ICCAL » Immigrants

In The Small, Small Night

Book Importer — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:30:06 +0000

Kofi can’t sleep in his new home in the United States, so his older sister Abena soothes his fears about life in a different country by telling him two folktales from their native Ghana about the nature of wisdom and perseverance.

I Will Come Back For You

Book Importer — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:14:52 +0000

What was it like to grow up Jewish in Italy during World War II? Sit with a little girl as her grandmother tells the story of her childhood in Rome, of being separated from her father, and of going into hiding in the mountains. Based on the experiences of the author’s own family, this deeply moving book set during the Holocaust deals with a difficult subject in a way that is accessible and appropriate for young readers. I Will Come Back for You is an incredible story of bravery and kindness in the face of danger.

No Safe Place

Book Importer — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 22:46:01 +0000

Orphaned and plagued with the grief of losing everyone he loves, 15-year-old Abdul has made a long, fraught journey from his war-torn home in Baghdad, only to end up in The Jungle — a squalid, makeshift migrant community in Calais. Desperate to escape, he takes a spot in a small, overloaded England-bound boat that’s full of other illegal migrants — and a secret stash of heroin. A sudden skirmish leaves the boat stalled in the middle of the Channel, the pilot dead, and four young people remaining — Abdul; Rosalia, a Romani girl who has escaped from the white slave trade; Cheslav, gone AWOL from a Russian military school; and Jonah, the boat pilot’s ten-year-old nephew. As they attempt to complete the frantic and hazardous Channel crossing their individual stories are revealed and their futures become increasingly uncertain. No Safe Place is a novel of high adventure and heart-stopping suspense by a writer at the height of her powers.

Papi’s Gift

Book Importer — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:15:33 +0000

Graciela’s Papi has been working in the United States for so long that she has almost forgotten his face, so when the box he promised for her seventh birthday does not arrive, she is very upset and nearly loses hope that he–and the rain–will someday ret.

Rene has two Last Names / Rene tiene dos apellidos

Book Importer — Mon, 03 May 2010 17:12:40 +0000

”On the first day at my new school, my teacher, Miss Soria, gave me a sticker that said Rene Colato. The sticker was missing my second last name. Maybe Miss Soria’s pen ran out of ink. I took my pencil and added it. Now it looked right: Rene Colato Lainez.” Young Rene is from El Salvador, and he doesn’t understand why his name has to be different in the United States. When he writes Colato, he sees his paternal grandparents, Rene and Amelia. When he writes Lainez, he sees his maternal grandparents, Angela and Julio. Without his second ”like a hamburger without the meat or a pizza without cheese or a hot dog without a wiener.” His new classmates giggle when Rene tells them his name. ”That’s a long dinosaur name,” one says. ”Your name is longer than an anaconda,” another laughs. But Rene doesn’t want to lose the part of him that comes from his mother’s family. So when the students are given a project to create a family tree, Rene is determined to explain the importance of using both of his last names. On the day of his presentation, Rene explains that he is as hard working as Abuelo Rene, who is a farmer, and as creative as his Abuela Amelia, who is a potter. He can tell stories like his Abuelo Julio and enjoys music like his Abuela Angela. This charming bilingual picture book for children ages 4 – 8 combines the winning team of author Rene Colato Lainez and illustrator Fabiola Graullera Ramirez, and follows their award-winning collaboration, I Am Rene, the Boy / Soy Rene, el nino. With whimsical illustrations and entertaining text, this sequel is sure to please fans and gain many new ones while explaining an important Hispanic cultural tradition.

My Name Is Sangoel

Book Importer — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:05:05 +0000

As a refugee from Sudan to the United States, Sangoel is frustrated that no one can pronounce his name correctly until he finds a clever way to solve the problem.

Running On The Cracks

Book Importer — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:48:38 +0000

Leo’s running from her past. Finlay’s running into trouble. Together, they stumble into a crazy new world of secrets, lies, and Chinese food. But someone is on Leo’s trail . . . Eccentric, unforgettable characters and genuine, heart-pounding suspense make for a stunning combination as celebrated author Julia Donaldson expands her talents in her first novel for young adults.

La Línea

Book Importer — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:56:19 +0000

When fifteen-year-old Miguel’s time finally comes to leave his poor Mexican village, cross the border illegally, and join his parents in California, his younger sister’s determination to join him soon imperils them both.

Take a closer look at La Línea as examined in WOW Review.

Touching Snow

Book Importer — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:44:26 +0000

‘”The best way to avoid being picked on by high school bullies is to kill someone.\”Karina has plenty to worry about on the last day of seventh grade: finding three Ds and a C on her report card again, getting laughed at by everyone again, being sent to the principal — again. She\’d like this to change, but with her and her sisters dodging their stepfather\’s fists every day after school, she doesn\’t have time to do much self-reflecting. Finally her stepfather is taken away on child abuse charges, and Karina thinks things might turn into something resembling normal. The problem is, he\’s not gone for good. And as Karina becomes closer with a girl at the community center where her stepfather is not showing up for his parenting classes, she starts to realize a couple things. First, for all the problems her family had tried to escape by immigrating from Haiti, they brought most of them along to upstate New York. And second, if anything is going to change for this family, it is going to be up to Karina and her sisters to make it happen.M. Sindy Felin\’s debut novel is the story of a young girl\’s coming-of-age amid the violent waters that run just beneath the surface of suburbia — a story that has the courage to ask: How far will you go to protect the ones you love?

The Day I Became A Canadian: A Citizenship Scrapbook

Book Importer — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:20:56 +0000

On a snowy morning, little Xiao Ling Li and her parents are about to take part in a ceremony — one that will make them Canadian citizens. To record the day for her new brother or sister, she decides to keep a scrapbook to treasure the day. The Day I Became a Canadian is not only the story of one special girl and her family, it is a tribute to Canada. Xiao Ling Li’s scrapbook is a useful resource that is full of information for anyone embarking on the road to becoming a citizen.