At Ellis Island - Louise Peacock

A History in Many Voices
Illustrator: Walter Lyon Krudop
For: Grades 3-4
Published: 2007
Ratng: 3

Mixed feelings about this one. It has lots of information. There's a first person account in letter form. There's primary source material, illustrations and photographs - all good. But it's very confusing to read, even though different fonts are used to differentiate between the first person "story" account (in blue cursive) and a story line in a different font - red - that I finally figured out is a contemporary person's reflections as they look at the musem at Ellis Island, maintained by the Nationaal Park Service. Also on almost each two-page spread is some sort of primary source in the original handwriting, and photos along with the illustrations. But what do your read, in what order?

10-year old Sera Assidian has come by herself from Armenia. We discover that her mother has been killed and her father has sent for her. The story includes her experiences on the boat AND on her experiences on Ellis Island.