Lost in the Empire City
HarperCollins · Hardcover · October 29, 2024
Newbery Medalist Avi is back with a gripping exploration of the immigrant experience at the turn of the twentieth century.
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- Who it’s for
- A child’s search for family brings turn-of-the-century immigration into sharp, street-level focus.
- Themes
- Immigrant experience, Family separation and reunion, Survival on the streets
- Pacing
- Fast
Nearest books
Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved. Most of these share its genre: Immigration & Moving.
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Outsider Kids: a Parachute Kids Graphic Novel (parachute Kids #2)Betty C. Tang50% match
To the Other SideErika Meza53% match
A Sea of Lemon TreesMaría Dolores Águila53% matchAlso shares 20th-Century U.S.
Finally SeenKelly Yang53% match
For older readers: Indivisible, Under a Painted Sky, Frontera
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Start with this bookAbout this book
Newbery Medalist Avi is back with a gripping exploration of the immigrant experience at the turn of the twentieth century. A must-read for fans of Moon over Manifest and Echo Mountain. When Santo’s father left their tiny town in Italy for America, he made Santo promise to keep their family together until he has enough money to bring the rest of them to the US. It takes a few years, but Mama finally gets word that their family can join Papa.
Continue reading
Santo couldn’t be more excited to go to America—and to see his father again. However, Santo gets separated from his mother and siblings at Ellis Island, and he is left to fend for himself on the mean streets of Manhattan. Santo doesn’t speak English, he doesn’t know anyone, and he has nowhere to go. He has no money and no help. While searching desperately for a clue as to where his family has gone, Santo gets caught up with a gang of boys who steal to stay alive. But when an unexpected betrayal leaves Santo scrambling, it will take all the street smarts he’s gained to find a way back to his family.
A City of Uncertainties
A child’s search for family brings turn-of-the-century immigration into sharp, street-level focus.
Come here for
- A historical story shaped by separation, family ties, and starting over
- Santo navigating Manhattan without English or a place to turn
Expect
- An urgent, immersive path through a child’s disorientation
- Hard choices and street smarts in the search for family
Where it sits
| Immigration & Moving | 77% |
|---|---|
| 20th-Century U.S. | 56% |
| Homelessness & Poverty | 26% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Action & Adventure
- Survival Stories
- Boys & Men
- Parent-Child Stories
Show all 8 publisher categories
- 20th-Century U.S.
- Law & Crime Stories
- City & Town Life
- U.S. Stories
- Authors
- Avi
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- October 29, 2024
- Format
- Hardcover
- Theme
- Immigrant experience · Family separation and reunion · Survival on the streets
- Reading lane
- Action & Adventure