Spacious Dreams

School Library Journal

Gr 5-10-Adapted from the author's adult title, Strangers from a Different Shore (Little, 1989), this book focuses on Asian immigration to America from the 1850s, when the Chinese first came to work in Hawaiian sugar fields, until the Immigration Act effectively ended the influx in 1924. Separate chapters about the Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Filipinos, and Asian Indians tell who came, why, and how they were received. Much of the story is told in the immigrants' own words through oral histories, conversations, songs, diaries, letters, poems, etc. The closing chapter not only describes the voyages across the Pacific, but also points out similarities and differences among the various nationalities who came. Linda Perrin's Coming to America (Delacorte, 1980) lacks these valuable comparisons and focuses more on the history of various groups after their arrival in the U.S. Well-chosen, informative, black-and-white photos add interest to Takaki's readable, perceptive account. The list of further reading is nicely balanced between adult and juvenile materials.- Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA