New Kids: Big Dreams & Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens

Mon, 3 Feb 2025 14:20:00 GMT

The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens

Book Being Reviewed:

Hauser, B. (2011). The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens. Atria.

Reviewer:

Katherine Wood

Genre:

Non-Fiction - Adult

Subject Headings:

Multicultural/cross-cultural issues

Review:

The focus of Hauser's book was to highlight students at an International High School in Brooklyn, NY. The book is divided into three sections, following the lives of students, teachers, and support staff as they navigate the school year. The book begins with explaining how the new students navigate their first day at the high school, with the various cultural distinguishers, differences in dress, and the multitude of languages spoken as the students attend this international school. As the book progresses, the reader is provided insights in the academic challenges of learning new language and its nuances, the school's admissions policies and how they serve multi-language learners, and the reasons the students are attending the school. The book dives into the daily obstacles of navigating New York's streets, with the living and economic conditions being a highlight. Issues of arranged marriage, constraints of financial aid for college, cultural gender roles, school connection and engagement, past traumas, financial hardships, family responsibilities, and others are all discussed within Hauser's book. As counselors, this book can help to understand the barriers that these students and their families face, while also discovering the resilience and determination that these students possess. New Kids also highlights the systemic needs of this population, which is helpful within the scope of both school and mental health counseling. This book allows the reader a glimpse into the life of these teens and those that are supporting them.