Someone New

June 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 2-In this companion to I'm New Here, O'Brien conveys the confusing emotions, and how to conquer them, of those who are already inside a group when someone new arrives. Through three simple tales, readers see the story of how three different children formulate their thoughts and figure out how to welcome three new friends into their class. The text and vocabulary are very simple and sometimes interspersed with dialogue between characters to show exactly how one can be welcoming. The watercolor illustrations assist with the stories beautifully, showing exactly what the students are doing and how that can sometimes inaccurately represent their thoughts and emotions. O'Brien has taken great care in detailing her character's emotions, from nervousness to happiness, through facial expressions, body posture, and shading. Together, text and illustration combine to set a great example of creating connections and welcoming new members into a close-knit community. VERDICT A great book to help students of all ages understand how they can welcome new members into their classrooms and communities.-Margaret Kennelly, iSchool at Urbana-Champaign, IL

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2019
Guatemalan Maria, Korean Jin, and Somalian Fatimah appeared in I'm New Here. Now the focus is on their American classmates and how everyone benefits from interacting with the new kids. For instance, Jesse gets Maria to play on their soccer team, and she's "unstoppable." Watercolor and digital illustrations depict welcoming, diversely populated classrooms, and the simple text with speech balloons supports young readers. A note further discusses "connecting across differences."

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from June 1, 2018
In I'm New Here (2015), O'Brien told the story of three new immigrants from their perspectives. Here, she tells the same story from the perspectives of the peers who welcome them.Jesse, Jason, and Emma are struggling to connect with their new peers--Maria from Guatemala, Jin from South Korea, and Fatimah from Somalia--who seem so different from them. Jesse, a white boy, sees Maria watching his team play soccer. He wonders if she even knows how to play, thinking, "Our team is already great as it is. I don't want to mess it up." Jason, a black boy, wants to share his comics with Jin, but since Jin can't read or write English, Jason wishes he "had a superpower to help him." Emma, a white girl, tries to explain to Fatimah, who wears hijab, what's happening in class, but Fatimah does not understand. Each student uses a talent of theirs (soccer, writing, and drawing) to connect with their new classmate and make a friend. O'Brien's watercolor-and-digital illustrations again make effective use of white space to positively depict the students who are already "home" moving through discomfort and confusion to welcoming their new classmates. The author includes a note discussing intergroup anxiety, how to overcome it, and strategies for dissolving barriers. Informative and genuine, the book offers much to learn about connecting, expanding understanding, and overcoming differences--a great companion to the previous title. (Picture book. 5-10)

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