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Landed

There are many books out there depicting the experience of immigration into the United States. But this one had details I was unfamiliar with. Landed is a story about a boy named Lee Sun Chor who travels with his father from his village in China to the United States. Since Sun’s father is a returning merchant, he is able to land at San Francisco. Sun, however, has to go to Angel Island by himself. There, Sun meets other boys that are in the same situation, waiting for their turn to pass the examinations and be granted permission to land on US soil.

This book is based on the experiences of Lee Sun Chor, the author’s father-in-law. The unique perspective of preparing for the examination at Angel Island and the look into the day-to-day life of a boy living there make this book stand out.

The author has also written other interesting books of historical fiction. Earthquake is about the author’s mother’s experiences during the 1902 earthquake in San Francisco, CA. Nim and the War Effort is about the author’s experiences collecting paper for the WWII war effort. Both are worth taking a look at too.

Grade Level: 4-5

Genre: Historical Fiction

Format: Picture Story Book

Content:

Family Relationships
US History