Journey to America

by Sonia Levitin

Book Overview

In 1938, Lisa Platt and her family know something dangerous is happening in Germany. Lately, there have been more and more restrictions for Jews: yellow stars they have to wear, schools they cannot attend, things they are forbidden to do. When their neighbors are arrested for petty reasons, the Platts realize they have to escape.

Forbidden to bring money or possessions out of the country, Lisa's father secretly leaves for America, planning...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689711301
• ISBN13: 9780689711305
• Release Date: April 1987
• Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.2" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Mother knows Best

This is a beautiful story about the sacrifices a courageous mother and her children make when survival is at stake when WW2 is on the horizon. Included is a loving family that had a completely different background who helped this mother and her children survive and make it safely to America. Personally I think it would be good for people of all ages to read this book.

Journey to America was wonderful

This was a great and funny, sad book. I think you should read it because it tells you about a family and what they went through to make it to America. They were also jews so that adds a little bit of harsh rudeness to the book because it tells how rude the Nazi's were. Please read the book.

journey to america

Lisa Plat and her family live in Berlin, Germany during a time of great Jewish persecution. Although not everyone agreed that all the Jews were in danger, Lisa and her family feared the future. Her father decided that it would be best for them to try and escape to America where they could live freely. However, due to lack of money and a place to live he would have to go ahead and send for his family later. Soon after arriving in America he sent word that Lisa, along with her mother and sisters would have to travel to Switzerland and wait there until further notice. They said goodbye to all of the people they loved and all the familiar things they new, to move to a strange place where they had little money, no decent shelter and no friends. Many months of struggle lay ahead for Lisa and her family but the outcome proves to be worthwhile. Even in the face of a life and death crisis, it takes a special kind of courage to leave everything, to face poverty and to begin again in wholly new surroundings. Journey to America is a children's book that I truly enjoyed. The reader feels as though they traveled back in time to the 1930's and walked in the shoes of a Jewish citizen of Germany in a time of Nazi domination. It helps the reader to understand the many hardships Jews faced and have a more clear comprehension of the true blessing of freedom. This is a story of triumph and success that will warm your heart and open your mind.

EXCELLENT!

This is a story about Lisa Platt and her Jewish family who lived in Berlin in 1938. As the war was getting more and more out of hand, her father went to America while her sisters, mother, and herself moved to Switzerland while awaiting for their tickets to America. It's truly a remarkable story of how they manage to survive. With so many new things happening, each chapter has many surprises. Once you start reading it, you'll be forced to continue. It is an excellent book!

I thought this was a great book!

What a great book! It flowed so well that there was not one part that didn't connect to the next. Although each scene was not action packed, I was never once bored reading it!! The book was well written, and it was not filled to the brim with information. It was a real story, not a textbook. To me it seemed that the author new what would make the story interesting and when, so this is one book that reallly kept me reading. I think that it is an enjoyable book, and I very highly recommend it to you!-Katharine Manning, American School In Japan, 6th grade.