Somali Immigrants: In Their Shoes

With all the debate about immigration recently it is easy to forget that, with the exception of Native Americans, everyone living in the United States has relatives that came from somewhere else. This series of books provides a balanced view of what coming to America is like. Each title explores the major reasons large numbers of people feel the need to leave their homelands and try to start a new life in the United States. The challenges and successes are discussed through the experiences of real people. Each book includes a Fast Facts page, ‘Think About’ questions, and quotes from primary sources. The illustrations are a combination of drawings and photographs with captions that are very informative. These titles are well written and would be a great resource for both researchers and casual readers who want to learn more about immigration. Bibliography. Glossary. Index. Timeline. Websites.

Leaving a life behind to start anew elsewhere is a daunting task but one that speaks to the essence of the American spirit. Each group represented here has much in common yet very different experiences in their journeys. Starting with a time line and fast facts that succinctly illuminate key factors and events, the authors expand on the personal journeys of a few individuals at various points in history, causing some titles to feel more current than others. Each volume includes a table of immigration statistics through the years and discussion questions for critical thinking. Undocumented immigration, addressed in one book, is not given wide coverage, yet racism and oppression experienced both in homelands and the United States are covered in all. VERDICT An excellent series exploring the breadth of immigration stories for middle schoolers.

This volume of the Immigrant Experiences series reads like a story and could easily be used as a read- aloud in a library or classroom. This is the tale of one family’s journey from war-torn Somalia to the snow-clad suburbs of Minneapolis. The tone and narrative style are intended to evoke sympathy, but the absence of the depicted family’s names keeps readers at a distance. The most compelling parts of the narrative are about the children’s adaptation to school and the parents’ struggles to apply for asylum and later find employment, all of which attest to the difficulty of integration. Readers who share the refugee or immigrant experience will relate to some elements, and others will learn a great deal about the nuances of leaving one home and making another.

Aside from Native Americans, the United States is a nation of immigrants and the descendants of immigrants. Now, The Child’s World has published a new eight volume series showcasing the immigrant experience of people from eight different countries. Each individual volume in this simply outstanding series combines primary source information (quotes, letters, diaries, new stories) into a narrative text enhanced with compelling images and informative infographics. Each volume also features ‘fast facts’ critical-thinking questions, a phonetic glossary, an index, a timeline of key events, and a listing of sources for further research. Specifically intended for fourth grade students, this series is comprised of: Italian Immigrants; Japanese Immigrants: In Their Shoes; Irish Immigrants: In Their Shoes; Vietnamese Immigrants: In Their Shoes; Mexican Immigrants: In Their Shoes; German Immigrants: In Their Shoes Somali Immigrants: In Their Shoes; Cuban Immigrants: In Their Shoes.