Kai's Journey To Gold Mountain: An Angel Island Story
*Starred Review*   Gr. 4-7. In their first book, Currier and Utomo retell a seldom-told 1930s American immigration story. Kai, 12, is the fourth-generation male in his family to leave China for the U.S. He's on his way to join his father, who is an American citizen in San Francisco. But after the long journey and tense medical examination, Kai is locked up on Angel Island, where he's packed in with other internees until a long, dreaded interrogation can be completed. The character Kai is based on a real person, whose photos, then and now, are part of the historical notes at the back of the book. Opposite each page of the intensely moving, detailed text are beautiful full-page watercolor-and-pencil illustrations that capture the crowded holding place, and, in unforgettable close-ups, the characters' heartbreak and strength. Pair this with the many books on Ellis Island and the continuing struggle to find a home in America.Hazel RochmanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.