Patricia Reilly Giff

When thirteen-year-old Dina emigrates from Germany to America in 1871, her only wish is to return home as soon as she can, but as the months pass and she survives a multitude of hardships living with her uncle and his young wife and baby, she finds herself thinking of Brooklyn as her home.

Unhappy at school, Marilyn fantasizes about how much better life will be next year when she is in the second grade.