Author Archives: Mrs. N

Quick Pick Picture Book – The Chanukkah Guest

Posted on December 1, 2010 by Mrs. N

Eric Kimmel’s The Chanukkah Guest is one of my favorite Chanukkah stories.  97 year old Bubba Brayna has been cooking her famous latkes.  The smell is so tantalizing that it wakes a hibernating bear.  The old woman has become a … Continue reading →

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Posted in Little Ones, Middle Grades, Primary Grades | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Happy Holidays!

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Mrs. N

It seems like the minute you wrap up the Thanksgiving leftovers, the winter holiday season begins.  For those who celebrate Hanukkah, there’s barely even time to take a breath before frying off the latkes, since it falls early this year … Continue reading →

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Esperanza Rising

Posted on November 21, 2010 by Mrs. N

Esperanza Rising is the story of a girl who loses everything, her father, her home, her life of luxury and her dreams of the future.  When tragedy strikes, Esperanza and her mother find that their only hope is to leave … Continue reading →

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Posted in Teen, Tween | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

First Crossing: Stories about Teen Immigration (Part 2)

Posted on November 19, 2010 by Mrs. N

First Crossing is a collection of stories.  Because I found it best to review each story separately, this is the second day of coverage for this title.  The first 5 stories can be found here. Whether you’re reading it straight … Continue reading →

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Posted in Teen, Tween | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

First Crossing: Stories about Teen Immigrants (Part 1)

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Mrs. N

First Crossing is an anthology of short stories about immigration, which includes works by some fabulous authors.  I’m going to do the content ratings separately by story since many teachers pull individual pieces for class.  I’ll be covering the volume … Continue reading →

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Posted in Teen, Tween | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Letters From Rifka

Posted on November 15, 2010 by Mrs. N

Okay, I’m going to admit to you that I was teary at the end of this one.  It ends well, but the story is quite touching.  Rifka and her family flee their home in the Ukraine under the cover of … Continue reading →

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Posted in Middle Grades | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Immigration Picture Book: How Many Days to America? A Thanksgiving Story

Posted on November 13, 2010 by Mrs. N

After soliders visit a small boy’s home, his family immediately leaves for America under the cover of night.  They take nothing with them except a change of clothes and money to pay their fare on a small boat.  Across the … Continue reading →

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The Gold-Threaded Dress

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Mrs. N

Much like Molly in Molly’s Pilgrim, Oy is finding it hard to adjust to her new school. When her family first moved to the United States from Thailand, being Asian was not a big deal. A move to a different … Continue reading →

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Posted in Primary Grades | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Arrival

Posted on November 8, 2010 by Mrs. N

Shaun Tan’s book, The Arrival, completely overwhelmed me.  Despite not containing a single decipherable word, the story is complex and layered; so much so that I immediately re-read it in order to make sense of things. Using only pictures, Tan … Continue reading →

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Posted in Middle Grades | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The Dragon’s Child – A Story of Angel Island

Posted on November 6, 2010 by Mrs. N

Laurence Yep, who has written many children’s books about China and Chinese-Americans has carefully crafted a fictional account of his own father’s immigration to the US from China. Gim Lew Yep’s situation is an interesting one. His father was born … Continue reading →

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Posted in Middle Grades, Primary Grades | Tagged , , | 1 Comment