George loved his secret Sunday spot, his big family, and Mama's fresh rye bread. But he did NOT like all the new talk about unfamiliar and faraway places. What would moving to America mean for George? How would he find the strength to face all the challenges ahead?
Stronger is the true story of George, a young boy who immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1893 (via the Red Star Line in Antwerp, Belgium). The book relays George's experience as an indentured servant in America. It explores themes of courage and overcoming adversity on a primary level.
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Stronger is not only George's story. During the 19th century alone, more than five million people left Germany for the New World. Today, German heritage is the largest self-reported ancestry group among Americans. With nearly 40 million citizens of this descent, Stronger is the origin story of many, many American families.
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Includes primary and secondary sources including historical photos, artifacts, maps, and timelines.
Lexile Range 610L-800L
George's Story:
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Copyright © 2022
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022911105
ISBN: 979-8-9864263-0-3
First Edition
Pamela Steinmetz Peckman has worked as a visual and written communicator throughout her professional life. She has created publications for many businesses, foundations, social impact ventures, and educational institutions, but this is her first children's book.
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Stronger is her family's migration story. The book recounts the life of her Bavarian great-grandfather, George Steinmetz, who arrived in America as an indentured servant when he was just a boy.
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Finding very few primary-level resources available about indentured servitude in the nineteenth century, she made it her mission to write a book about her family's origins. A picture book was the perfect vehicle to prompt conversations about family heritage and ancestry between generations.
George's journey embodies themes of strength and perseverance, but preserving his story was (ironically) challenged by historical and personal obstacles. The outbreak of a global pandemic in March 2020 and the onset of the Ukrainian war in February 2022 posed many challenges to the publication of the book. But the experience provided an opportunity to reflect more deeply on her ancestors' struggles. Stronger is a tribute to those who paved the way.
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Contact Pamela Steinmetz Peckman
Nastya Novozhilova is an artist from Moscow, Russia. She is a recent graduate of the Institute of Business & Design and is working toward her master’s degree in “The Art of the Book.” She has always loved drawing and is currently sharing her passion by teaching several sketching courses. She says creating illustrations for books gives her a “special, warm feeling.”
“I love the collaboration with the person who wrote the text. It feels like a conversation. Reading the words, you listen to the story, admire it and feel it. Then through the drawings, you convey exactly how that resonated in you as if you were responding directly to the author. It is a truly magical feeling."