Ad lit.org: Reading Discussion Guide: Hello, America by Livia Bitton Jackson

Eighteen-year-old Elli has a number tattooed onto her arm. It is an indelible remnant of a terrifying past a life lived, for many years, in the death camp of Auschwitz. When Elli arrives in New York City, she can not speak English, and has no high school diploma and very little money. What Elli does have, however, is courage, perseverance, and a loving family. Elli's challenges in her adopted home are great. She must not only acclimate herself to a whole new culture but, more importantly, must acclimate herself to life outside of a concentration camp. With the help of family and new friends, Elli, like the proverbial phoenix, rises from the ashes of a world torn asunder, to face, and ultimately embrace, a new life in a new land.