The Italian-Americans

School Library Journal

Gr 6-10-A clear, concise portrayal of Italian immigration to the United States. The short history of a pre-unified Italy explains why so many Italians looked to America as a land of promise. Petrini discusses the newcomers' experience while crossing the Atlantic, at Ellis Island, and as unskilled labor. She also describes their attempts to preserve their culture and maintain the feeling of extended community that they knew in the villages back home by creating "ghettos" like Little Italy, where they could speak their own language, honor their patron saints, and enjoy their own foods and customs. Recent and historical black-and-white photographs as well as sidebars are included. Although this title is useful for reports, Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler's The Italian American Family Album (Oxford, 1994), with its narratives, photographs, interviews, highlights, and finer format, is a much more valuable purchase.-Joanne K. Cecere, Monroe-Woodbury High School, Central Valley, NY Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.