Being “new” and being “different” are universal experiences. Then why do some find it hard to feel empathetic to the experience of immigrants and refugees? How can learning to be empathetic teach us to also be welcoming?
With a companion dialogue and activity kit, educators, librarians, parents and community leaders can use the book I’m New Here to support empathy and welcoming.
Watch one classroom’s reaction to the book and activities:
ENGAGE
Explore the Welcoming Kit for classrooms and communities here.
THE BOOK
I’m New Here
By Anne Sibley O’Brien
Published by Charlesbridge Publishing
ISBN 9781580896122
Age Range: 5 – 12
Maria is from Guatemala, Jin is from Korea, and Fatima is from Somalia. All three are new to their American elementary school, and each has trouble speaking, writing, and sharing ideas in English. Through self-determination and with encouragement from their peers and teachers, the students learn to feel confident and comfortable in their new school without losing a sense of their home country, language, and identity.
Young readers from all backgrounds will appreciate I’m New Here by Anne Sibley O’Brien (Charlesbridge Publishing) for its touching story about the assimilation of three immigrant students in a supportive school community.
Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Books of 2015
“Whether readers are new themselves or meeting those who are new, there are lessons to be learned here about perseverance, bravery, and inclusion, and O’Brien’s lessons are heartfelt and poetically rendered.”
—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review