Thursday, January 9, 2014

Burgan, Michael. Ellis Island: An Interactive Adventure.


Burgan, Michael.  Ellis Island: An Interactive Adventure.   Capstone Publishers  2014     112p  ISBN 978-1-4765-0253-3  elm/ms  E-BNS     Historical fiction     

Rather than presenting the dates and wherefores of history, this delightful book on Ellis Island lets students follow the path of each of three immigrants and learn a great deal about the process of immigration at the turn of the century. In the process of following an immigrant, students will also learn what life was like in Russia, Italy and Germany.  Further, they will possibly learn what it was that pushed these people to immigrate, and what their lives were like afterward in the United States.  Occasional photographs from the period inform the surrounding text, making the book that much more interesting to read.  The book concludes with an overview timeline, Common Core key ideas, references for further reading (print and web), a glossary, a bibliography, and finally an index that refers the reader to specific events or documents of the time.  

Thirteen books complete this series of excellent history books.  History is presented in a very imaginative and interesting manner.  They are very good hi/lo books for students.

Summary: The reader gets to place him or herself in one of three roles immigrating to the United States early in the 1900s.  The choices are a Jewish youth leaving the violence of Russia, an Italian teen who lands at Ellis Island during WWI, or a German immigrant who faces deportation.  

Immigration-Fiction                                        --Lynn Fisher

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