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The New Kids

Big Dreams, Brave Journeys—Immigrant Teens Coming of Age in the U.S.A.
by Brooke Hauser
The New Kids: Big Dreams, Brave Journeys—Immigrant Teens Coming of Age in the U.S.A. Free Pr: S. & S. Sept. 2011. c.304p. bibliog. ISBN 9781439163283. $26. ED
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After writing "This Strange Thing Called Prom" for the New York Times in 2008, Hauser spent an entire school year at the International School in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, and here gives readers a sense of how students from varied cultures deal with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. There's Ngawang, who escaped Tibet in a suitcase; Jessica Tan, abandoned by her step-family after arriving in America; Chit-Su, the only student at International who speaks Burmese; and Mohamed Bah, plucked from near poverty in Sierra Leone and determined to become an American citizen. Hauser's writing resonates with the message she forwards, which is epitomized by International and its cohorts: "Keep hope breathing."
VERDICT Though the narrative can get bogged down in detail, Hauser provides a clear view into the mindset of immigrant teenagers. In doing so, she succeeds in telling a story about people rather than a school. Highly recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 3/28/11, as New American High.]
Reviewed by Karen McCoy, Fort Lewis Coll. Lib., Durango, CO , Jul 01, 2011
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