Grade 6 Historical Fiction Research: European Immigration

After fleeing war-torn Russia and trekking across Europe, determined to make a new life for themselves in America, in Sept. 1922, 11-year-old Yehuda Weinstein, his mother, and his younger sister boarded the S.S. Rotterdam, bound for the U.S. But 9 days later, in N.Y. Harbor, inspectors from the Immigration Service notice that Yehuda's arm is in a sling and that his hand is damaged. They refuse to let him board the ferry to Ellis Island (EI). But the Weinsteins have been through too much to be turned back now. What happens to Yehuda and his family on EI is both a touching story and an illuminating account of the immigrant experience. Illuminated with beautifully evocative paintings, family photos, and period postcards and sepia prints. A true story! For all ages.

Millions of people from all over the world left their homelands in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to come to the United States. Their journeys were often long and perilous, but to these huddled masses, the sight of the Statue of Liberty signified hope for a new beginning in their new home-- America. Whether settling in city tenements or heading west for life on the frontier, these immigrants toiled to achieve the lives they had dreamed about. Their experiences helped to shape national identity and heritage.Over one hundred vintage photographs, posters, and paintings from the archives of the Library of COngress-- often called "the storehouse of the national memory"-- remind us of what becoming American meant to millions of people.

When Franklin Delano Roosevelt proclaimed, The only thing we have to fear is fear itself, he understood his words well. In the inspiring Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Nothing to Fear , readers will learn how Roosevelt overcame a debilitating battle with polio to lead the nation through war and the Depression.

Fleeing from Russia to America, Rachel and her family want to make a good impression at the inspection station at Ellis Island. Any wrong move there could cause one or all of them to be turned away. When an inspector singles out young cousin Grisha, wearing the tattered old coat his mother gave him, the family fears they will be separated forever. But Rachel's cleverness and a coat that's filled with memories ultimately keep them together. Full color.

In an inspiring pairing, Amy Hest and P.J. Lynch create an unforgettable tribute to the immigrant experience. Jessie lives with her grandmother in a poor village in the valleys of eastern Europe. When, to everyone's surprise, young Jessie is chosen by the village rabbi to travel to America, and to leave her grandmother behind, they both feel their hearts will break. Award-winning author Amy Hest brings her sure and inspired touch to the story of our immigrant heritage as she follows Jessie across the ocean to a new life—and a new love—in America. Exquisitely illustrated by P.J. Lynch, with paintings that glow with warmth and carefully observed detail, WHEN JESSIE COMES ACROSS THE SEA transcends time and culture in a tribute to the courage and hope of all who seek a better life. It is destined to become a modern classic.

Even before they immigrate to America, Hanna and her family dream of the new life they will have there. "You will see, Hanna," Papa said. "There are streets of gold." But when they arrive, they find life very different from what they had imagined. Their apartment is small and Hanna and her brothers must sleep on a mattress on the floor. Mama spends her days knitting shawls and sweaters to sell on the streets but no one stops to buy. And Papa can find no work. Hanna looks everywhere for the gold Papa promised them but it is not to be found. What will happen to their dream of a new, better life in America? One day a seemingly insignificant find on a slushy street leads to an opportunity for a brighter future. And like many others before them, Hanna and her family realize that through small steps and hard work they can make their American dream come true.