Coolies
Illustrator
Chris K. Soentpiet
Publisher
Philomel Books
Publication Year
2001
ISBN
9780399232275
Genre
historical
Format
picture book
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
A young boy hears the story of his great-great-great-grandfather and his brother who came to the United States to make a better life for themselves helping to build the transcontinental railroad.
Grade Level
K-3
Lexile Measure
AD870L
Diversity Topics
Family Relationships; Culture/Ethnicity; Racial Diversity; Single parent; Langauge barrier; Immigrants and refugees; Race discrimination; single mother; learning a new langauge; family separation; resettlement; prejudice
Main Character
adult male
Race/Ethnicities
Asian (Chinese)
Family Formation
mother
Awards
Asian Pacific American Award for Literature, 2001-2003, Honorable Mention, Illustration
International Reading Association Children's Book Award, 2002, Winner, Intermediate (Fiction)
Parents' Choice Award, 2001, Gold, Picture Book
Kirkus Book Review Stars, 2001
Notable Children's Books, 2002 Younger Reader
Keywords
transcontinental railroad; brothers; ship; travel; unequal pay; dangerous; strike
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
., Yin, "Coolies" (2001). Diverse Families. 1860.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/1860