Immigrant Kids

Revealing pictures of the difficulties of growing up in a new world.

If your family came to America 100 years ago, what was life like for them? Newbery Medalist Russell Freedman provides insights which pair with vintage black and white photos to describe work challenges, living conditions and more. The blend of visual and history will appeal to elementary grades 3-5, but many an older reader will find it equally unusual & compelling.

This wonderful non-fiction book will be a hit with students at the 4th-6th grade level. The real life pictures of immigrant children in the neighborhoods of New York during the late 1800's and early 1900's that appear on almost every page of the book should hold the interest of even the most reluctant readers. However, while the reading itself is not too difficult for most 4th-6th grade students, much of the vocabulary explaining the era of that time will be unfamiliar to them so covering this book as a read-aloud may be most beneficial. Immigrant Kids provides a wonderful way to introduce students to immigration in the past and show how it has changed over time. It lends itself well to a discussion in history class on the various cultures that became part of the giant "mixing pot" we now call our country. Because this book is set in New York it can further be used to teach about the city of New York and its early beginnings. Possibly the one thing that will interest students the most about this book is that it is written from the perspective of children like themselves. Overall the historical content of this book is very well defined and accurate and the photograph driven text provides readers with a very non-threatening approach to information books. It is a must read in any 4th-6th grade history curriculum and can work as a wonderful addition to a reading curriculum when used in accompaniment with other books both fictional and factual dealing with the topic of immigration.

What a wonderful tribute to our country and to those people that left all they had, to join us here! The pictures and stories are amazing!

The life of an immigrant child was harsh. Russell Freedman accomplished his goal of showing how difficult an immigrant's life was through the use of descriptive words and photographs that make you thankful that you do not have to live like immigrant children of the past. The photographs captured our attention. Our fourth grade teacher shared this book with us. It helped us to learn about the conditions immigrants had to live under. We highly recommend this book!