America the Beautiful

Two of the new books in the library deal with the lives of teens who came to the U.S. with their families to pursue the "American Dream."

In Girl in Translation Kimberly Chang must first deal with basic survival. She and her mother are virtual slaves in a garment factory (yes, there are still sweatshops in the U.S.) and they work and live in appalling conditions. Everything depends on Kimberly's success in school. Told in the first person, the story reveals Kim's gifts and challenges--she's good in math but struggles with her English and with the ridicule of her classmates. How and why does she keep going? Can she still be a teen and find friends and love? Author Jean Kwok speaks as one who was herself an immigrant. She movingly conveys the dreams, failings and sacrifice of this one immigrant family and community.

The second book, Crossing, also is a first-person account, in this case of ninth-grader Xing Xu, who tries desperately to fit into his high school, to avoid the bullies and endless cracks about his accent and his appearance. He has only one friend, Naomi Lee, who wants him to open up, speak to his teachers and classmates, and, in so doing, to stop being so weird. Life, though, is not particularly fair for Xing. His father was killed by a hit-and-run driver; his mother is clinically depressed; they are poor; no one understands him. Things change for Xing, however, as several students mysteriously disappear. What has happened to them? How does it affect Xing? Author Andrew Fukuda grippingly evokes Xing's growing frustration, confusion, loneliness, and ultimately the enormous consequences for this kid who just doesn't fit in.