FIRST PERSON FICTION
In this day and age when we have so many opportunities in life and much to be thankful for, we tend to forget about those who helped build the United States in the first place --- the thousands upon thousands of immigrants who came here to escape poverty, persecution, war, and illness in their homelands. What we sometimes don't realize is that, even today, people are still coming to these shores for the same reasons.
For these people, the words of Emma Lazarus, carved in the base of the Statue of Liberty, are as true today as they were when they were first chiseled in the marble many years ago:
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me…"
All over the world, young people are being forced from their homes for reasons beyond their control. They must often leave abruptly without even saying good-bye to family and friends; they have very few possessions of their own, and they can't help but worry about the welfare of those who were left behind. Once they arrive in their country of exile, they typically have to learn a new language, figure out how to function in a new culture, and adjust to life in a strange place.
The books in the First Person Fiction series are about young people in the recent past or present who have made the journey from their homelands to come to the United States in order to start anew. Like the Dear America books, they are in diary form, which make them very personal, open, and almost painful to read. At the same time, the authors of these books have created characters with courage, creativity, and a good sense of humor. These are people that you care about and are able to identify with.
In this feature, you'll learn more about the books in this marvelous series, meet the people who have written them, take a challenging quiz, and much more!
--- Reviewed by Marya Jansen-Gruber
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