Off the Stacks is a weekly-ish feature where I highlight a nonfiction book I’m curious about but will probably run out of hours in the day to actually read. I’m hoping that by highlighting titles this way, I can encourage other people to give the book a try, and, if it’s great, consider nominating it later this year for the Indie Lit Awards. Consider these books stamped with the “Sophisticated Dorkiness Seal of Curious Approval.”
Title: The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens
Author: Brooke Hauser
Publisher: Free Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster
Nonfiction Type: Narrative nonfiction
Topics Covered: Immigration, high school, education
What It’s About: Journalist Brooke Hauser relates the stories of several students at International High School in Prospect Heights, a high school designed to teach English and other skills to recently-immigrated high school students and help them integrate into the U.S. Over the course of a year, Hauser follows the students as the face the competing pressures of learning to survive in America, learning to thrive in high school, and balancing the expectations from their families.
Why I Want to Read It: Eva (A Striped Armchair) posted a review of The New Kids this week and made me really curious to read it. I love narrative nonfiction, and I’m always curious about books that address immigration issues either directly or indirectly. This book seems like it combines the topics from two books I read and liked/loved, The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth by Alexandra Robbins and The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman.
Who Else Might Like It: Teachers, social scientists, people interested in immigration issues, narrative nonfiction junkies
Reviews: Kirkus Book Reviews |
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I definitely think this is a Kim book! And it’s a pretty fast read. 🙂
Nice, I love fast reads 🙂 The combo of a journalist author writing a narrative about high school just seems too perfect.
I am curious about this book. I have been doing really bad with non-fiction this year.
I hope my library has this one, otherwise I have to wait for paperback which is a bummer!
I saw Eva’s review too. I’d really like to read this book, but don’t think I’ll be able to for a while.
Same here, I have lots of books in the queue for October already.
I just read Eva’s review too, and am really eager to check it out. It does have all the themes that intrigue me.
I loved Eva’s review, it made me so curious about the book!
Hmm, this one actually looks like nonfiction I’d enjoy. Eva is a master (mastress? Never much liked mistress…) at making books sound intriguing, isn’t she? 🙂
Yes, she most definitely is! I haven’t read any really great narrative nonfiction in a few months, so this one caught my eye because of that too.