Red Glass by Laura Resau

Sophie's family adopts a five year old Mexican immigrant boy who is without any family. They eventually discover that he still has grandparents there. Sophie and her Aunt Dika, from Bosnia, Aunt Dika's boyfriend, and his grandson Angel set off on a cross country journey to return Pablo to his relatives. Sophie is a worrier and afraid of everything, so this is a courageous adventure for her. On the trip, she and Angel fall in love. Lorenzo, Aunt Dika's boyfriend, and Angel return to Guatamala to try and recover some jewelry of Angel's mothers. When they do not return, Sophie realizes they are in trouble and manages through many very dangerous circumstances to find them and bring them home.

Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate

Kek is a new immigrant from Africa whose family was killed in a raid on their village.  He comes to stay with relatives in Minnesota where he learns about snow, school, grocery stores, and buses.  He goes to an ESL class where he meets a girl named Hannah.  They become friends and Hannah helps him learn about America.  Kek has been a herder of cows in his country.  As he comes to Minnesota he sees a cow in the country and later goes to the farm and gets a job taking care of the cow.  When the lady who owns the farm decides she must sell, Kek and his friends take the cow to the petting zoo.  The book is written in free verse and has wonderful examples of similies, metaphors and other figures of speech.  Metaphors and similes pp. 34-35, p. 127.  Washing dishes story on p. 95 is very funny.