Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Orchard Books (2003), Edition: 1St Edition, 144 pages
Description
Photographs and text document the experiences of five individuals who came to live in the Lower East Side of New York City as children or young adults from Belarus, Italy, Lithuania, and Romania at the turn of the twentieth century.
Awards
Sydney Taylor Book Award (Mass Import -- Pending Differentiation)
Orbis Pictus Award (Honor — 2004)
Jane Addams Children's Book Award (Honor Book — 2004)
CCBC Choices (2004)
Language
User reviews
LibraryThing member LauraMcKinion
This book told the stories of five immigrants coming to America and living in New York tenements at a very young age. It recounts what day to day life looked like and gives vivid details of their living conditions. it tells personal stories from each of the five immigrants and allows the reader to
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really understand what the immigrants are thinking and feeling. It tells of the immigrants struggles and triumphs in a very real way. The photographs are outstanding and really give the reader a feel for what life in the tenements looked like. Show Less
LibraryThing member lauraloftin
Non-Fiction Book about NYC tenement houses
This was a wonderfully written text about the lives of immigrants living in New York City. The story includes the words of five specific people of different cultures and backgrounds, and how they made their way in the great land of America. Life was very
I would surely use this book in my 4th-9th grade classroom when learning about immigration and Ellis Island.
This was a wonderfully written text about the lives of immigrants living in New York City. The story includes the words of five specific people of different cultures and backgrounds, and how they made their way in the great land of America. Life was very
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difficult and the living conditions terrible. This book was an eye-opener of the awful things these people dealth with, harsh working conditions and sometimes going without food. I would surely use this book in my 4th-9th grade classroom when learning about immigration and Ellis Island.
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LibraryThing member Cra71
WOW! This book truly takes you into a sad part of America's history. It was truly informative on the conditions and hardships that new immigrants faced when arriving to this "golden land". The pictures and stories paint a picture of the life that these people had. It is truly inspirational and
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makes you much more grateful for those who did not quit on the American dream. Show Less
LibraryThing member kharding
I chose this book because I have been interested and studying the history of immigration in the U.S. for some time. Yet, I had never read about the topic through the perspective of children. This perspective makes the experience more compelling.
This book is broken up into chapters with catchy
I like that this book includes significant interesting anecdotes while also explaining important events related to the immigrant experience, such as the work of Jacob Riis and the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire.
This book is broken up into chapters with catchy
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titles such as "Everyone Worked On" and "On the Streets: Pushcarts, Pickles and Play." Each chapter discusses a different topic relevant in the lives of child immigrants from 1880 to 1924. This book acknowledges numerous challenges they faced: from the difficult journey, to discrimination and assimilation, homelessness or cramped tenement life, balancing school and work, poverty, sacrificing in order to save up for family members arrival, and language difficulties. However, the book also addresses the fun or interesting parts of a new life, such as eating new foods, games played and new experiences. All of these topics are discussed extensively through personal stories from 5 immigrants from different European countries. Left out are the stories of immigrants from other parts of the world, including the voices of second generation immigrants during this time period. Also the focus is in the region of New York. While limited in scope, I don't think this is necessarily I flaw. I think instead, a teacher would need to provide further information about this time period and immigration policies and experiences before and after. I like that this book includes significant interesting anecdotes while also explaining important events related to the immigrant experience, such as the work of Jacob Riis and the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire.
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LibraryThing member AshleyWheeler
Hopkinson follows the integration of five immigrants from various places in Europe as they move to America and try to make a life for themselves. Touching photographs and quotes from the immigrants' diaries makes this book a personal journey the reader can connect with. Topics include work, living
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conditions, eating habits, child labor, education, and English acquisition. Show Less
LibraryThing member kvail
This book takes place from 1880-1924. It is about the immigrants starting a new life in New York. The book discusses seven different stories about immigrant experiences coming to America. The purpose for immigrants coming depending on the country they were coming from. Some reasons were that people
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were convinced emigration was the only way to leave poverty and to get an education. Some cultures/religions did not allow it's members to take part in high level education. "America offered a chance to escape grinding poverty." This book discusses the challenges that people are faced with when living in such close quarters with people of mixed cultures and values. Show Less
LibraryThing member SuPendleton
The book gives a detailed account of what it would have been like to be an immigrant in the late 1800s. There are five main stories about the lives of immigrants as well as historical documents and photographs from this time period. The author depicts each immigrant's individual struggle to make a
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new life in America. Hopkinson's portrayal of what families faced - poverty, low wages, terrible working conditions, unsafe tenements - is told in a way that even upper elementary students can understand. It is a wealth of information. Show Less
ISBN
0439375908 / 9780439375900