Published by Dial Books for Young Readers

Summary: Saya’s mother, an immigrant from Haiti, is in jail for not having the right papers. Saya and her father visit Mama every week, but it’s not the same as having her at home.  Saya’s father writes letters every evening, contacting politicians and reporters to try to get help.  One evening, Saya decides to write her own story.  Her father sends it to a newspaper, and a few days later, a reporter comes to interview them.  As a result of the story in the paper, Saya’s mother gets to see a judge who allows her to go home while she waits for her papers to come through.  In the author’s note, Edwidge Danticat tells the story of how she and her parents were separated by immigration until she was twelve years old.  Grades K-3.

Pros: Kids will be fascinated by Saya’s story and inspired by the way she helps her mom. The illustrations are beautiful, with bold colors and symbols from Mama’s stories woven into the pictures of the family.

Cons:  Expect a lot of questions about what is going on with this family from readers unfamiliar with immigration laws.

Published by Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers 

Summary: Antonio lives in the hotel his mother runs in 1914 Canada. He loves helping the different workers there and exploring the rooms on the second and third floors. One day, when Antonio is almost five, a man on the third floor spots smoke in the woods. Before long, the hotel is surrounded by fire, and all the inhabitants have to wade into the lake. As the fire closes in, wolves, moose, porcupine, bears, and other forest inhabitants join the humans in the lake. People and animals stand together until the fire passes by. The animals return to the forest, and the people go back to the hotel, which miraculously survived the blaze. An author’s note shows a picture of the real Antonio, the author’s grandfather, and tells how the story of the forest fire was passed down in her family. Grades 1-4.

Pros: A good mentor text for memoir writing. Kids will be fascinated by the forest fire and the gathering of all the animals. The beautiful illustrations look like old-time photographs.

Cons: The old-fashioned cover is not particularly eye-catching. Kids might have to be led to this book.