A Place for Joey by Carol Flynn Harris (2001-08-01)

From the moment they arrived in America from Italy, Joey Calabro's parents have dreamed of moving to the country and buying a farm. But Joey can't imagine living anywhere but Boston's North End. He loves the sights, sounds and smells of the neighborhood, from the horse-drawn wagons rumbling over the cobbled streets to the smell of salty air from the waterfront. Secretly Joey plans to find a job and remain in the North End. One day, while playing hookey from school, he heads down to the docks looking for work. Ethnic tensions and Joey's part in a terrible disaster combine to help Joey find his own dream. Carol Harris's spirited and moving novel carries readers back to the immigrant world of early twentieth-century Boston. Read more