Who Belongs Here?

Reviews

"A new introduction traces the waves of immigration that have built America and celebrates the Muslim and Latino immigrants who are today contributing to America’s future. The book’s new cover shows a group of kids—sons and daughters of newly arrived immigrants—taking their oath of citizenship. This story is more timely now than ever. Long an anchor text for school units on immigration and tolerance, Who Belongs Here? is now renewed in look and content. Teaching compassion for recent immigrants while sharing the important contributions made by immigrants of the past, this story is more relevant now than ever. In this probing, plain-spoken book, based on a true story, Margy Burns Knight and Anne Sibley O’Brien, author and illustrator of the acclaimed “Talking Walls,” invite young readers to explore the human implications of intolerance. Anecdotes relating the experiences of other refugees and their contributions to American culture play counterpoint to Nary’s tale, all enlivened by O’Brien’s full-color pastels. A compendium at the end of the book offers more detailed information about Pol Pot, Ellis Island, and other topics in this text. Who Belongs Here? will lead to discussions about the effects of war on children and families, refugees and relocation processes in the U.S. " — I'm Your Neighbor

"Following their well-received Talking Walls , Knight and O'Brien again team up for an affectionate if didactic exploration of connections among people world-wide. This time the message is filtered through the experience of Nary, a Cambodian refugee who immigrates to the U.S. with his grandmother after the death of both parents. Hostility toward immigrants and the impetus to work for change are explored. The central question, "What if everyone . . . whose ancestors came from another country was forced to return to his or her homeland? . . . Who would be left?" signals the book's design as a vehicle for discussion. The text itself pairs Nary's story with italicized information on immigration to the U.S. This strategy is only intermittently effective; younger readers may not be capable of making the conceptual jumps both Knight and O'Brien require, while older readers may chafe at the picture-book format. These limitations notwithstanding, the volume provides strong starting points for ongoing explorations of multicultural themes. Ages 7-13." — Publishers Weekly

"Grade 3-5-Drawing on her experience as an ESL teacher, Knight introduces the fictional character Nary, a 10-year-old boy from Cambodia. Accompanying his story of leaving his homeland and settling in this country is a parallel text, set in italics, that expands some of the ideas presented. Sometimes it provides background information on U.S. immigration or history; at other times it serves to stimulate discussion, particularly on such topics as intolerance and prejudice. Notes in the back give additional material on individuals (Pol Pot, Dith Pran, Dolores Huerta) and concepts introduced earlier. Three-quarters of each double-page spread is covered with brightly colored, impressionistic pastel illustrations. Unfortunately, the texts do not blend well. Nary's story is choppy; the italicized portions are often superficial and not always relevant. For information strictly on Cambodian immigrants, consult Nancy Graff's Where the River Runs (Little, 1993).Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc." — Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA, School Library Journal

"Gr. 4-7. After escaping the killing fields of Cambodia and living in a refugee camp in Thailand, 10-year-old Nary (a composite character drawn from students that Knight has known as an ESL teacher) is now adjusting to his new home in the U.S. The amount of food in the grocery stores amazes him, and he likes eating pizza and ice cream. But sometimes his classmates are mean to him, calling him names and telling him to "get back on the boat and go home where you belong." In counterpoint to Nary's story, Knight includes information about other refugees and their contributions to the U.S. and challenges readers to confront difficult questions about immigration, racism, and multiculturalism: "What if everyone who now lives in the U.S., but whose ancestors came from another country, was forced to return to his or her homeland?" This book is similar to the author and illustrator's other collaborative effort, Talking Walls (1992), in that Knight's text compassionately explores the complex issues and O'Brien's full-color pastel illustrations personalize the experiences of Nary and other new Americans. An attractive and telling picture book that provokes a dynamic dialogue about one of the most fundamental questions before our country. Annie Ayers" — Annie Ayers, Booklist