ESOL Teachers

From School Library Journal Grade 7 Up–Covering a wide range of cultural and economical backgrounds, these stories by 11 well-known authors touch on a variety of teen experiences, with enough attitude and heartfelt angst to speak to young adults anywhere. In Pam Muñoz Ryan's "First Crossing," a boy experiences the risks of being smuggled across the Mexican border. Marie G. Lee's "The Rose of Sharon" describes a spoiled girl's animosity toward her adoptive parents and her desire to return to Korea to find her birth family. In Jean Davies Okimoto's "My Favorite Chaperone," an immigrant from Kazakhstan describes her relationship with her conservative parents, who rely on her to translate for them but still limit her freedom. Many of the stories open with a brief description of the country the family is leaving, or the lifestyle they flee; details that set a foundation for the teens' achievements and relationships. There's the chronic irony of children shrugging off anchors from their homeland while laden with guilt to respect the traditions that their parents cling to; they're caught in a conflict of change, assuming responsibility while remaining obediently subordinate. These selections will provide teachers with a wealth of material to use in multicultural literature units.–Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY

“Making friends was the hardest part for me, I don’t like to be lonely or anything, so I was so scared about making friends,” Alemayhu said.