Irish FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature
Those of us with Irish surnames can trace our roots back to hardy ancestors who began to emigrate to the United States and Canada as early as the 1600s. Tracing the reasons for this emigration—unemployment, conflict with British rule and the Great Famine—Nickles pays tribute to the spirit of those who helped build two great nations. Following a brief history of Ireland, he describes the often-horrific journeys made by the immigrants, their impressions of their new land and the bigotry that had to be overcome. Using first person accounts, photos, illustrations and maps, the author lauds the accomplishments made not only through the work of Irish hands but the effect that Irish music, language, and literature have had on the cultural growth of both nations. The text is non-demanding; topics are carefully arranged and new words defined in the glossary. Such a broad overview can only scratch the surface of the topic and hopefully encourage readers to learn more about the impact of Irish immigration. 2001, Crabtree Publishing, $21.28 and $8.95. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Beverley Fahey
School Library Journal
Gr 3-5-Double-page spreads, lavishly illustrated with paintings, engravings, maps, and black-and-white and full-color period and contemporary photographs, describe the homelands, how and why the immigrants left, their reception and life in the United States and Canada, and their contributions to their new lands. Large boxes focus in on various topics, usually history but also culture and languages; full-page personal narratives are interspersed at appropriate points throughout. While these books are attractive and written for a younger audience than the "Immigrant Experience" series (Chelsea) and "Footsteps to America" series (Macmillan), they are seriously flawed by inattention to detail. The map of eastern North America in The Germans misplaces cities and even includes "Ohio" as a city. Irish lists John Barry's dates as 175-1803; the title of Mary McCarthy's book is incorrectly given as Memoirs (instead of Memories) of a Catholic Girlhood. Annie Moore is described as "the first of over a million Irish who arrived in New York during the famine." Is it the Great Famine (1845-1850) mentioned on the previous page? Annie Moore is actually commemorated in statue as the first person to pass through Ellis Island when it opened on Jan. 1, 1892. The Poles incorrectly spells the name of the city Bydgoszcz on its map; Polish settlers to Jamestown disembarked from just one ship, the Mary and Margaret, not Mary and Margaret. A strong editorial hand was lacking in these series titles.-Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
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