Reviews
This book is written for children to get a glimpse of German immigrants from Germany and from Russia. Although there were Germans in North America as early as the 1600's, this book deals with those coming here in the 19th century, and it covers especially well the trials and tribulations of early German settlers in Texas, mid-America, the Dakotas, and even Milwaukee. It also shows how these immigrants overcame severe hardships, problems with climate and illness, initial settlement difficulties, even fights with Indians, further struggles with taking on the English language, the climate, American culture, yet eventually becoming prosperous and highly contributive members of American society. The book even delves into the problems of conscience and conflict of interest for German-Americans during the First World War. The only minor negatives I observed, which are far outweighed by the positive aspects, are as follows: 1. Children are going to find it a bit confusing traversing the glossy variety of paths they can take through this book, but those paths are definitely worth taking, because it puts the reader into the place and into personal experience of 19th-Century true-to-life German immigrants to the United States! 2. As usual, there are a couple of simplifications that are not truly historical: Catherine the Great is the only one mentioned in regard to attracting Germans to settle in Russia, while Alexander I does not find any mention of his efforts to have Germans come to the Black Sea region. Moreover, there is a hint that Germans arrived at the Black Sea way before 1804, which is simply not the case. 3. The bibliography could be more extensive. Overall, though, I would definitely recommend this book for children and grandchildren who ask questions about how our German-Russian-American ancestors came here and how they struggled to become some of the finest Americans, with genuine loyalty to their new home, and with contributions to this land that few are aware of. Remember also: the price of this paperback book is very reasonable. I am a "native-born" Black Sea German whose ancestors did not come to America until 1953, but that makes no difference in the great scheme of Germans from Russia...I am ordering several copies for children in sub-clans of my own immigrant clan. www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/grhc/, Using the "Choose Your Own Adventure" formula, Raum takes readers back to the late 19th and early 20th century during immigration to the United States. The scene is set for readers and a map is provided that shows where large communities of German immigrants live in the United States. Then, readers choose from one of three times: they can follow a path during immigration in the 1840s, immigration in the 1880s, or the years of the First World War. Each journey brings a different set of hopes and obstacles; through the different choices they make, readers learn much about the experiences of actual immigrants of the times. Many readers will no doubt choose one of the paths and be content. However, it is also possible to read straight through and learn much about the topic. A final chapter about German Americans is included, along with a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. One of the hardest things to explain when discussing German Americans is that there was no Germany as we know it today at the time of immigration. The unifying factor may have been language, religion (usually Lutheran or Catholic), point of origin (such as Bavaria), or politics (many German immigrants came to this country in the 1840s and 1880s to avoid conscription). Since this title and the others in the series are introductions to immigration, this is not discussed in great detail, but readers could find more information at local and state historical societies. Each of the titles in this series is highly readable and interesting for those with ties to the group mentioned, those who enjoy reading along with novels set at the time, or who enjoy history., This little book opens when "you," a German-speaking immigrant, approach the eastern shore of America. Then it divides into three sections, each of which tells of the experiences of three waves of German immigrants: Germans who came to Texas in the 1940s, Germans from Russia who homesteaded in Dakota Territory in the 1880s, and what it was like to be a German immigrant during World War I, 1914-1918. But each group's story does not just flow from beginning to end as a coherent narrative. At several points, the reader is invited to go to one page or another where "you" make a decision that leads to an altered but historically plausible outcome. Though the book is written for a young audience, it is not a child's depiction. Some options lead to prosperity; in several instances, they lead to death. The author does not sidestep the presence of anti-German feelings during World War I. German immigrants and their families were loyal to their new homeland during very stressful times. Of special interest to Germans from Russia readers is that their story emerges as one of the authentic streams of German immigration. This is no small thing for a book that is likely to find its way into many school libraries and will be read by young people with few or no connections to German immigrants and their experiences. Elizabeth Raum shows clearly that German farmers who had originally lived in Russia made a significant contribution to American life by developing the central prairie and producing food. Designed for the junior high aged reader, this book, which is one volume of a series on historical movements, is a bit too gimmicky for this reviewer. The cover promises 3 story paths, 46 choices, and 17 endings. Yet, it fits with a popular type of youth book in which the reader can choose outcomes along the way and is very carefully put together. Raum has woven in a great deal of information. There are archival photographs, maps, a time line, glossary, study helps, and a final chapter that pulls together the overall impact of German immigration., Intended for students at the older elementary and middle school levels, this historical series features three separate story paths (some of which later intersect), in which readers make decisions leading to a variety of outcomes. German Immigrants in America allows readers to go to Texas in the 1840s, to South Dakota in the 1880s, or to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the First World War. Travelers to the new state of Texas encounter the Comanche and get caught up in hostilities between the United States and Mexico. If they survive long enough, they may have to swear allegiance to the Confederate States of America during the Civil War or make a doomed escape attempt to Mexico. Farmers in South Dakota choose a variety of crops to grow and battle drought and blizzards. Immigrants to Milwaukee choose sides during the Great War and perhaps fall victim to the 1918 influenza epidemic. Immigrants from China can choose to mine gold during the 1850s, move to San Francisco during that era, or work on the railroads in the 1860s. In all three paths, readers encounter severe prejudice that can lead to homes being burned, businesses being destroyed, and in the gold fields, robbery and death. Those who choose to work on the railroad have a very good chance of not surviving; the volume presents all the hazards of work on the railroad, from explosions to blizzards. The Japanese American Internment takes readers to three camps following the attack on Pearl Harbor--Manzanar in southern California, Tule Lake in northern California, and Rohwer in Arkansas (where the student can pretend to be a teacher rather than a Japanese-American internee). Here, adventures intersect, as Manzanar internees who refused to renounce the Japanese Emperor and (if of draft age) serve in the U.S. Army were sent to the high-security camp at Tule Lake. Readers have the option of going to college or into the Army, with the latter choice giving them a sense of what life was like for soldiers during the Second World War. All three books feature maps, photos, and illustrations and conclude with historical notes, a time line, a glossary, questions for further discussion, recommended readings and Internet sites, and an index.
