The Long Way to a New Land (I Can Read Book 3) (Paperback)

~ (Author, Illustrator) "Carl Erik and his brother Jonas gathered moss in the forest..." (more)
Key Phrases: Carl Erik

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"We will go to America!"

It is 1868, and Carl Erik's family faces starvation in Sweden. As their hopes fade, they must endure a journey over land and sea to reach a better life in a new country thousands of miles away.

About the Author

Elaine Marie Alphin, author of The Ghost Cadet and The Proving Ground, drew the inspiration for A Bear for Miguel from letters written by her grandmother in El Salvador. Ms. Alphin lives in Madison, IN.

Joan Sandin is the illustrator of many books for young readers, including the I Can Read books Small Wolf, written by Nathaniel Benchley, Snowshoe Thompson, written by Nancy Smiler Levinson, and her own The Long Way Westward and The Long Way to a New Land. Ms. Sandin lives in Tucson, AZ.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (May 23, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064441008
• ISBN-13: 978-0064441001
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #107,651 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for the Classroom, August 3, 2000

By	Dory Zinkand "WittenbergGate dot net" (USA) - See all my reviews

The Long Way to a New Land and The Long Way Westward are companion books that chronicle a family's journey from their Swedish farm, which is suffering from an extended drought, to a new home in Minnesota. The books describe the difficulty and dangers of the journey in a way that is non-complaining and full of optimism for a new life in America. Teachers, these books are wonderful for integrating with other subjects and topics, such as immigration, westward expansion, steamships, trains, geography, and American life in the 1860s.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally!, February 13, 2008

By	DesiredConstellation (Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews

Oh my gosh! I am so excited to have found this book! I used to read this when I was in grade school. (I am now 27.) I remember checking it out of the library on a regular basis along with 'Wagon Wheels'. I love the illustrations as well. I'm buying them both A.S.A.P.!

4.0 out of 5 stars Great early reader, March 1, 2009

By	M. Heiss (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm a second-generation American, so I used this book to help my kids understand the immigration of their great-grandmother, especially relevant since we just spent Christmas with her. The time frame is earlier than Gramma's trip, but the desperation and the determination were right-on.

I thought this book did a great job describing some scary things without totally freaking children out. And yet, my kids clearly understood how out-of-control the parents in this story felt all through their journey.

The reading level is just right for this book -- excellent level 3 reader.

ps -- it's so nice to read an early reader that isn't about Thomas the Train, Tinkerbell, or Star Wars!