"My Name is Sangoel" by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed tells how a boy forced from his homeland learns he will not lose his identity.

Some people choose to immigrate. Some, under duress of war or persecution, have no choice. Especially for children, immigration can be intimidating and difficult.

Exploring such issues with children who've never experienced those traumas helps to broaden their perspective and instill a compassionate, empathetic point of view.

Today's reviewed books offer just that. Search out others to share with the children in your charge. True compassion and empathy extends to both those we know and those we don't know, and the more we help children see that, the better off the world will be.

The following book is available at many public libraries.<B>"Landed" </B>by Milly Lee, illustrated by Yangsook Choi, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 40 pages; read aloud: age 8 and older; read yourself: age 8 and older.On the day of Sun's 12th birthday, his father tells him that their Chinese village is small, and that "we must go where there are more opportunities I will take you with me to America."Sun is excited, but his father warns him that the passage to America won't be easy. Sun will be detained, perhaps for a long time, at a place called Angel Island where he will be interrogated with questions and tests to verify that he really is his father's son."One wrong answer, and you might be sent back to China," his father tells him.Sun studies hard in preparation for his journey, and once on Angel Island he continues to drill himself on the questions and answers he has memorized, but the one thing that was most difficult for Sun was direction. If only he had a compass to help him.Beautifully written and based on a true story, "Landed" recounts the intense and dramatic Chinese immigration to the United States for more than 60 years.

<B>Library:</B> Butler Public Library, 218 N. McKean St.<B>Library Director:</B> Lori Campbell<B>Youth Services Librarian:</B> Cora Ferraro<B>Choices this week: "I Love You All Day Long"</B> by Francesca Rusackas; <B>"The Mouse and the Motorcycle"</B> by Beverly Cleary; "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The following books are available at favorite bookstores.<B>"The Day of the Pelican"</B> by Katherine Paterson, Clarion, 2009, 145 pages, $16 hardcover; read aloud: age 12 and older; read yourself: age 12 and older.Meli and her family are Albanians living in Kosovo where war is raging.As tensions escalate, Meli and her family are in greater peril. When her brother goes missing, they fear the worst capture by Serbian oppressors which could mean certain death.When tensions mounting, the family is forced to flee its home and become refugees. Living in crowded tents, battling cold and hunger and the constant threat of death, the family is on the run.One day, Meli's father announces their final move to a country far away where they will be free at last.Beautifully rendered, "The Day of the Pelican" provides a sensitive look at some of the real hardships refugees face and the courage it takes to carry on.<B>"My Name is Sangoel"</B> by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed, illustrated by Catherine Stock, Eerdmans, 2009, 32 pages, $17 hardcover; read aloud: age 6 and older; read yourself: age 8 and older.Sangoel's father had been killed in the war in Sudan. Like countless others, Sangoel, his mother and sister had to escape from the fighting. Sangoel and his family were from the Dinka tribe, but they no longer had a home or a country, and like many Dinka, lived in a refugee camp.At long last, Sangoel and his family were leaving the refugee camp and going to a new home in America. It was a bittersweet moment, for Sangoel knew he'd never see his friends again. He also worried what his life would be like in America.The old Wise One from the refugee camp told him no matter where Sangoel went, he'd always be a Dinka and he'd always be Sangoel, even in America. Sangoel clung to that belief, and in time, he learned how to make others understand.Beautifully written and illustrated, this sensitive story reflects the importance of respecting each individual's identity and provides a small window for children to grasp what it might be like to be a refugee.Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature. She can be reached via e-mail: kendal@sunlink.net.

"The Day of the Pelican" by Katherine Paterson tells the story of a family's exit from war-torn Kosovo.