75.The New Kids by Brooke Hauser
The author of this book followed a number of students and teachers through a year at International High School in Brooklyn. International is a unique school in that all the students enrolled there are recent emigrants with limited to no English language skills. I went into it expecting to read something slightly different. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the cover on it being used to promote purchase of the book indicated that it was along the same lines as the book “There are No Children Here”, which I read and loved. That book however is a heartbreaking story of how the system is failing our children. Although there are many heartbreaking stories in this book they are the stories of the students lives outside of the school. Far from failing its students, based on this book at least, International High School seems to be a case where the system is doing anything but failing its students. It appears to be going above and beyond to help these students succeed. That is not to say that it isn’t a good book because it is, it just wasn’t what I was expecting based on the promotional blurb on the cover. The students profiled in the book do have some heartbreaking stories and challenging circumstances, but it was nice for a change to read about how a school is actually working to change their lives for the better instead of failing them. I give it a 7 out of 10.
Around the Year in 100 Books 