1870 – 1920
Around the turn of the 20th century, America experienced a massive wave of immigration. Millions of people from Europe, Asia, and other regions arrived seeking better opportunities and escaping hardships like poverty, persecution, and war. Immigrants entered through places like Ellis Island in New York and Angel Island in San Francisco. They faced challenges such as adapting to a new culture, finding work, and discrimination. Despite these obstacles, immigrants greatly contributed to the growth and diversity of American society, shaping the nation into a melting pot of cultures and ideas.
You can find books about the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era here.
Picture books
Peppe the Lamplighter
Moving story of an immigrant boy in Little Italy
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Escaping to America: A True Story
Lively story of a Jewish family leaving Poland for America
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All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel
Charming story of an Italian immigrant family
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When Jessie Came Across the Sea
Story of a girl immigrating to America alone
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Her Right Foot
Award-winning reflection on the Statue of Liberty
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Streets of Gold
Story of a Russian girl immigrating with her family and finally going to school
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Naming Liberty
Dual story of an immigrant girl and the artist behind the Statue of Liberty
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The Memory Coat
Moving story of a Russian family immigrating to America
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Saving Lady Liberty: Joseph Pulitzer’s Fight for the Statue of Liberty
The story of how Joseph Pulitzer raised funds to finish the Statue of Liberty
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Wilhelm’s Journey
Fictional diary of a German immigrant’s voyage to America
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Chapter books
Dreams in the Golden Country: The Diary of Zipporah Feldman, a Jewish Immigrant Girl, New York City, 1903
Fictional diary of a Jewish immigrant girl in New York City
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My Name Is America: The Journal Of Otto Peltonen, A Finnish Immigrant
Fictional diary of a Finnish boy who immigrates to Minnesota
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Under Copp’s Hill
Story of a girl solving a mystery at an immigrant settlement house
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A House of Tailors
Charming story of a German immigrant girl in Brooklyn
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Hannah’s Journal: The Story of an Immigrant Girl
Illustrated fictional diary about a girl immigrating to New York
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Letters from Rifka
Story of a determined Russian girl immigrating with her family
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Maggie’s Door
Story of an Irish family’s passage to America (2nd book in series)
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Water Street
Poignant story of an Irish immigrant family in Brooklyn (3rd book in series)
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Meet Rebecca
First in American Girl series about a girl helping her family immigrate from Russia
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Non-fiction books
Immigrant Kids
Excellent introduction to immigrant life for kids at the turn of the century
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Coming to America: The Story of Immigration
Accessible overview of different waves of migration through America’s history
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The Dream of America: Immigration 1870-1920
Thorough overview of turn-of-the-century immigration for middle and upper-grade readers
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