Santo and his family leave Italy for a better life in America. His father has arranged for them to make the voyage with plans to meet them in New York at Ellis Island. Of course, nothing goes to plan, and Santo is separated from his family. Not knowing what has happened to his family, he has to survive on his own and falls into life as a thief. He meets others in his situation and lives under the threat of being arrested if he doesn't please the leader of his gang. He later realizes that thieves can be found in all levels of society and that he is always expendable to them.

Readers will want to know the success of Santo's search for his family and what their stories were while separated.

The author describes the anxiousness and uncertainty of being an immigrant in Ellis Island and the corruption found in the legal system in New York of that period. The author's note offers nonfiction works that were used in research and that would supplement a reader's curiosity.

Thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books, Avi and NetGalley for this ARC.

I've read Avi before and have enjoyed his books very much. This time around, the reader side of me unfortunately can only rate Avi's latest as 2.5 stars rounded down to 2, although my librarian side leans a bit higher, as Avi is a very popular writer for children and many of them will probably like this book. But I could never quite get past Avi's choice regarding much his main character, Santo, be able to understand and speak English after literally coming off the boat from Italy. But among things I DID like in the novel was the harrowing experience for Santo and his family coming through Ellis Island, and I don't think I've ever seen any depiction of this, written or visual, geared for adults or for children, quite as powerful as the one provided by this book. Kudos as well for the great historical context and research provided in the book, and for not making everything turn out rosy and sweet as other authors might be tempted to do.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review of this book. Although this book didn't work for me, I do look forward to reading more from the author.

Santo’s bravery in difficult situations and his relentless pursuit of family are themes all throughout this book.
Avi’s story of a boy who is told of America’s wealth, dreams all the American dreams, and then realizes the reality of early 20th century immigration, is one I’ll definitely recommend to my students.

I really enjoyed this book- I think the action and fast pace will appeal to readers and I think kids will enjoy the amount of bad guys that he meets in America!

The year is 1905, and wanderlust for America has bitten a small Italian family. Dreams of streets paved with gold lure them across the Atlantic, a sentiment that's hard to resist for any history buff (and educator) like myself. Fictionalized journeys like these become portals to a bygone era, and Avi's "Lost in the Empire City" is no exception.

The adventure truly ignites at the end of chapter one, with a sentence that sparks pure intrigue: "That's the story I'm about to tell," declares eight-year-old (or maybe nine?) Santo. From here on out, each chapter concludes with a cliffhanger guaranteed to leave you scrambling to turn the page.

"Next to me, someone muttered, 'The island of tears!'"

"Barely noticing where we were going, I just followed."

"I didn't say anything. Because I couldn't speak."

"Everything was ordinary. Until it wasn't."

Avi's captivating prose whisks you away at lightning speed. Sure, there might be a lull here and there, but the overall experience is a thrilling one. Following young Santo's quest to find his Papa after their harrowing journey through Ellis Island is a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit. The bustling streets of New York City become a landscape of challenges, from navigating gangs of young thieves to witnessing the crimes of the privileged. Yet, Santo's unwavering love for his family propels him forward, never letting go of hope for a reunion.

I first read Avi's The Man Who Was Poe in the fourth grade when I went through a streak of historical fiction. I loved it. Lost in the Empire City is a great middle grade historical fiction piece about immigration, police corruption, and morally troubling decisions made in the face of poverty. The language is simple, yet effective and evocative; the desperation of Ellis Island is palpable. While I expected there predictable feel-good ending, I enjoyed the journey getting there. This is a great book for young readers with very short chapters and clear language.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's for this ARC!

Avi has been a favorite author since I was a little girl, and I'm so happy that he's still bringing stories to young people today. His stories weave so many elements together and draw the reader in, usually with a twist at the end. In this book, we follow Santo and his family on their journey from Italy to America. Naturally, things go awry and Santo is left to fend for himself in turn of the century New York City. Readers are exposed to many historic events and cultural elements, as the story teaches us how immigrants had to survive during this era. The juxtaposition of haves and have-nots in this era is also addressed. Finding the historic note at the end was a bonus lesson!

There is much to love about this middle grade book: putting real stories to immigration, a historical look at Ellis Island (albeit brief), and seeing what American has to "offer" as families look for a better life.

The plight of children in New York City is spelled out very well in this book, which highlights the life of Santo, whose father left him and he faced separation from his family after arriving in America.

Avi takes the reader through the streets of the Empire City as Santo fends for himself in search of his family and tries to navigate who are friends and who are foes.