The Jews (We Came to North America)

Rating:
Summary: A colorful history of Jewish life in North America
Review: "The Jews," by Casey Horton, is part of the excellent "We Came to North America" series of books for young readers. This entry in the series tells the epic story of Jewish life in North America. The book is richly illustrated with photographs (both color and black-and-white). The text is further supplemented with maps, sidebar articles, a glossary, and an index. Significant vocabulary words are boldfaced in the text: "immigrant," "culture," "czar," etc.

Horton notes that Spanish Jews came to North America in 1654. Topics covered in the book include the flight from 19th century pogroms in Russia, the immigration station at Ellis Island, urban tenements, sweatshops, the 1911 Triangle factory fire, the Yiddish theater in America, Klezmer music, and more. There is a brief sections on the achievements of some famous North American Jews. Overall, a solid entry in this informative series.