Roslyn Bresnick-Perry

I really liked this book for three reasons. First, I loved that the pictures had borders around the images, which made them seem like a photograph of the memory that the author was talking about in her journey. The boarders fit what is going on in the image and makes it seem like it is part of the story that is taking place until you get to the end and realize that it is the author retelling her own story. Secondly, how the book is organized. It takes you through the events and the emotions that the author is feeling up until the day that the day that the author and her mother leave to go to America. It shows how the author was feeling leading up to when they had to leave. I like that it is organized chronologically and does not jump back and forth between days or events leading up to the author saying where she is today. Lastly, I like that the author includes some Russian and did not change the names of her family members. As this book was published in America and the author grew up in America, it would have been easy to not include Russian or change the names so that children in America could easily pronounce the names. I think that including some Russian added to the overall story of the authors journey to America as it is always part of her story. The big idea of this story is the authors journey coming to America and what she is leaving behind.… (más)

This is an incredibly told story about a young girl who moved to America during the Great Depression. It is a true story about a family that had to leave everything they had ever known in order to risk having a better life for themselves. I liked this book for many reasons. First, it could be paired with a social studies unit on the Great Depression and immigration, specifically the immigration of Jewish Europeans. Second, this book pushes readers to imagine what life would be like if they had to endure picking up and moving to a completely different country. Since the story is told from the viewpoint of a young child, students can easily empathize with the main character and see themselves undergoing hardship and know that there are others who have it harder than they do. Conversely, if a student who is reading this book is a non-native immigrant, they can gain insight from this book about how someone else overcame the struggle of being in a new place and appreciate the message of the story as well. Another reason I liked this book was for the vivid imagery. Different objects that had special significance to the author bordered almost every page. For example, on page 28 the main character’s grandfather asks, “And you, my grandchild, will you remain a true Jewish daughter of your people?” The next page includes a sentimental drawing of the main character being held by her grandfather, with several meaningful objects as the border: a shofar, a dove (represents hope in the Jewish faith), a yarmulke, a prayer shawl, Challah bread, and Jewish scriptures. These objects serve to demonstrate the tradition and closeness the main character felt towards her home and family in Russia, and deepen the significance of her move to America. The main idea of the story is that no matter where you are, family and tradition can be kept close to your heart.… (más)