First Generation: 36 Trailblazing Immigrants and Refugees Who Make America Great by Sandra Neil Wallace and Rich Wallace, illustrated by Agata Nowicka. Copyright 2018 by Little, Brown and Company. Lexile level 1050; ages 8-12.
It is one thing to tell a child that the United States is a country of immigrants. It is another to prove that those immigrants have been and still are active contributors to and participants in all aspects of our shared culture, and that so many conveniences they benefit from and so much entertainment they enjoy would not exist without those whose home is America by choice rather than by birth. First Generation: 36 Trailblazing Immigrants and Refugees Who Make America Great is one piece of that proof. Co-written by a daughter of a refugee (Sandra) and illustrated by a Polish immigrant, this book profiles both historical and modern immigrants and refugees who made significant contributions to their fields.
First Generation’s greatest strength is its variety. The people featured come from many time periods (from Mother Jones born in 1837 to hijabi model Halima Aden born in 1997), from many regions (Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas), and contributed to many fields (science, music and the arts, social activism, business, sports). Some of those included are household names - Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Yo-Yo Ma - but the majority are persons that even most adults wouldn’t recognize.
First Generation also includes tips for readers to support immigrants and refugees in their community and for celebrating multiple cultures, as well as recommended resources for learning more about immigrants/refugees and a bibliography sorted by person.
This book could be incorporated into just about any social studies topic, including educating middle grades children on the “melting pot”/”salad bowl” nature of our country. It could also provide a starting point for a biographical assignment, introducing children to a variety of influential persons who they could then research further - and as different as each featured immigrant is from each other, there’s a great chance one or another will click with a reader, whether because of a shared nationality or because of a shared interest.
Though intended for upper elementary, we could all benefit from a reminder like First Generation - our varied backgrounds and experiences are a strength, and that strength is what truly makes America great.
This is a great title! I really like the focus of this book to bring forward important individuals who live(d) in the US by choice rather than by birth, as you said. It is a wonderful way to illustrate the identity of this country and the importance of being accepting of immigrants. This style of collective biography book seems to have gotten very popular following the Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls books!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great and timely book. I ticks a lot of boxes: visually appealing, age appropriate text, diverse subjects, and meets a need in the collection. I wondered where this book would be housed because I can see it fitting in a few places. We have it in 305.9069 with other books about diversity. It would also make sense for it to be in the 325.73 with other books about immigration and immigrants. I could see this being a good read alike for books like "Other Words for Home" by Jasmine Warga or "The Unwanted" by Don Brown.
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