Journey To The Golden Land, by Richard Rosenblum is a story about a Russian family escaping to America. I really enjoyed this book because it was very believable and goes through situations that an immigrant coming to America during that time would've experienced. This would be a great book to use when talking about immigration. It could also be used as an introduction to a lesson on diversity because it shows why families chose to come to America and how that became the foundation of why America is so diverse. I like that it is told form the child's perspective, young readers can relate to this more. This book would be better for readers 3rd grade and up. Younger grades would not understand the situation the main character, Benjamin and his family are going through. There are also a lot of teachable moments within the book, like why it was dangerous to leave one's country, why Benjamin's family stayed in steerage instead of first class, or why they were given a new last name. The illustrations in this book are done with a lot of lines; all the shading and textures are shown through line marks over a color. ( )

This story is about Benjamin and his family immigrating from Russia to America. There was the fear of getting caught, an over-crowded train, a packed, rocky ship, and finally, the terrors of Ellis Island.
History, Immigration

2-5 ( )

Having left oppressive czarist Russia in search of better living conditions, Benjamin and his family endure the difficult journey and land at Ellis Island to start a new life in America. ( )