Imagine that you and your family are leaving the country you've so far grown up in, moving away from extended family and friends, and crossing the ocean to a place where they speak a different language. As you're waiting for the plane you get your first period. And your mother shares the news with the family members who are seeing you off.
What would be a nightmare for just about any 12-year-old girl is the real life experience of Lia, narrator of Cassandra Calin's The New Girl. Canada 🇨🇦 is very different from Romania. School is super challenging because of language. The scribbles teachers speak in are like the bwa bwa bwa bwa of the adults in Charlie Brown holiday specials. And to make the first day of school even worse her pesky little brother had an awesome time and already has weekend plans with friends.
But then things start getting better. Lia starts making friends, begins to understand French, and gets the chance to use her art skills on the school magazine.
Middle grade readers, especially those who have experienced challenging moves, will find The New Girl, based on Calin's experiences, truly engaging. It's a perfect blend of text and graphics. The characters' body language and facial expressions are outstanding.
On a purrrsonal note, the book brought back memories for me. When I was in high school I was signed up for a study abroad program where I'd stay with a family. At the last minute I was changed from England to Mexico despite not knowing a word of Spanish. If I live to 100 I'll never forget my first night experience of sitting in my family's living room, terrified of having an accident because I didn't know how to ask where the bathroom was. I solved the problem by drawing a picture of a toilet with a question Mark. And I ended up having a really good study abroad experience.
A great big shout out goes out to all who experience moves between nations.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
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