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Ellis Island: Coming to the Land of Liberty

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Ellis Island: Coming to the Land of Liberty.

"Bial examines the history of the famed immigration station in similar fashion to his Tenement: Immigrant Life on the Lower East Side (Houghton, 2002). He looks at the socio-historical roots of the mass exodus to America and provides a detailed look at the immigrant experience from ship to shore, with Ellis Island in between. Primary-source quotes and period photos pair eloquently with the modern narrative voice and color photographs of the museum exhibits. Without chapter breaks, glossary, or index, this book is better suited for curious readers; for research, Ellen Levine's If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island (Scholastic, 1993) is more user-friendly. Bial does provide a helpful list of works consulted and children's books for follow-up reading. The generously sized period photos and Bial's museum shots tell a vivid and poignant tale for even those who cannot yet read the words. If one cannot get to the museum itself, this book is the next best thing."

--Rebecca Dash, Library Journal, Jun 2009, Vol. 55, Issue 6
Ellis Island: Coming to the Land of Liberty

Striking photographs and interesting text will attract children to this lively, warm refresher on the role of Ellis Island Immigration Station in our national and personal histories. Raymond Bial took the modern photographs himself and chose the archival shots. The old and the new graphics blend seamlessly, highlighting the emotion of the events which, although history, are neither distant nor remote. Bial introduces catchy facts about the history of the island, once mere landfill, and about the United States Immigration Service, a federal response to each state doing their own thing. The book is a general view of all arrivals, with experiences true for all ethnic groups. There are several memories specifically about Jewish experiences and a few photos including Jewish people and religious items. More than half of the famous immigrants noted by name are Jewish, although the text does not say so. Jewish poet Emma Lazarus is quoted (her poem on the base of the Statue of Liberty) without being identified as Jewish. The text does not shirk from noting anti-immigrant sentiment and quotas. But, the common history for all groups helps establish a strong feeling of community. Counter-pointing the visions of the immigrants with the current visitors to Ellis Island creates a sense of poignancy and a common bond. Readers will care about the past, think about their family backgrounds, and hopefully journey there themselves as a result of this well researched, well written and well produced photo journalism. Pair this with another of Bial's excellent photo-essay books, Tenement: Immigrant Life on the Lower East Side. Ages 8 to 12. Ellen Cole

Ellis Island has a rich history as the United States' largest and most famous immigration station. Following its formal opening on January 1, 1892 when fifteen year-old Annie Moore disembarked from her steamship as the first immigrant to register at Ellis Island, close to twelve million immigrants passed through the doors of this station. Although it closed in 1954, Ellis Island has remained open to the public, first on a limited basis, and then, following the largest historic renovation in U.S. history, on a more general basis as the Ellis Island Immigration Museum.

This interesting and informative book presents a detailed textual and photographic description of how Ellis Island came into being and evolved to meet the extensive demands placed upon it by thousands of immigrants per day. Also of note is the balanced account of the new opportunities that immigrants experienced after passing through Ellis Island, as well as the enormous disappointment felt by those who made the long ocean journey only to face deportation after failing to meet the entrance requirements. Poor health, lack of economic means, and possible criminal backgrounds were enough to substantiate a decision to send an immigrant back to the "old country." Many a reader may feel inspired to schedule a trip to Ellis Island to recreate the feelings their ancestors experienced when walking through these walls during their attempts to secure a more prosperous way of life.