Thousands of years ago, the first people to arrive on American soil traveled across a land bridge from Asia to what is now Alaska. And today, immigrants still come to America from countries worldwide, including Russia, Haiti, and Cuba, insearch of a better way of life. The history of American immigration is one of determination and struggle, but not without pain. But for immigrants past and present, hope, the belief in a better life, and the allure of making a contribution to this nation prevails.

This book provides the basics to what immigration is, where it started, who participates, and how it is conducted in America. It lets us know about the early settlers of the land and how they lived. It fast forwards to immigration today and how and why people are still migrating to America. ( )

This book is a wonderful story- especially on Christopher Columbus day. This book discredits Columbus and explains how he harmed indigenous people. Along with this, it also explains how we are all immigrants in American so therefore we must not be hypocritical of others who are coming her to escape war and hardships. This is a great progressive read aloud for older students. ( )

This book is about the migration of diverse immigrants and ethnic groups to north America, dating back to the travels of native peoples across the Bering Strait, and including the Atlantic slave trade and the journey of immigrants from Europe and Asia. This is a good book to teach your students about immigration and we became a diverse country. ( )

Coming to America: The Story of Immigration was a great book. This book gave specific precise details on the different historical events that led up to the opening of Ellis Island and when Ellis Island closed down. It gave the story of how difficult life was for immigrants and what immigrants had to go through to come to the United States and even once they got here. I did not know much about Ellis Island before I read this book so I found this book very interesting. I like how they told historical facts and talked about real people on the journey. I would use this book in my classroom to explain to children how immigration was back then and the process people had to go through in order to come to America. I would also teach them about each person talked about in the book to give them a better understanding of who they were and why they are so important. ( )

Beginning with the fact that everyone in America is an immigrant in some way, this book takes you on a journey starting with the first settlers in the country, nomads traveling from Asia to modern day immigrants. The book explains why people come to this country whether it be as a refugee, seeking a better life or even slavery. Facts such as Christopher Columbus' discovery of America, the Westward Expansion, and Ellis Island are revealed. Although arriving and settling in the United States may not have been an easy journey, the book ends on a joyful note about the beauty of immigration and how it has created this country. ( )

5.9, K-3

This book shows who immigrated to America, when they immigrated and why. One part in particular I found interesting was the Irish Immigration due to the potato famine. I think this book would compliment a social studies lesson where immigrants coming from Europe is being discussed, since that’s all the book discussed. ( )

I very much enjoyed this book. Many times children's books will sugar code "hard-to-understand" information but this book told it like it is. The author did a great job writing this book, she told nothing but the truth about immigration in the United States. I like how she says that everyone in American is either an immigrant or is descendent from an immigrant. I think that is something many people in the US forget. It is important for children to understand that the US has always been a place for people to come to for safety and a better life. The United States was meant to be a land of freedom. I think that this book can be connected to the curriculum by doing an "around the world dinner" just like in the book. People from different places can come together and bring different foods that come from those different places. ( )

America is a melting pot full of many different cultures and people. In this book, Betsy explains the story of immigration from Native Americans to Pilgrims and Ellis Island to refugees. She does so in a way that is not confusing or overwhelming to children, which is important. I believe this would be a great book to use to enhance a social studies lesson on immigration and the history of America. ( )

This is a succinct story of how the first people in America came to be here, and the many people who arrived after, from the colonists, to slaves, to immigrants. It very briefly details westward expansion, and European's desire to move to America. Some of the hardships that immigrants faced are covered as well. For a child, this is a good book to give them an idea of how America got to be called the Melting Pot. it is a heavy subject matter for a young child to absorb, and it also touches on refugees, and why people come to America - to make a better life for themselves. ( )

This book covers the history of immigration from nomadic settlers to refugees. It teaches about Ellis Island and how immigrants would arrive by boat and go through a screening process. It goes on to talk about how most immigrants now arrive through the airport. The book talks a little about refugees that come here seeking safety. With every thing going on in this country currently I think this book would be a great tool to teach children about immigration and why some people feel that coming here illegally is their only option. It reads like a text book but is very informative. "All Americans are related to immigrants or are immigrants themselves." This is a fact that is so important and I think some Americans seem to forget. It was written in 1996 but I think it would be interesting to see what it would have to say if it included what was going on in America with the current administration. ( )

Books with diversity are one of my favorites especially since I have always been surrounded my different ethnicities my entire life. This book introduced Native Americans who were the first to settle in this land and goes on to show how other people such as Europeans and African Americans and shows the importance that each and everyone of them have contributed to the country. I loved this book because it provided great information if I were to do a social studies project in class. ( )

I enjoyed reading this book. It gave a great overview of just how many different types of people we have here in the US. It also gave reference to Ellis Island and the process of coming to America. I also liked the diversity shown in the pictures, and how it truly did depict the authors description of the US like a "melting pot." However, I felt like this book was rather lengthy and would not hold the attention of Kindergartners and 1st graders. ( )

This book features a kid friendly version of how America came to be the diverse country it is today. The book starts with introducing the first people to live in the United States; the Native Americans. Then, came the European explorers who came searching for land and riches to take back to their country. Later, the European settlers came looking for a new home to escape some of the troubles that were taking place in Europe. By the 1700’s, there were many European settlers invading the United States which caused a lot of fighting between them and the Native Americans over resources such as food, materials, and land. Beginning in 1619, people were being brought from Africa to the United States to work as slaves. By 1820, the US government decided there needed to be a way in which they could keep track of who was entering the country, so they built Ellis Island. Thousands of people arrived to Ellis Island from other countries until it was closed in 1954 due to new immigration laws limiting the number of people entering the country. I think this book is great to read especially in the times we are currently living in. With immigration being such a talked about subject, it is easy for children to hear and misunderstand a lot of information. This book approaches immigration using facts that are easy for children to understand. The book starts with the earliest immigrators that many children may find surprising look a lot like them and their family members. These people came from Europe and the Africa which may come as a surprise to many young children because they are used to hearing the word immigrants refer to people from Hispanic descent. The books message is the importance of all immigrators because it is them who contributed and helped form the beautiful country filled with many unique people. ( )

This is a very colorful book that talks about how America is a melting pot society, full of many different people and cultures. It explains the story of immigration, from Native Americans to Pilgrims and Ellis Island to refugees. Also, it talks about how some people were forced to come here such as African Americans forced to work here as slaves. This story relates to me because my own parents are refugees moving here from Palestine to give me and my siblings a better life ( )

This courageous, and honest effort by Ms. Maestro was a wonderful discovery! An even-handed and truthful presentation of the story of immigration, involuntary migration, and injustice visited upon indigenous peoples: this book surprised me, especially for one whose audience is the younger set of children. Kudos to Ms. Maestro, her editor(s), and publishing house for bravely putting out this book. From the first acknowledgement of those persons who crossed the Bering Strait and came to what came to be called the North American continent, the book challenges one's assumptions re: how this (hi)story happened. It is beautifully illustrated and a quick read. Pay close attention to the end notes and other miscellany after the primary text. More treats/surprises are in store. Well worth the short sojourn! ( )

This story goes through the history of immigration in the United States. It starts from the very first people who came over across the Bering Strait, all the way to people who arrive today. It also discusses the process the immigrants had to go through in the early 1900's when they arrived at Ellis Island. Cultures from all around the world are covered in this story. This would be a great book to use to teach about immigration, different cultures, and the history of the United States. ( )

Coming to America: The Story of Immigration, starts off with the first initial immigrants of this country; the people that crossed the frozen bridge from Asia to Alaska and eventually spread out all over North and South America building great civilizations. It talks about how different waves of immigrants came at different times, first came northern Europeans and Scandinavians, then came people from different parts of Europe, and now the majority of immigrants come from Latin America. There’s mention of refugees and the different reasons they may come to America. Finally, there are several pages explaining the process earlier immigrants had to go through when arriving at Ellis Island. The last page of the book includes a table of dates and other interesting facts about immigration.

I enjoyed this book because it shows that America is truly a country of immigrants. It depicts the challenges people faced when trying to come to America and the discrimination they endured when arriving. With every new wave of immigrants that came, there was always some form of discrimination and notion that they were not welcomed by everyone. This is a great book to read to young students when discussing any immigration/refugee issues ( )

This is a great book for portraying the challenges that immigrants faced when trying to come to the United States. It also emphasizes just how much immigration has shaped the U.S. and has enhanced it, making it a stronger and more diverse country.

This book starts from the beginning, as our current history books tell us anyways. It tells of the first people to travel across the "bridge", the Native Americans, colonial settlers, and so forth. It's particularly interesting in that it references how immigrants were processed at Ellis Island-- something I feel most children's picture books do not supply. The book takes immigration to how it is currently handled here in the U.S., coming full circle and thereby creating a great historical reference for students learning about U.S. immigration on a broad scale.

Coming to America: The Story of Immigration depicts various characters from all over the world with the common goal to come to America to make a better life for themselves. It discusses all the differences of the people but says that the differences are what make America. I like that the book doesn't deny the bad things that have happened in America, like the mistreatment of Native-Americans and the slaves. The story also adds important facts about America's history and how immigrants have made this country what America is today. ( )

The well written book of Coming to America: the story of immigration written by Betsy Maestro is about immigration. The story tells how people from different parts of the world first came to America, what they had to do to get in, and how the managed to stay. This book really teaches children about Americas past and how it came to be. I would highly recommend it for anyone who is looking to begin to teach their children about America and its history. The beautiful and vivid illustrations by Susannah Ryan bring the book to life. She has wonderfully drawn pictures with many details that make us believe we are a part of the book. The pictures catch people from all over the world and many different ethnic groups. I love the fact that it has a table of dates that informs us about when everything took place. That can be very helpful to the children. ( )

This book is a great way to introduce history to young children. It tells stories of all the different people that settled in America from the beginning. It has a nice way of explaining things, good or bad, without embellishing. When the book introduces a new nationality to America it names them immigrants and reminds us that everyone that came to America was an immigrant in the beginning. This book describes how the government opened Ellis Island and started limiting immigration. Overall, it's a very good book with very detailed pictures that younger children would enjoy. In the end of the book there'e a picture of all the different cultures having a fair where everyone is distributing their unique strengths. It is a true example of the melting pot. The first way to use this book as a classroom extension is by having the students draw something special from their culture or their home. Another activity could be to have the students bring something from home to share in a show and tell format which will give the students the chance to public speak. ( )

I think immigration is such an essential part of our country's heritage and very important for kids to learn about. I like this story because it introduces immigration to kids in a very general way. I liked that the author mentioned things about different countries/cultures without being biased. The illustrations also really added to this book because they captured the readers attention. I think the main idea behind this story is to communicate to kids what immigration is and how it is so essential to the culture of America. ( )

This was a really great story for teaching children about immigration. The author didn't show any kind of bias or prejudice toward any culture which allows the readers to get a full picture of what immigration is like. I also liked how the story had a lot of big and colorful illustrations along with the text. This was the readers got a visual picture of what the text was trying to teach them about. The only thing I did not like was the lack of historical facts. There was a lot of information about the different cultures and what the immigration process is like, but there were not a lot of facts actually included which would have been nice. ( )