Dawn Land [Library Binding]

Joseph Bruchac (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1995

Amelia Luisa Martinez, a young girl from a migrant worker family, discovers a special tree that symbolizes her desire for a permanent home, away from the meandering roads that lead to work in the fields.

--This text refers to the School & Library Binding edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Amelia Luisa Martinez and her family, migrant farm workers, move from harvest to harvest, staying in labor camps for short periods of time. Amelia hates los caminos --the long, cheerless roads that the Martinezes travel in their rusty car--and resents the fact that she attends various schools so briefly that teachers don't always bother to learn her name. It seems unlikely that Amelia will get her wish to "settle down, to belong." But during one apple harvest, she goes to a school where the teacher and children do learn her name, and she finds a special spot near an old tree that she claims as her own. Here, when it is time to move on, the girl buries a box filled with "Amelia-things" and promises to return one day. Altman's first picture book provides an affecting and ultimately hopeful look at a transient way of living that will be unfamiliar to most of her audience. Sanchez's (illustrator of Abuela's Weave ) richly textured acrylic on canvas paintings deftly portray the arduous daily routine of migrant workers as well as the wide range of Amelia's emotions. Ages 3-10.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the School & Library Binding edition.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-A poignant yet gentle portrayal of the lives of migrant children. Constantly on the move, Amelia's family records events by crops not dates, carries with them only what will fit in the car, and are never anywhere long enough to feel at home. The girl longs for a place to stay, a place where she belongs. Teachers rarely bother to learn her name, so when Mrs. Ramos does so, it is special. The child's picture of a white house with a big shade tree earns a beautiful red star. On the way home, she discovers a road leading to a tree just like the one she drew. She visits this place often, and buries a small metal box filled with her treasures there when she must leave. For the first time in her life, Amelia has a home place. The acrylic-on-canvas illustrations have a folk-art quality that works well with this story. The canvas texture shows through the paint to add an almost tactile roughness of hard labor while rich colors capture the harvest crops at their succulent best. An important title for any library serving migrant populations, Amelia's Road should be a welcome addition almost anywhere. Useful in a variety of educational units, it works equally well as a read-aloud or read-alone.
Jody McCoy, Casady School, Oklahoma City
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the School & Library Binding edition.

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Product Details

• Library Binding
• Publisher: Tandem Library (September 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785780033
• ISBN-13: 978-0785780038
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,236,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Longing to Belong: Amelia's Road, March 29, 2007

By 

Just One More Book! Children's Book Podcast "... (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Amelia's Road (Paperback)

This beautifully illustrated and simply told tale of yearning, creativity and hope invites us to wonder about the story behind our supper and the luxury of having a place to call home.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amelia's Road, January 18, 2000

By 

Cherie77 (WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Amelia's Road (Paperback)

Amelia's road is an excellent resource for teachers. It can be used as part of a multi-cultural unit or to start off a unit on maps.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Teaching Tool, May 9, 2010

By 

D. Johnson "luv2read" (Seffner, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Amelia's Road (Paperback)

Our 2nd grade class recently studied Family Geneology, Immigration, Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty. Amelia's Road was the perfect read-aloud for our class. Several of the students have a similar background as Amelia's family, and our school is located in the center of a migrant population. Therefore, Amelia's story was very relevant for my students. I recommend this book for all teachers!