A young girl feels out of place on her first day of school in a new country until she discovers that it only takes one friend to make her new surroundings feel like home.

What do you see when you look in the mirror, Mei? Do you see beauty? We see eyes that point toward the sun, that give us the warmth and joy of a thousand rays when you smile. We see hair as inky black and smooth as a peaceful night sky. We see skin brushed with gold.

After leaving his village in southeastern China, twelve-year-old Sun is held at Angel Island, San Francisco, before being released to join his father, a merchant living in the area. Includes historical notes.

A girl from Ireland and a boy from Poland overcome the prejudices held by the residents of the small American town to which they have emigrated.

As a refugee from Sudan to the United States, Sangoel is frustrated that no one can pronounce his name correctly until he finds a clever way to solve the problem.

"Although Mel and his family have lived in America for several years, they have never celebrated Thanksgiving, just the Jewish holidays. But this year, after Papa wins a turkey at work, Mama invites all their relatives to their Brooklyn tenement for dinner. There's just one thing -- Mel has a soft spot for the turkey!"--

A young Somali American and his classmates design a model city to withstand floods, using river walls, floodgates, gutters, and rain gardens.

Rashin is an Iranian immigrant girl living in New York, excited by her first trip to Coney Island, and fascinated by the differences in the beach customs between her native Iran and her new home--but she misses the saffron flavored ice cream that she used to eat.

"A young girl misunderstands the word alien on her mother's Resident Alien Card and let's her imagination run wild, coming to the conclusion that her mother is from outer space. Includes author's note and glossary"--

"Lola was just a baby when her family left the Island, so when she has to draw it for a school assignment, she asks her family, friends, and neighbors about their memories of her homeland...and in the process, comes up with a new way of understanding her own heritage"--