level:

9-12

It’s Our World, Too!: Young People Who Are Making a Difference

Philip M. Hoose

Age Level:

9-12

Would you squish an ant? What would happen if you could find out what its life was like? That’s what a boy learns as he talks to the small creature just when he’s poised to put his sneakered foot down on it. Written by a father/daughter team, the lighthearted illustrations highlight the different perspectives but leave the ending open. Music for the song is included.