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Coming to America: The Story of Immigration
Thousands of years ago, the first people to arrive on American soil traveled across a land bridge from Asia to what is now Alaska. Millions of people were already settled when Christopher Columbus "rediscovered" America in 1492. New about the "new" world soon spread, and more people arrived on American shores. The trans-atlantic journey was long and arduous, but by 1700, French, English, Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch colonies had been established. This expansion exacted a toll, however, on the native people who were pushed off their land as well as African people who were forced into slavery. By the mid 1800's, so many people had immigrated to the United States that in 1892, an immigration office was opened on Ellis Island to count and document the new arrivals. By the early 1900's, laws were passed to limit the number of new arrivals. And yet, today, immigrants still come to America from countries worldwide, includingRussia, 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.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
10 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
About the author
Betsy Maestro
63 books17 followersBefore beginning her career in children's books, Betsy Maestro was a teacher. Her first book with Giulio Maestro was A Wise Monkey Tale published in 1975, and since then they have collaborated on more than one hundred books. Their on-going American Story series began with the highly acclaimed The Discovery of the Americas and continues to help young readers understand and appreciate our nations history.
The Maestros live with two cats and a goldfish in a converted cow barn in Old Lyme, Connecticut.
The Maestros live with two cats and a goldfish in a converted cow barn in Old Lyme, Connecticut.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
June 27, 2017
Coming to America: The Story of Immigration vividly illustrates the journey of immigrants to the United States, dating from the Ice Age to present day. It is ideal for multicultural integration because it features immigrants from may different countries and ethnic backgrounds.
I used this book for a second grade social studies lesson about what immigrants chose to bring with me when they started new lives in America. A component of the formative assessment was a luggage worksheet on which the students would write, draw, or paste pictures of items they would take with them if they were immigrating to a new country.
The Table of Dates and Other Interesting Facts About Immigration appendices are great resources for teachers.
I used this book for a second grade social studies lesson about what immigrants chose to bring with me when they started new lives in America. A component of the formative assessment was a luggage worksheet on which the students would write, draw, or paste pictures of items they would take with them if they were immigrating to a new country.
The Table of Dates and Other Interesting Facts About Immigration appendices are great resources for teachers.
September 29, 2024
This book led to some good conversation with my 4 year old. It covered the whole topic in a way easy for a young person to grasp. As with all things in life, there are deeper levels, but this was a good starting point!
November 18, 2016
This book's attempts at political correctness have more the effect of "glossing over" unpleasant or cruel aspects of the history of immigration in America.
January 28, 2019
A decent introduction to a younger audience about immigrating to America.
Ages: 5-9
Cleanliness: mentions thousands and thousands of years ago the first Americans coming over during the last great Ice Age (roughly three short sentences worth).
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!
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Ages: 5-9
Cleanliness: mentions thousands and thousands of years ago the first Americans coming over during the last great Ice Age (roughly three short sentences worth).
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!
Visit my website!
December 22, 2015
Personal Response.
I did like this book because it talks about how people from different countries come to the United States. This book is a non fiction book.
plot.
This book tells facts about different immigration patterns starting thousands of years ago. The first immigrants were the native Americans who walked from Asia to America . There wasn't anyone living in America at the time. The Indians were the first people who arrived to the united state's lands. People from Europe came to the United States next. They came to the United State to search for a better life. In the early days, they came by boat. The United States decided they wanted to keep track of the immigrants better. So they built Ellis Island in 1892. Immigrants landed in Ellis Island first, to see if they had any medical problems. Some people with medical problems had to stay there for a few days and others where sent back home. After ww2 many refugees came to the US because they were not safe in their own countries. In 1954 Ellis Island closed and people started arriving in the US by plane. Most immigrants today came from Central and South America.
CHARACTERS:
The characters in this book would be the immigrants and refugees. Immigrants and refugees are people who travel from different countries to find a better life. The impact of the immigrants in the United States has made the US full of different people. They call the US the melting pot.
Setting:
The setting of the book is the United States. The book takes place in the past, thousands of years ago, all the way to the present.
Theme:
The theme of the book is to show how hard it is to start a new life in a different country. The theme also is how America became so diverse.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to all the people who have come from different countries. They would be interested to see how the immigrants' lives compare to their own. This book would be good for any age, boy or girl. It is full of interesting facts.
I did like this book because it talks about how people from different countries come to the United States. This book is a non fiction book.
plot.
This book tells facts about different immigration patterns starting thousands of years ago. The first immigrants were the native Americans who walked from Asia to America . There wasn't anyone living in America at the time. The Indians were the first people who arrived to the united state's lands. People from Europe came to the United States next. They came to the United State to search for a better life. In the early days, they came by boat. The United States decided they wanted to keep track of the immigrants better. So they built Ellis Island in 1892. Immigrants landed in Ellis Island first, to see if they had any medical problems. Some people with medical problems had to stay there for a few days and others where sent back home. After ww2 many refugees came to the US because they were not safe in their own countries. In 1954 Ellis Island closed and people started arriving in the US by plane. Most immigrants today came from Central and South America.
CHARACTERS:
The characters in this book would be the immigrants and refugees. Immigrants and refugees are people who travel from different countries to find a better life. The impact of the immigrants in the United States has made the US full of different people. They call the US the melting pot.
Setting:
The setting of the book is the United States. The book takes place in the past, thousands of years ago, all the way to the present.
Theme:
The theme of the book is to show how hard it is to start a new life in a different country. The theme also is how America became so diverse.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to all the people who have come from different countries. They would be interested to see how the immigrants' lives compare to their own. This book would be good for any age, boy or girl. It is full of interesting facts.
September 24, 2020
This is a tough one. I was immediately put off by their inclusion of Native Americans as "immigrants" because they descended from people who crossed the land bridge thousands of years ago to reach North America. Ancient people migrating to livable conditions is NOT the same as modern people moving from one country to another. And, even if the author tells how European colonizers forced Native people off their land, and eventually brought over slaves against their will, I still feel so uncomfortable bringing Native people into this definition of "immigration."
The rest of the story does a fairly good job of explaining how and why people immigrate to America, and how they can be criticized for being different. It even shows how someone can come here for a new life only to be given difficult work and little respect. I love the encouragement it gives to children to be kind to all who begin a new life here, as we are all descended from immigrants.
...except the Native Americans, because again, they did not navigate government permissions and international law. They were here first.
The rest of the story does a fairly good job of explaining how and why people immigrate to America, and how they can be criticized for being different. It even shows how someone can come here for a new life only to be given difficult work and little respect. I love the encouragement it gives to children to be kind to all who begin a new life here, as we are all descended from immigrants.
...except the Native Americans, because again, they did not navigate government permissions and international law. They were here first.
August 5, 2012
Making Meaning Grade 4 Resource Kit
November 18, 2018
Book level: 5.9
Lexile: 890
Fountas and Pinnell: N
Book summary: This book provides a well-written and beautifully illustrated introduction to the moving story of the history of immigration to the United States. It includes a good balance of strong narrative and historical facts.
Genre: Multicultural. This story includes accurate portrayals of people from many cultures and their experiences of immigrating to the United States starting all the way back to the Ice Age when nomads crossed over a land bridge from Asia to what is now Alaska.
Mentor writing trait:
Organization - this story walks through the United State's story of immigration starting with the Nomads in the Ice Age to our current time. The sequencing of events is logical and follows our standard timeline. It also has a distinctive beginning and an end.
Classroom integration/mini-lesson/content connections:
This can be used as a mentor text to introduce the concept of sequence and organization in a story. It can be read aloud, and students can be asked to put several event cards that include immigration events from this book in order. You could have students write a personal timeline that includes 4-5 important events from their life and present it to their classmates in the author's chair.
This book is perfect for when your class is exploring the topic of immigration to the United States with connections to geography, history, and diverse perspectives.
Lexile: 890
Fountas and Pinnell: N
Book summary: This book provides a well-written and beautifully illustrated introduction to the moving story of the history of immigration to the United States. It includes a good balance of strong narrative and historical facts.
Genre: Multicultural. This story includes accurate portrayals of people from many cultures and their experiences of immigrating to the United States starting all the way back to the Ice Age when nomads crossed over a land bridge from Asia to what is now Alaska.
Mentor writing trait:
Organization - this story walks through the United State's story of immigration starting with the Nomads in the Ice Age to our current time. The sequencing of events is logical and follows our standard timeline. It also has a distinctive beginning and an end.
Classroom integration/mini-lesson/content connections:
This can be used as a mentor text to introduce the concept of sequence and organization in a story. It can be read aloud, and students can be asked to put several event cards that include immigration events from this book in order. You could have students write a personal timeline that includes 4-5 important events from their life and present it to their classmates in the author's chair.
This book is perfect for when your class is exploring the topic of immigration to the United States with connections to geography, history, and diverse perspectives.
November 1, 2018
Coming to America: The Story of Immigration, is a historical fiction book that gives the history of immigration. It puts the concept of immigration into terms that children will find interesting and easy to understand. The story allows children to think about how we were all immigrants at one point in time. Each time a new group of people immigrated to the Americas, they ran into struggles and difficulties. After reading this story, children will gain a better understanding that immigrants coming to America today often face struggles and difficulties just like the immigrants years ago. I love the illustrations in this book. They are accurate and correspond to the text of the story. Each illustration gives the audience a better understanding of what the text is conveying. Many different cultural groups are represented. The story of how each group of people came to America and the events that took place after they arrived is portrayed in the book. The audience is introduced to a variety of perspectives. While the story does not focus on one group of people for a long time, the characters depicted are genuine and complex.
November 6, 2018
I am not sure if the review I was working on earlier saved before my wi-fi dropped me, but here I am. This book is for educational purposes and is about immigrants coming to America for a better life. Told from the narrator's perspective, the book follows the immigrant's journey by coat to the USA and documents the struggles that they face.
My favorite thing about this book are the pictures. The book starts out by saying that everyone that lives in the US is either an immigrant or the relative of an immigrant. Because of that, all the pictures of the people really look like the America we see today in that they are all very different. It's a beautiful thing and an awesome way that this illustrator contributed to the story. Also, it is all told from a narrator (the author)'s point of view, which leads me to believe it's like a text book for little ones.
This week's criteria is point of view, and this book is entirely from an outside point of view that I' calling 'the narrator'. It's cool that it's not as much of a story as it is a textbook.
I think the book is great, especially because immigration is such a hot topic right now. A good one to read on voting day :)
My favorite thing about this book are the pictures. The book starts out by saying that everyone that lives in the US is either an immigrant or the relative of an immigrant. Because of that, all the pictures of the people really look like the America we see today in that they are all very different. It's a beautiful thing and an awesome way that this illustrator contributed to the story. Also, it is all told from a narrator (the author)'s point of view, which leads me to believe it's like a text book for little ones.
This week's criteria is point of view, and this book is entirely from an outside point of view that I' calling 'the narrator'. It's cool that it's not as much of a story as it is a textbook.
I think the book is great, especially because immigration is such a hot topic right now. A good one to read on voting day :)
April 6, 2026
Summary:
A great non-fiction book on the story of immigration. This book details and walks through immigration as it dates to the very beginning of time. It explores and walks through more difficult topics such as slavery, discrimination, and prejudice. This also includes the effects of serious medical issues that some immigrants faced and because of that they were asked to return to their home country. The additional inclusion of how immigration works as a means to help people fleeing their home countries due to oppression and safety, walk the reader through what immigration actually means and what is important to understand about it.
Honest Review:
I thought this book was amazing. It was thorough and inviting. I will say that this book is a bit outdated (1996) and it still used the idea of "melting pot" which has since been redefined.
Classroom Usage:
This is another great ELA and Social Studies crossover. An excellent resource I would use for reading comprehension. This is even a great basis for mock immigration models. Students would acquire the documents and go through the arrival process that early immigrants went through in the 1900's.
A great non-fiction book on the story of immigration. This book details and walks through immigration as it dates to the very beginning of time. It explores and walks through more difficult topics such as slavery, discrimination, and prejudice. This also includes the effects of serious medical issues that some immigrants faced and because of that they were asked to return to their home country. The additional inclusion of how immigration works as a means to help people fleeing their home countries due to oppression and safety, walk the reader through what immigration actually means and what is important to understand about it.
Honest Review:
I thought this book was amazing. It was thorough and inviting. I will say that this book is a bit outdated (1996) and it still used the idea of "melting pot" which has since been redefined.
Classroom Usage:
This is another great ELA and Social Studies crossover. An excellent resource I would use for reading comprehension. This is even a great basis for mock immigration models. Students would acquire the documents and go through the arrival process that early immigrants went through in the 1900's.
September 12, 2019
The genre this book fits under is the culturally rich genre. It fits under this genre because it talks about all the immigrants over the years coming to America. This book talks about all the group of immigrants coming over to America in all sorts of different ways. It first starts out with the Native Americans coming across the Land Bridge and talks about how they settled. It then moves on to talk about Christopher Columbus coming across and how that started all sorts of countries coming too as well as the African Americans being forced to come be slaves. The rest of the book talks about more immigrants coming to America and discovering the continent along with all the historic landmarks. I really recommend this book to all kids as well as even adults. It is a very informational book even though it just covers the basics and I even learned something new. This book is a very easy read with great illustrations.
November 1, 2020
This book could be read to kindergarten but will make a more lasting impact I believe in 1st or 2nd grade. This book discusses how immigrants arrived in America and when. Starting with the Native Americans crossing a land bridge thousands of years ago and then colonists in the 17th century. It ends with immigration as we see it today, or as this book was written, the late 1990's.
I absolutely loved this book. I was not sure if it would ackowledge correctly American immigration especially since it is a children's book and most do not. However, the author did an amazing job accurately portraying Columbus, persecution, and the injustice done to immigrants.
I would use this book to teach students about immigration. I would also use this book to teach about diversity and the injustices people face because of what they look like or where they are from.
I absolutely loved this book. I was not sure if it would ackowledge correctly American immigration especially since it is a children's book and most do not. However, the author did an amazing job accurately portraying Columbus, persecution, and the injustice done to immigrants.
I would use this book to teach students about immigration. I would also use this book to teach about diversity and the injustices people face because of what they look like or where they are from.
April 9, 2018
This book gives a great representation of immigration in our country and the melting pot our country is known to be. The author travels through time starting with the very first immigrants up until current time. I found her language and explanations to be appropriate for children in grades 3-5 on their own, as well as to read to younger readers with explanation of some pieces. As she transitions through time the events and illustrations are accurate to the time periods. It gives many different perspectives from different time periods of immigrants, even noting some of the challenges they faced. The illustrations are all colorful watercolor paintings and are appealing. This book would be a great edition to your historical fiction section of the classroom.
September 14, 2018
Summary:
Coming to America: The story of Immigration is a book about immigrants coming to america. It explains who came and when they came, and where they came to in the united states.
Evaluation:
The illustrations in this book make it more engaging for kids. I thought this book provided adequate information about immigration. One problem I would identify about this book would be that they do not go into the culture of the families who were coming to america. To give students a better picture, I think it would be a good idea to include ideas of their cultures.
Teaching strategy:
This would be great to have an interactive read aloud before starting a unit on immigration, or before talking about immigration.
Coming to America: The story of Immigration is a book about immigrants coming to america. It explains who came and when they came, and where they came to in the united states.
Evaluation:
The illustrations in this book make it more engaging for kids. I thought this book provided adequate information about immigration. One problem I would identify about this book would be that they do not go into the culture of the families who were coming to america. To give students a better picture, I think it would be a good idea to include ideas of their cultures.
Teaching strategy:
This would be great to have an interactive read aloud before starting a unit on immigration, or before talking about immigration.
October 19, 2021
I liked this book and will be giving it to my Grandson. His family comes from a long line of immigrants. I'm glad they put more details at the end of the book as I was a little disturbed by some of the parsed information about our American people of color, but since it is a children's book, it's not like they should really go into what really happened but I would have liked them to treat better so that people understand it was wrong to commit genocide and slavery to start a "free" nation. Still, I'm not concerned for my grandson as I know his parents and grandparents will continue to educate him in this matter so overall good starter book for American history, since it pertains to absolutely everyone here.
March 2, 2018
Immigrants hoped for freedom and good fortune in their new lives. Not all immigrants came to America because they wanted to. Indians were pushed off their land, Africans were forced into slavery, and the Irish were in search of a new life. In 1875 American government started regulating immigration. This picture book tells the story of Immigration to America and the struggle of it all but how now it has been improved. This book would be good to use for America Day because the story and pictures tell the story and information good in a good format. I really enjoyed and would use if for my class.
February 3, 2018
America is a melting pot society, full of many different people and cultures. This well-written book explains the story of immigration, from Native Americans to Pilgrims and Ellis Island to refugees. The stories that make America, what it is today can all trace back to immigration. I really enjoyed and appreciate this book because of how it effectively explains immigration in a manner that is easy for children to understand. As a teacher, I would use this book for teaching about immigration and American History.
January 15, 2018
Genre: Historical fiction
Unique Feature: One unique feature of this book is its use of multiple perspectives. The book goes through the lives to multiple immigrants from a variety of places in the world. When reading this book, the reader is able to see multiple perspectives on immigration to the United States.
Grade: Due to the amount of text within this book, it would best used in 3rd-5th grade.
Unique Feature: One unique feature of this book is its use of multiple perspectives. The book goes through the lives to multiple immigrants from a variety of places in the world. When reading this book, the reader is able to see multiple perspectives on immigration to the United States.
Grade: Due to the amount of text within this book, it would best used in 3rd-5th grade.
December 8, 2018
Awards the book has received (if any): n/a
Appropriate grade level(s): 4th-7th
Original summary: This children's book includes information about the immigration of many different people to the United States.
Original review: It has beautiful watercolor illustrations and it features children in the book as well, making it more inviting for young readers.
1-2 possible in-class uses:
1) Unit on immigration, learning about where we came from as a nation.
2) Family tree activity/project.
Appropriate grade level(s): 4th-7th
Original summary: This children's book includes information about the immigration of many different people to the United States.
Original review: It has beautiful watercolor illustrations and it features children in the book as well, making it more inviting for young readers.
1-2 possible in-class uses:
1) Unit on immigration, learning about where we came from as a nation.
2) Family tree activity/project.
October 29, 2019
A brief history of immigration in America- including Native Americans crossing the land bridge from Asia, and African slaves taken to America against their will. Ventures into modern immigration laws and how America has become a beautiful melting pot and a safe refuge for those who needed to flee their country. A great book to introduce these topics to young children.
November 27, 2022
Informational Nonfiction
Primary (2-3)
I really think this is such an important book, or at least topic, to have in the classroom and have discussions about. No matter the age, students should be exposed to what our country is founded on and be proud of all of the diversity America now has. This book perfectly explains immigration and the treatment of immigrants in a way that is appropriate for younger children. There are great illustrations and details throughout.
Primary (2-3)
I really think this is such an important book, or at least topic, to have in the classroom and have discussions about. No matter the age, students should be exposed to what our country is founded on and be proud of all of the diversity America now has. This book perfectly explains immigration and the treatment of immigrants in a way that is appropriate for younger children. There are great illustrations and details throughout.
June 27, 2023
Read with my students for Wit and Wisdom. It feels long for a picture book, but goes through many different experiences that immigrants face and have faced coming to America. As an EL teacher, some of my students were able to relate on a personal level, while others were able to empathize on a different level. Great for children!
March 25, 2017
Staff Pick
This book is a good introduction to the history of immigration in the United States. Maestro explains in chronological order the various people who have come to America over the centuries and their reasons for doing so.
This book is a good introduction to the history of immigration in the United States. Maestro explains in chronological order the various people who have come to America over the centuries and their reasons for doing so.
July 21, 2018
Amazing book. Discusses, albeit briefly, immigration from the Alaska land bridge through current immigration. Touches on immigration restriction (Chinese Exclusion act, Emergency Quota act...though not by name) refugees, prejudice, and cultural identity.
January 30, 2025
This book is perfect for introducing the concept of immigration to littles. The information is very simple and misses a lot of nuance, but I'm okay with that. I'll address the nuance with my kids as time goes on. The illustrations are a treasure trove. So beautiful!
October 21, 2018
Perfect description of immigration to America from the land bridge to current day. Follows the SC curriculum perfectly for 4th and 5th.
August 12, 2019
A factual and beautifully illustrated book describing the immigration experience throughout history and even today. Definitely something I would recommend for children of all ages!
February 5, 2020
Very educational book for kids. I think I remember Reading Rainbow showing this book or seeing it when I was younger so it's nostalgic.
February 18, 2023
Good but could use an updated edition.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews