Landed

I thought this book was fine! It was informational and definitely meaningful. I think that the illustrations paired with the text on each page worked well and the settings which the book takes place in are accurate for the time period. The illustrations colors are more dulled and washed out which works well with the book supposed to be taking place around the mid to late 1800s. One of my favorite illustrated pages is the page when Sun's dad throws the torn up pages of the coaching book off the ledge of the boat. Now Sun knows the intensity to the importance of listening to his fathers advice. Although the writing is organized and paced well, there is a lot of text per page - for example, pages 13-14 and 5-6. These types of pages could show more lead a child to get a little overwhelmed. Regardless of how well-paced the information is, it is a lot of written information to be expected to comprehend.
Overall, I think the main idea/ message the author wanted to get across was the importance of taking risks to make a better life for yourself. Sun didn't want to leave his homeland but once he realized that his brothers had grown up and became successful, he knew it was important for him to do the same! show less

Summary:

Landed is a picture book about a twelve year old boy named Sun from China who immigrates to America. His father is a merchant who owns a store in San Francisco and all of his brothers have gone through the immigration process after the age of twelve. On his twelfth birthday, Sun’s father informs him about immigrating to the United States. He spends time with a tutor who helps him prepare for the questioning he will have to endure at Angel Island. When the time comes, Sun and his father take the long journey by boat from China to San Francisco. Because Sun’s father has already gone through the immigration process, he has to leave Sun behind at Angel Island. Sun spends about four weeks at Angel Island before he goes through show more three days of questioning to prove who he is. Finally, after all of the questioning, Sun is able to reunite with his father and his brothers in California.

Comments (opinions/argument):

This is a great example of a historical fiction picture book for older elementary students. It does a great job explaining what it was like for immigrants from other countries coming to America during the Gold Rush. Although the story itself isn’t a true story, it does a wonderful job portraying the realistic life style, struggles and accomplishments of people during this time period. It talks about the struggles Sun has to go through having to study and prepare to be interrogated and having to live at Angel Island until they release him into America. The central message of this story is to inform children about the history of immigrants and what kinds of experiences they endured during this time period. This is a great example of a multicultural book for older children because it portrays the Asian American culture and is a more complex text with lots of details and more advanced vocabulary. show less

How well do you know your family? A young boy named Sun must pass a test to prove that he is his father's son before being allowed to enter America. He spends some time on Angel Island with other boys waiting for his chance to answer the questions.

Lovely story, would be a great addition to an immigration unit.

Lee, Milly. Landed. Yangsook Choi, Illus. Farrar Straus Giroux, NY: 2006.
• This solid multicultural offering is ideal for grade 2-5 social studies lessons. Sun, the 12-year-old protagonist, must study for and negotiate the complicated immigration process present in the 1880s United States. Elementary children will be fascinated to read about Sun’s preparations for and time undergoing immigration examination; Sun has to stay several weeks on Angel Island before he is reunited with his father in San Francisco. Despite noting later that the story is based on the life of her father-in-law, Lee presents the story in an even, unbiased manner, hinting at the complexities involved with the immigration policies of the time – and ways other show more families tried to get around the regulations – without resentment or accusation. The suspense elements will draw in readers: Will Sun pass the test? Will his friends be sent back to China? Some readers may find the tone of the narrative slightly stilted. Choi's beautifully inked pictures evoke the mood of each section, from the ordered beauty of Sun’s Chinese home to the wide expanse of the ocean and the stark conditions on the island facility.
• Educators can read more about the real Sun in the end notes, and expand upon this idea by showing the website provided to students learning about immigration or the post-Gold Rush period. show less

Wonderful picture book about a boy who moves from Southern China to San Francisco at the age of twelve. His father is a merchant, and he prepares his son for the interrogation expected as part of the immigration process at Angel Island.

There is quite a lot of text, and therefore it is more appropriate for an older elementary to early middle school crowd. A nice book based on the true story of the author's relative.

This book would be a great pairing with Paper Son. Teachers could use them both to compare characters. It gives students the idea that you can find multiple books on the same subject and also same or different perspectives. I also like the illustrations that bring to life the big picture of the story.

SUMMARY: Sun is a 12 year old boy who is immigrating from China. His father is a merchant and his 3 older brothers already have immigrated to America. He takes a ship to California and stays in Angel's Island for 4 weeks. He is questioned and when he finally passes to be able to migrate to san Francisco legally.

Review: The central message of this book was to describe the immigration process that Sun had experienced. This book was very lengthy and had a lot of detail. It had a lot of dialogue to describe his experiences. For example, "You will go to Angel Island and be interviewed and questioned without me," HIs father said this to Sun.