Monday, September 13, 2010

Just Like Home / Como en Mi Tierra by Elizabeth I. Miller

Translated by Teresa Mlawer. Illustrated by Mira Reisberg. 32 p., Whitman, 1999.

This bilingual book tells the story of a Latino family's immigration to the United States. The daughter notices what is "just like home" and what is "not like home." The family stays with relatives for about two months until they get their own apartment. Although the kids at school aren't friendly, the girl's cousin helps her to get along there, but doesn't always include her with other children. Finally, when other children invite her to play, the girl has fun, and begins to feel at home. An appendix invites readers to find various objects on each page, encouraging monolingual readers to learn the language they don't know. This story conveys empathy with the experience of immigration, and the upbeat ending offers hope of a positive outcome.

Ages 3-8
Main character's cultural background: Latina
Cultural context: multicultural

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