SEWING! NO ONE could hate it more than Dina Kirk. Endless tiny stitches, button holes, darts. Since she was tiny, she's worked in her family's dressmaking business, where the sewing machine is a cranky member of the family. When 13-year-old Dina leaves her small town in Germany to join her uncle's family in Brooklyn, she turns her back on sewing. Never again! But looking for a job leads her right ...

Homeless immigrant Mia goes with her Mom and Dad to run the Calivista, a low-budget motel in southern California. Although they now have a roof over their heads, it takes “all hands on deck” to run the motel, and ten-year-old Mia becomes the front-desk manager. Mr. Yao, the owner, is a cruel skin-flint making the family’s life miserable, and Mia cannot escape him even at school because his s ...

In 1938, Lisa Platt and her family know something dangerous is happening in Germany. Lately, there have been more and more restrictions for Jews: yellow stars they have to wear, schools they cannot attend, things they are forbidden to do. When their neighbors are arrested for petty reasons, the Platts realize they have to escape. Forbidden to bring money or possessions out of the country, Lisa's f ...

The author shares the story of the quilt that her great-great-grandmother and her immigrant neighbors created in long-ago New York, which has been passed down through four generations of the author's family. Full-color illustrations.

From Newbery media winner Karen Hesse comes an unforgettable story of an immigrant family's journey to America. America, the girl repeated. What will you do there?I was silent for a little time.I will do everything there, I answered. Rifka knows nothing about America when she flees from Russia with her family in 1919. But she dreams that in the new country she will at last be safe from the Russia ...

When a language barrier makes their mouths "as empty as our breadbaskets," this determined granddaughter begins bridging the gap just like her teacher showed her in class. Soon, she and her Abuela share words, Spanish and English, back and forth. A beautiful example of how creative problem solving and patience overcomes obstacles.

A beautiful and lushly illustrated story of family, remembrance, and resiliency told entirely in dialogue between a grandfather and he is granddaughter. Unforgettable!

How can you make friends when your name is unpronounceable? Maybe choosing an easier name will help, at least that's what Unhei thinks. Suggestions from classmates pour in until a chance encounter outside of school upends the entire plan. A gentle and beautiful story of self-discovery and friendship.

A tender rendering of how a grandchild learns to value the life and experiences her grandmothers share with her, though they differ widely. Cross-cultural expectations may vary in practice, but so many aspects of life they share in common and young Nina adapts quickly. A strong comparison book with a similarly strong theme of love woven throughout.

Bell Kirby is an expert at systems, whether he’s designing the world’s most elaborate habitat for his pet chinchilla, re-creating Leonardo da Vinci’s greatest inventions in his garage, or avoiding Parker Hellickson, the most diabolical bully Village Green Elementary has ever seen. Since third grade, Parker has tormented Bell, who’s spent two long years devising a finely tuned system that k ...

True events at the US border become the basis for this thoughtfully told narrative. Readers grow in understand with the young protagonist who doesn't fully comprehend the situation, yet the kindness of a stranger speaks clearer than all else. So much so that young Naomi learns the beauty of kindness and wears it herself. A poignant telling of a border crossing that is no longer open.

One day, on a class trip to Ellis Island, Dominic Cantori faces his worst fantsty--a tour guide asks the children about their families. Filled with shame, Dominic flees from his class and hides until the museum is dark and deserted. Now, his only solace is the recorded voices on the display telephones of the immigrants who came to Ellis Island so long ago. But to Dominic's surprise, the voice of t ...

What does it take to think a little more broadly, a little different from an ordinary pattern of thinking? Especially when it comes to community? Gentle, cute characters deliver a powerful message when perspectives are challenged and changing beliefs embolden meaningful action.

IT'S NOT EASY MOVING TIME AND AGAIN, but Tomas and his family are migrant workers who travel from state to state, helping farmers harvest their crops. When they arrive in Iowa for the summer, Tomas finds an escape from the scorching heat at the town library. And once inside, he also discovers a surprising world filled with dinosaurs, tigers, and a great new friend.

Talk about pre-teen girl angst! Nurah and her Muslim family choose to make a new life in Peachtree City, Georgia, a very long way their home in Karachi, Pakistan. They bring with them a love of family and a desire for American opportunities. While Owais, her older brother, fits in by making friends and winning swim meets, Nurah struggles with everything: lunchtime friendships, unfamiliar clothing, ...

In this family story-within-a-story, a little red-haired girl curls up by her grandmother to hear how, long ago, another little girl and her brother crossed the Atlantic and came to America. An ALA Notable Children's Book, American Bookseller Pick of the Lists, Booklist Children's Editors' Choice, Parents' Choice Award for Literature, NCTE Teachers' Choice, and NCSS/CBC Notable Children's Trade Bo ...

Caldecott Medal WinnerNewbery Honor BookAPALA Award Winner A story about the power of sharing memories--including the painful ones--and the way our heritage stays with and shapes us, even when we don't see it. New England Book Award WinnerA New York Times Best Children's Book of the YearA Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book While driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl's Chinese immigra ...

When a young girl from a poor eastern European village learns that she must leave her beloved grandmother for a new life--and a new love--in America, they both feel that their hearts will break. Full color.

Young Henk was hidden on the farm when Nazi soldiers came and his family was taken away. Now that the war is over, can Henk make a new life for himself in the big city?

In this moving companion to the Newbery Honor Book "Lily's Crossing," Meggie Dillon's life has been turned upside down by World War II. Meggie's father announces the family is moving to Willow Run, Michigan, where he'll work nights in a factory building planes that will help fight the enemy in Europe.