Home at Last

Title: Home at Last
Genre: Multicultural
Author: Susan Middleton Elya
Major Awards: None
Age Group: 3rd-5th grade

This is the story of Ana Patino and her family, who have recently moved to the United States from Mexico because of her Papa's job. Ana was excited for this new time in her life, despite knowing no English upon entering school the first day. Though she could not speak any English that first day, by the end of the school day, she had already learned a ton. Her parents did not know any English, so as she gets home, they ask her in Spanish how school was, and she states that she likes it. Although Ana is loving this change, she knows that her Mama is struggling. Ana and her father are starting to learn English, but her mother will have no part in it. This makes it difficult, especially as she goes to the grocery store and gets overcharged for meat, but cannot do anything about it since she knows no English. It is also difficult as Ana gets important letters sent home from school, and her mother cannot read them. Finally, one day, her mother enrolls in an English class, which makes Ana ecstatic. In the end, she ends up passing all of her tests, and starts to enjoy life more because she can understand the English language. 

This is such a sweet story, and definitely one I would like to have in my classroom! I like how it gives a first-hand account of how tough life can be for immigrants because of the language barrier. I think that this would open many student's eyes to the struggles of coming into a new country where everything is foreign, but if you try to get accustomed, it can end up being a great thing! 

I think that this would be best for third through fifth grade students. It is a longer story with a bit of a mature topic, so I think that by third grade, students would be ready for its content. I think that they definitely would understand and have empathy for Ana's family. I also think that they would gain a better understanding of immigration from reading this story. 

In my classroom, we could write letters or draw pictures for students that are new to the United States, making them feel welcome and not alone. We could also talk about the importance of learning the language of the country you are in, because without knowing it, things can get tough. I could also give them a worksheet on main idea, and they would write the main idea of the story, and three details that support it.