Books explore emotional issues of immigration

Some people choose to immigrate. Some, under duress of war or persecution, have no choice. Especially for children, immigration can be intimidating and difficult. Exploring such issues with children who've never experienced those traumas helps to broaden their perspective and instill a compassionate, empathetic point of view.

Today's reviewed books offer just that. Search out others to share with the children in your charge. True compassion and empathy extends to both those we know and those we don't know, and the more we help children see that, the better off the world will be.

Books to borrow

The following book is available at many public libraries.

• "Landed" by Milly Lee, illustrated by Yangsook Choi, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 40 pages

Read aloud: age 8 and older

Read yourself: age 8 and older

On the day of Sun's 12th birthday, Sun's father tells him that their Chinese village is small, and that "We must go where there are more opportunities. ... I will take you with me to America."

Sun is excited, but his father warns him that the passage to America won't be easy. Sun will be detained, perhaps for a long time, at a place called Angel Island, where he will be interrogated with questions and tests to verify that he really is his father's son. "One wrong answer, and you might be sent back to China."

Sun studies hard in preparation for his journey, and once on Angel Island, he continues to drill himself on the questions and answers he has memorized, but the one thing that was most difficult for Sun was direction. If only he had a compass to help him.

Beautifully written and based on a true story, "Landed" recounts the intense and dramatic Chinese immigration to the United States over more than 60 years.

Librarian's choice

Library: Butte County Library — Gridley Branch, 299 Spruce St., Gridley

Library Director: Derek Wolfgram

Branch Librarian: Cynthia Pustejovsky

Choices this week: "Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears" by Vera Aardema; "The Story of Johnny Appleseed" by Aliki; "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls

Books to buy

The following books are available at your favorite bookstores.

• "The Day of the Pelican" by Katherine Paterson, Clarion, 2009, 145 pages, $16.00 hardcover

Read aloud: age 12 and older

Read yourself: age 12 and older

Meli and her family are Albanians living in Kosovo, where war is raging. As tensions escalate, Meli and her family are in greater and greater peril. When her brother goes missing, they fear the worst — capture by Serbian oppressors, which could mean certain death.

When tensions mount too high, the family is forced to flee their home and become refugees. Living in crowded tents, battling cold and hunger and the constant threat of death, the family is always on the run. One day, Meli's father announces their final move — to a country far, far away, where they will be free at last.

Beautifully rendered in every way, "The Day of the Pelican" provides a sensitive look at some of the real hardships refugees face and the courage it takes to carry on.

• "My Name is Sangoel" by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed, illustrated by Catherine Stock, Eerdmans, 2009, 32 pages, $17.00 hardcover

Read aloud: age 6 and older

Read yourself: age 8 and older

Sangoel's father had been killed in the war in Sudan. Like countless others, Sangoel, his mother and sister had to escape from the fighting. Sangoel and his family were from the Dinka tribe, but they no longer had a home or a country and, like many Dinka, lived in a refugee camp.

At long last, Sangoel and his family were leaving the refugee camp and going to a new home in America. It was a bittersweet moment, for Sangoel knew he'd never see his friends again. He also worried what his life would be like in America.

The old Wise One from the refugee camp told him no matter where Sangoel went, he'd always be a Dinka and he'd always be Sangoel, even in America. Sangoel clung to that belief, and in time, he learned how to make others understand that.

Beautifully written and illustrated, this sensitive story reflects the importance of respecting each individual's identity and provides a small window for children to grasp what it might be like to be a refugee.

Kendal A. Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature. She can be reached at kendal@sunlink.net.