Leaving for America

This is an incredibly told story about a young girl who moved to America during the Great Depression. It is a true story about a family that had to leave everything they had ever known in order to risk having a better life for themselves. I liked this book for many reasons. First, it could be

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paired with a social studies unit on the Great Depression and immigration, specifically the immigration of Jewish Europeans. Second, this book pushes readers to imagine what life would be like if they had to endure picking up and moving to a completely different country. Since the story is told from the viewpoint of a young child, students can easily empathize with the main character and see themselves undergoing hardship and know that there are others who have it harder than they do. Conversely, if a student who is reading this book is a non-native immigrant, they can gain insight from this book about how someone else overcame the struggle of being in a new place and appreciate the message of the story as well. Another reason I liked this book was for the vivid imagery. Different objects that had special significance to the author bordered almost every page. For example, on page 28 the main character’s grandfather asks, “And you, my grandchild, will you remain a true Jewish daughter of your people?” The next page includes a sentimental drawing of the main character being held by her grandfather, with several meaningful objects as the border: a shofar, a dove (represents hope in the Jewish faith), a yarmulke, a prayer shawl, Challah bread, and Jewish scriptures. These objects serve to demonstrate the tradition and closeness the main character felt towards her home and family in Russia, and deepen the significance of her move to America. The main idea of the story is that no matter where you are, family and tradition can be kept close to your heart.

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