Browse Delaware Authors: Waserstein, Aida

Amelia was a happy girl but she became sad and withdrawn when her parents separated. She felt that no one listened to her. Little by little, she learned to express her needs and things improved. By the end of the book, her parents are still divorcing but they all work together: they know that they are still a family even though they live in different houses. Amelia went back to her old self and things were much better.

My Name is Aida describes the journey of a 13-year-old Cuban-Jewish girl who left her home as an unaccompanied minor. She went to the United States by herself in 1961 through a program later known as "Pedro Pan". She studied, worked hard and eventually became a judge.The book depicts the child's feelings about leaving the only country she had known, her bewilderment in a new place where she did not know the language, and her adjustment to an unknown environment. She was distressed about feeling different but through her journey, she flourished. She learned that each person is unique and that being different is good. It helps to build a stronger more resilient society.