Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collections
Publication
Clarion Books (1990), 32 pages
Description
Refugees from a Caribbean island embark on a dangerous boat trip to America where they have a special reason to celebrate Thanksgiving.
User reviews
LibraryThing member ggenao
This book reminds me million of immigrants that leave their contries to find a better future for their families and themself
LibraryThing member cricket2574
This book is about a family that gets in a boat to come to America. It does not say where they are coming from or why. It talks about soldiers coming to their home and the father making them leave but I didn't understand why.
I did not care for this book, due to the fact that I did not understand
I would probably not read this book to my children, because if they asked me questions, I would not have the answers. They would probably ask where they came from and why they had to leave their home, which I could not answer truthfully.
I did not care for this book, due to the fact that I did not understand
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where they were coming from or why.I would probably not read this book to my children, because if they asked me questions, I would not have the answers. They would probably ask where they came from and why they had to leave their home, which I could not answer truthfully.
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LibraryThing member KristinWhite
This book is great for kids Kindergarten to Second of Third grade. The book discusses immigrants seeking freedom, which is a big issue in America today with illegal immigrants. Great book to read during Thanksgiving.
LibraryThing member lisab818
A family is forced to leave their home and escape to America. They crowd on a boat with many others and after a tough journey, arrive to welcoming hands on Thanksgiving Day. Written from a child's point of view, the book helps the reader understand how a child might feel as they illegally immigrate
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via water. Show Less
LibraryThing member kwangme81
A boy and girl and their parents are escaping to go to America. They are traveling on boat with many others. They have some problems with the boat and even run into some thieves who take all their valuable belongings.
As I read this book, I was trying to figure out where these people were from. It
This book could be used to teach about all the people who escaped to come to America. They could discuss why they think these people were escaping from their homes. They could also discuss if they had to escape, where would they escape to.
As I read this book, I was trying to figure out where these people were from. It
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does not say in the book. I could see how innocent the children were though because the little girl just kept asking how many days would it take to get to America. She didn't ask why they were leaving. It was as if she didn't really know what was going on.This book could be used to teach about all the people who escaped to come to America. They could discuss why they think these people were escaping from their homes. They could also discuss if they had to escape, where would they escape to.
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LibraryThing member adwirth
This is a story about a family that is forced to leave their home and come to America. The children were scared and kept asking how long it would be until they reached America. The boat faced many obsticles on the ocean but the men and women worked hard to make their destination. This is a good
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book to teach older children that there are people in other countries that are not as free and happy as we are in America. It will help students be thankful for where they live and what they have. Show Less
LibraryThing member bamabreezin4
I loved this book as a lesson about being a refugee from the point of view of a child who is one himself. It's written simply enough for kids to understand, probably late second to third grade, but is even better for a read aloud. Also, this book brings up the true meaning of the holiday
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Thanksgiving, which is important for children to understand. Show Less
LibraryThing member aelambert
This family leaves their home to go to America for new life. They face many stuggles while their boat is out to sea. They run out of food and water and are very afraid, but when they reach America they understand the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
LibraryThing member ashclark
Summary: This story was about a family who decided to leave their home country and come to America. They get on a small boat after leaving their home and possessions and travel the ocean. They face many obstacles but overcome and get to America on Thanksgiving Day. Welcomed by others they are
Personal Reaction: This is very good story it is just a brief example of the different meanings of America and Thanksgiving.
Classroom Extension: This would be a very good story at Thanksgiving or even for a lesson about migrating families.
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encouraged to join in and give thanks for their freedom. Personal Reaction: This is very good story it is just a brief example of the different meanings of America and Thanksgiving.
Classroom Extension: This would be a very good story at Thanksgiving or even for a lesson about migrating families.
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LibraryThing member kefoley
A family leaves their home because there country does not share the same beliefs that they do. They take a journey across the ocean to become free in America. This story is a true Thanksgiving story because it is like the story of the Pilgrims but this story is more in the present.
LibraryThing member TonyaJordan
This multicultural picture book is about a family that is leaving their village and coming to America in search of freedom. They left the island they called home on a crowded boat where food and water were scarce. The boat finally reaches a friendly shoreline where the people of America welcome
I liked this book because it tells a great Thanksgiving day story. It is a great reminder of the many things we, as Americans have to be thankful for. The illustrations in the story were very detailed and give the reader a good taste of what is was like to be on that boat.
For a classroom activity I would help young children create their own boat out of construction paper. We would display them in the classroom as a Thanksgiving decoration. For older children, I might have them write a poem about what they think it was like to be on that boat.
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them with open arms. The Americans invite them to share their Thanksgiving day feast and the family could not be more thankful.I liked this book because it tells a great Thanksgiving day story. It is a great reminder of the many things we, as Americans have to be thankful for. The illustrations in the story were very detailed and give the reader a good taste of what is was like to be on that boat.
For a classroom activity I would help young children create their own boat out of construction paper. We would display them in the classroom as a Thanksgiving decoration. For older children, I might have them write a poem about what they think it was like to be on that boat.
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LibraryThing member kdcoshatt
This book is about immigrants who came to America to escape military rule. This is a great book for children to see the struggle and hardships people had to endure to come to America. It was a long boat ride that took many days. The boat was very crowded and there was no shelter from rain or cold.
LibraryThing member klpopwell
Great book to use when talking about thanksgiving, history or pilgrims. Depecits very well the struggle of the families while they were coming over the America.
LibraryThing member GillianEvans
This book was about a family who is forced to leave their home and try their luck in getting to America. It is told from a childs point of view and she doesnt understand much. they have to leave in the middle of the night and they travel by boat. They are on the ocean for a very long time before
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finally reaching America. Once they arrive they are greated with food, and nice people. the family is told it is Thanksgiving, a day to give thanks for food, family, and safety. I would read this book to my children when talking about soldiers, war, and how hard it used to be for people from other countries. Show Less
LibraryThing member cgammerman
This is a great book to read to students so they can understand the struggles faced by those coming to America. This will help them to appriciate our country and help them to learn about different cultures. 1st and 2nd graders would understand this book and it would be easy for them to read and
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comprehend. Show Less
LibraryThing member merestreet123
A family gets on a boat from Europe to America in hopes of being free. The two children are very confused the whole time, wondering why they had to leave, and just what 'America' means. When they arrive in America, they are welcomed by a big feast of food. The children love it there. They all
This is a very educational story. I really enjoyed reading it, even though many parts of it were very sad because it is so realistic.
This book could be read for Thanksgiving. It could educate the students about Thanksgiving. I could also have the students write all of the things that they are thankful for.
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celebrate Thanksgiving and give thanks for being free at last.This is a very educational story. I really enjoyed reading it, even though many parts of it were very sad because it is so realistic.
This book could be read for Thanksgiving. It could educate the students about Thanksgiving. I could also have the students write all of the things that they are thankful for.
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LibraryThing member NataliaLucia
Personal Response: I kept looking for specific details in the text, such as which country the refugees where coming from and when the story took place. The text is ambiguous about these details. Hearing the story from the point of view of a little boy was very moving. Of course, the book made me
Curricular Connection: Although young children may not understand the complexities of immigration policy, this story can introduce the topic of immigration. The teacher can explain to children what immigration means and talk about the other countries in the world where people live. Preschool and Kindergarden children may be unaware of the construct of nations. The narrative can be linked to discussions of home and locations.
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think of the current situation in Arizona with SB 1070.Curricular Connection: Although young children may not understand the complexities of immigration policy, this story can introduce the topic of immigration. The teacher can explain to children what immigration means and talk about the other countries in the world where people live. Preschool and Kindergarden children may be unaware of the construct of nations. The narrative can be linked to discussions of home and locations.
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LibraryThing member MacKAdams
This story is about a family who leaves their home country because they were not allowed to believe the way they did. They had to leave everything they owned and had a long boat ride to America. When they arrived to America it was Thanksgiving.
I thought this story did a good job on portraying
This story could be used in the classroom when teaching about immigrants and how people first came to this country.
I thought this story did a good job on portraying
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feelings a child may have felt on a journey to America.This story could be used in the classroom when teaching about immigrants and how people first came to this country.
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LibraryThing member HollyRogers
This book is about a family that is forced to leave there home and starts there journey to America on a small boat. Faced with hunger and sickness the poeple on the boat encounter many hardships. After a long journey they make it to America welcomed with open arms and food, the family has reached
This book makes the journey that many took to america very real for students and does an excellent job at showing there hardships in an appropriate child matter.
I would use this book in a history lesson about pilgrims during thanksgiving time and let the children do a journal write afterwards about how the families struggles made them feel.
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there destination. This book makes the journey that many took to america very real for students and does an excellent job at showing there hardships in an appropriate child matter.
I would use this book in a history lesson about pilgrims during thanksgiving time and let the children do a journal write afterwards about how the families struggles made them feel.
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LibraryThing member MaestraDixon
A realistic story of a family fleeing soldiers in their Caribbean country. They take a fishing boat to America, and there are many difficulties along the way. This is a great book for discussing or teaching about reasons people immigrate to the United States. The connection between the original
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pilgrims and these refugees becomes clear when they celebrate Thanksgiving once they arrive in America. The drawing appear to be pencil or chalk, and the colors reflect the mood of the story. Show Less
LibraryThing member WendyBrown
Summary:
This story is about a family making the journey from their original country to America. The story covers hardships they had on the boat over to America because their homeland was too dangerous. Once they got to America they were welcomed to sit down to a Thanksgiving feast.
Personal
This book gives us a great view of how things might have been for early settlers coming to America. This is great history about family and sticking together through rough times. There are way too many stories today about families not giving up when times got tough, this is needed to show people family is still family in tough times.
Classroom Extension:
1. This is a great history lesson for Columbus Day activies to show students how families got to America.
2. This story could be used to show students that hard work and determination will be greatly rewarded.
This story is about a family making the journey from their original country to America. The story covers hardships they had on the boat over to America because their homeland was too dangerous. Once they got to America they were welcomed to sit down to a Thanksgiving feast.
Personal
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Reaction:This book gives us a great view of how things might have been for early settlers coming to America. This is great history about family and sticking together through rough times. There are way too many stories today about families not giving up when times got tough, this is needed to show people family is still family in tough times.
Classroom Extension:
1. This is a great history lesson for Columbus Day activies to show students how families got to America.
2. This story could be used to show students that hard work and determination will be greatly rewarded.
Show Less
LibraryThing member arielbui
This book beautifully portrayed how heart-wrenching it is for a family to leave all their belongings and run to an unknown place.
LibraryThing member jraeke1
I am undecided about this book. There were things I didn't like about this book. One of the things I didn't like about this book was, they never mentioned where they were traveling from. On the first page it shows a small village looking place. Once you start reading it says, "It was nice in our
I did like this story because it used the characters to show teamwork. For example in part of the story the motor on their boat breaks. The men crowd around to try and fix and then the women make a sail to help the boat sail. It shows how working together can achieve anything and I like that message.
The main idea behind this story is to be patient and work together.
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village." The author never actually tells you where they are. The illustrations make the people in the story appear to be darker skinned and they are traveling to America. I feel like the story was incomplete without the detail of where they were coming from. I did like this story because it used the characters to show teamwork. For example in part of the story the motor on their boat breaks. The men crowd around to try and fix and then the women make a sail to help the boat sail. It shows how working together can achieve anything and I like that message.
The main idea behind this story is to be patient and work together.
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LibraryThing member tstato1
SUMMARY
After soldiers storm a home, a family is forced to leave and find salvation in America. They sail for days trying to search for land. When they first encounter land, they are turned away by three guards. They encounter more land later and are welcomed to America.
REVIEW
Eve Bunting's
After soldiers storm a home, a family is forced to leave and find salvation in America. They sail for days trying to search for land. When they first encounter land, they are turned away by three guards. They encounter more land later and are welcomed to America.
REVIEW
Eve Bunting's
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illustrations always complement her text just right. These colored pencil and watercolor illustrations give the story a sense of smoothness. I liked the scene where the daughter is looking over the boat railing at the sunset and her father sang "Sleep and dream, tomorrow comes and we shall all be free." The sunset almost feels like its portraying that hope and freedom that everyone on the boat yearns for. Show Less
LibraryThing member hphipp2
"How Many Days to America?" is a book about a Caribbean family who must leave after "the soldiers" came. They had to leave in the middle of the night to leave for America. They could take nothing except a change of clothes. They left by sea, and on their journey, they lost their few belongings to
I liked that this book doesn't give any information that the main character, a child, would have gotten from her parents. It makes the reader get an idea of how she felt on her way to America. Even though it was a scary situation, the family got through it by signing together and keeping their thoughts fixed on their new life together. Another great example of families working together to get through a difficult situation.
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thieves. After a long and perilous journey, they finally arrived in America on Thanksgiving. Some people took them in and they all celebrated together.I liked that this book doesn't give any information that the main character, a child, would have gotten from her parents. It makes the reader get an idea of how she felt on her way to America. Even though it was a scary situation, the family got through it by signing together and keeping their thoughts fixed on their new life together. Another great example of families working together to get through a difficult situation.
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Subjects
Awards
Nebraska Golden Sower Award (Nominee — 1991)
Texas Bluebonnet Award (Nominee — 1991)
Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award (Nominee — 1991)
NCTE Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for Pre-K—Grade 6 (10th Edition: 1988-1992)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
11.25 inches
ISBN
0395547776 / 9780395547779
UPC
046442547772