Streets of Gold

Rosemary Wells
Illustrated by Dan Andreasen

Twelve year old Mary Antin, along with her family, traveled from Russia hoping to being a better life in the United States. The year was 1894, and the Antins were Russian Jews who had escaped the hardships of religious persecution.

As a young child, Mary wrote a long letter to relative left behind in Russia, and shared details of their new life - the success, the struggles, the joys and the tears. Years later, Mary enlarged on that first long letter to write a book of her experience as a young Russian girl, living under the hardships imposed upon Jews in Russia, to a young immigrant building a life in Boston.

Her book, The Promised Land, serves as the basis for author Rosemary Wells’ book, Streets of Gold. Ms. Wells has taken Mary’s story and adapted it into a shorter version for today’s young readers. Streets of Gold is presented in an episode format, so each page represents snippets from Mary’s young life.

At the same time, words from Mary’s original book are included on each page so readers have the opportunity to read Ms. Wells’ adaptation while also reading Mary’s prose.

The illustrations, by Dan Andreasen, are warm and engaging and provide a pictorial journal of Mary’s life. Streets of Gold is a must read for anyone who wants to understand religious persecution and immigration through a child’s eyes.


BIBLIO: 1998, Scholastic, Ages 7 to 10, $16.95
REVIEWER: Debby Willett
FORMAT: Picture Book
ISBN: 0590374877
REVIEWED FOR: Christian Library Journal, Fall 2000, Print Version