Gaining the freedom America promised cost immigrants in the early 1900's much. Focusing on the children, Freedman presents the plight of the typical immigrant-crowded cities, scarce jobs, and child labor. The accompanying photographs provide a visual glimpse of what it meant to be a young newcomer to America. Another remarkable photo-essay from one of the genre's masters. America meant "freedom" to the immigrants of the early 1900s—but a freedom very different from what they expected.  Cities were crowded and jobs were scare.  Children had to work selling newspapers, delivering goods, and laboring sweatshops.  In this touching book, Newberry Medalist Russell Freedman offers a rare glimpse of what it meant to be a young newcomer to America.

Text and contemporary photographs chronicle the life of immigrant children at home, school, work, and play during the late 1800's and early 1900's.