School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-This slim volume about Ellis Island fills a need for basic, early-elementary materials. The introduction, which tells the story of Annie Moore and her two little brothers-the first immigrants to pass through Ellis Island-serves to personalize the material and draw in its intended audience of newly fluent readers, while an abundance of primary source photographs and a "Cool Facts" spread spark further interest. Divided into short, easy-to-digest mini-chapters, the text packs a large amount of high-interest information into a small space without being overwhelming. Sentences are mostly short and declarative, and the narrative flows evenly, with no disruptive sentence or paragraph breaks across pages. An illustrated glossary further aids comprehension. Where the book falters, however, is in its design. There is an overabundance of visual elements (changing background colors, text boxes, insets, and photos all within a single spread). These are distracting and tend to overwhelm the more subtle black-and-white photos that are this book's strength. Another negative for the library market is the inclusion of a multiple-choice quiz; many young patrons will be inclined to circle their answers. Finally, while the lack of sources in what is ultimately meant as an easy reader is perhaps understandable, the overall package would nonetheless have been stronger with their inclusion. VERDICT Despite its design flaws, this Ellis Island primer's easy readability and high-interest treatment of its subject matter make it a welcome entry in a relatively uncrowded field.-Eileen Makoff, P.S. 90 Edna Cohen School, NY © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
This leveled text for fluent readers is an accessible account of the "main gateway to America," where so many immigrants started their lives in the U.S. The layout is busy and colorful, crowded with archival photographs, captions, call-outs, and text with solid information; kids won't know the highlighted famous immigrants (e.g., songwriter Irving Berlin). A quiz is included. Glos., ind. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
