Home at Last: Sofia's Immigrant Diary, Book Two (My America) [Hardcover]

Kathryn Lasky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2003 | Age Level: 7 and up | Series: My America (Book 2)

Kathryn Lasky brings readers the second installment of Sofia's Ellis Island Diary, depicting Sofia's move to the North End of Boston and her first steps as a new American.

After her dramatic release from quarantine and reunion with her family, Sofia moves to the North End of Boston, where the Monaris start their new lives in their new country. While her parents struggle to make ends meet, Sofia must adjust to her American school, friends and job.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Reviewed with Kathryn Lasky's Hope in My Heart.

Gr. 3-6. An Italian immigrant child writes her diary in these two small books that are part of the My America series. Hope in My Heart is the most dramatic. After the family finally arrives at Ellis Island, nine-year-old Sofia is separated from her parents and quarantined. Terrified, angry, and knowing almost no English, she is at the mercy of officials and doctors, some of whom are prejudiced and corrupt. Only her friendship with an Irish girl and the support of a kind official and a priest make her life bearable, until her heartfelt reunion with her family. Home at Last is a conventional account of Italian Americans who struggle and eventually make it in the North End community of Boston. A teacher makes a huge difference, as does a doctor, whose character is based on a real person, Lasky's husband's grandfather. As is often the case with books in this series, the diary format is an awkward contrivance, but it certainly makes the tale more immediate. A historical note and archival photos add to the story. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 108 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press (November 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439449634
• ISBN-13: 978-0439449632
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,930,640 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hi Readers! Thanks for coming by my author page. I've written all sorts of books - from fantasy about animals to books about science. One of my favorite animal fantasy series, Guardians of Ga'Hoole, is a major motion picture. I liked writing about Ga'Hoole so much that I decided to revisit that world in a new series, Wolves of the Beyond. Visit my website, www.kathrynlasky.com to see a slide show about the real wolves I researched for the series and for the latest update on the Guardians of Ga'Hoole movie. All my best, Kathryn

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sofia's story continues., October 18, 2003

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Home at Last: Sofia's Immigrant Diary, Book Two (My America) (Hardcover)

Nine-year-old Sofia has finally been reunited with her family after a month in quarantine on Ellis Island, and now they have traveled to Boston to build their new life in America. Sofia's father finds a job in a grocery store, and Sofia begins attending school. She enjoys learning English and making new friends, although she misses her best friend from quarantine, Maureen, whose family has settled in New York City. Sofia describes in her diary her life over seven months as her family adjusts to their new lives in America and sees their dreams begin to come true. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy the My America series and have read Hope in My Heart, Sofia's first diary.

3.0 out of 5 stars Some Inaccuracies, December 2, 2011

By 

A Mom - See all my reviews

This review is from: My America: Home At Last, Sofia's Ellis Island Diary, Book Two (Mass Market Paperback)

I was excited to find this book, as my grandfather came to America as a young boy from Italy around the same time that this story takes place. While there are many features of the story that accurately reflect the Italian immigrant culture of that era, there were some comments that were more reflective of present day ideologies. Religion is important in the Italian culture. While its prominance was indicated in the story, there were some comments that were uncharacteristic of their faith. I was disappointed when the doctor, a prominent character, tells the young girl "I believe in all gods...I see God in that tortellini." It was also disturbing to read Sophia suggesting that "hard hoping" was better than praying in difficult situations. Strong faith sustained and encouraged so many Italian immigrants and I felt the story portrays a distortion of their religious beliefs.