I'm New Here

I'm New Here is a heartwarming story about three children who are new to the United States, and their hard work to adjust and build new friendships. I really enjoyed how the author helped the reader understand how difficult it is to start over in a foreign place. Each new child thrived at a task in their home country and now find it difficult. Also, it really is a universal idea that it is hard being the new kid in school. I feel that this book could really help students learn some empathy and understanding to those who are different.The illustrations are very cute and descriptive, helping the story along beautifully. For example, Jin, who is from Korea, loved writing and did it very well when writing in Korean. This is illustrated with show more him writing in Korean with a thought cloud of his story and the story's actions floating above Jin's head. But when he is learning the English alphabet, the letters are distorted, large, and unintelligible. Just from those two illustrations, we really feel how overwhelmed Jin feels. Overall, I really loved this book. I think that it is meant for grades k-3, but I also think every age could benefit from reading I'm New Here. show less

This book is about students from foreign places coming to the United States. Each of the students portrayed are new to this country and that presents challenges for these students to overcome; for example, the language, customs, and people are all challenges for the students to adjust to and overcome. These students feel alone, confused, and sad when they first arrive due to them feeling as if they do not "fit in" or "cannot find their place", but they quickly realize there is a place for them; Other students begin to help them with language struggles and in other areas of the classroom; Friends start becoming easier to find, and the students begin to find their "place" in the community. The illustration in this book was strongly show more diversified which is strong at showing how regardless if who we are, we are all people and face challenges; we can all learn from each other. I truly enjoyed this book and recommend it for class read-alouds. show less

This shows young children how it feels to be new in America. It is so nice as it shows both viewpoints --- new student from another country, and the class. Jin, Fatimah, and Maria move from different countries to be confused and not feel like they fit in anymore. "Back home, I was part of the class. I knew just what to do. I fit in like one of the many starts in the night sky." The story is simple and profound. There are similes and metaphors that help explain the feelings of the children. The audio version has several voices, different languages, and impacts the story in a wonderful way. Important for today's classroom.

I absolutely loved this book! This book really embraces the cultural differences we have in the world. In my opinion this is a great book to have in a early elementary classroom. This will really be an eye opener for students who aren't very familiar with the culture backgrounds. As well, this will allow for those new learners to feel included and accepted in the classroom. The language in the book was clear and conveyed. The language throughout the book included bilingual text of Korean, Spanish, and Arabic. The writing engaged and flowed well through out the story. The characters in the story were well-developed it felt as a real life story. This happens all the time in classroom where students are new for the first time. The point of show more view was in first person there were bubble boxes included in the characters picture. The plot of the story was based on a three students who were new to America. These students felt out of place and wanted to feel accepted by the students. The illustrations really enhanced the stories plot. In this particular book the pictures really show a message. If the student has a hard time reading words they can easily imagine what the story is trying to tell you by looking at the pictures. The book pushes readers to think about these real life issues. This happens in almost all schools in America! The message of this book is to really be kind and accepting to the new students who come from a different country to America. show less

Maria, Jim, and Fatimah are new here. Adapting to life in America is tough. Maria comes from Guatemala and struggles with the language barrier to make friends. I giggled so much with the page where we see how English words sound to her: Mai Tern (my turn) and Kum Awn (come on). I can definitely relate to epiphanies learning the real words to a lot of song lyrics or tv characters I knew growing up.
Jin comes from Korea and Famtimah is from Somalia. Through the watercolor illustrations, we see their perspective of speech, writing and even cultural behavior. I loved how we see the big impact teachers and classmates have and learn about acceptance and friendship. It reminded me a lot to the Social Justice article we read.

It is not easy being the new kid in class. I am sure many people can relate to the feeling of being surrounded by new people and feeling alone. “I’m New Here” by Anne Sibley O’Brien tells the challenges and obstacles those who move to a different country go through. The story focuses on three children who are new to America- Jin from Korea, Fatimah from Somalia, and Maria from Guatemala. They have to learn a new language, culture, and make new friends. Although they start off apprehensive and confused, eventually with the help of their classmates, they find their place. The story ends by saying, “Here there are new beginnings. Here there is a place for me. Here is a new home.”

This story is has to be one of my favorites. I show more loved being able to see the percpectives of three different children from three different countries. The story is short and simple, but is told in such a wonderful way. I absolutely loved the illustrations. The pictures look realistic and show the emotions of the characters perfectly. When Maria wanted to play soccer one of the illustrations show other students speaking with words that looks like they are in a different language. But it is actually English. “Kum awn”, “Mai tern”, “Kot Ya” meaning “Come on”, “My turn”, and “Caught Ya”. This allows the readers to see the confusion people who are new to a country have with language. When reading this book to children, an idea is to have the students see if they know what those words are saying. Overall, I loved this book. Considering there are many newcomers, it is important to read this to children. The story helps children understand the struggle new students have. It also shows them that helping those who are new will lead them to feeling welcomed and finding their place. show less

I shared this book in my classroom, and the students really enjoyed it. One of the characters made me think of one of my son's friends in San Diego, where there is a large group of immigrants from Somalia. The other characters remind me of different ESL students I've had over the years. I really like how the author shows us the struggles newcomers face when they come to this country. The book also shows us that even when people are from other cultures, we are all human so we are more alike than different.