Inspired by the author's widely acclaimed New York Times article, The New Kids is immersion reporting at its most compelling. Brooke Hauser takes us deep inside a unique New York City high school over the course of a year as she follows diverse newcomers whose lives are at once ordinary and extraordinary, international headlines brought to life. No native English-speaking students attend the International High School, and more than twenty-eight languages fill the halls. The students in this modern-day Babel apply to college, fall in love, and rebel against their families like normal teenagers, but many deal with enormous obstacles - traumas and wars in their countries of origin that haunt them and pressures from their cultures to marry or drop out and go to work.
"rich, extraordinarily moving" - Parade, "Parade Picks"
"...a refreshing reminder of the hurdles newcomers to this country still face and how many defy the odds to overcome them." - The New York Times
"...both fascinating and emotionally touching..." - Publishers Weekly
"Hauser provides a clear view into the mindset of immigrant teenagers...she succeeds in telling a story about people rather than a school. Highly recommended." - Library Journal
"...enlightening, highly readable...A good choice for teens studying the issue of immigration reform." - Booklist
"The extraordinary personal stories will draw teens into the issues of education, immigration and international relations that the book illuminates." - School Library Journal
"Detailed and poignant...a beautifully written narrative featuring heartwarming, humorous and inspirational glimpses at the unique lives of America's modern immigrant...Hauser effortlessly captures the students' struggles and triumphs...offers a fresh perspective on a place and time in life that most all can relate to." - Differences Magazine
"an inspiring and illuminating read…incredible." - Parenture.com
"This wonderful book connects us to the complexity, intensity and liveliness of refugee and immigrant teenagers. Hauser is masterful at storytelling. New American High is a must read for anyone interested in teaching, teens, or our new America. It does what the best writing does: it increases our moral imaginations." - Mary Pipher, author of Reviving Ophelia