Island of Hope: The Journey to America and the Ellis Island Experience

I picked this up at a school book fair and could NOT put it down until I had read from cover to cover. I thought I knew about Ellis Island. Turns out I didn't have a clue about what a massive operation it was. This is a book about heroes. Brave people who just wanted to work hard and improve their lives. I teared up several times while reading this book. The author did a great job in putting you right there with the people while they slowly worked their way through the immigration process. The author himself adds to the story with his final testament (another lump in the throat!!) With all our flaws, it's nice to remember that America is still the best place in the world to live.

This story of Ellis Island will reach grades 5-7 with almost 150 pages of detail on the immigrants to the island and their different experiences. Vintage black and white photos and first-person accounts capture the Ellis Island experience in vivid detail.