FREE: America Street: A Multicultural Anthology of Stories

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Mazer ( Moose Street ) presents a smorgasbord of multiethnic experiences with 14 slice-of-life stories featuring teens (mostly contemporary) whose parents or grandparents immigrated to the U.S. The sociocultural backgrounds of characters are diverse, yet all share the common goal of finding a place for themselves. Some (Toni Cade Bambara's Hazel Parker, a prize-winning runner in "Raymond's Run," and Gary Soto's day-dreaming Fausto, of "The No-Guitar Blues") strive to rise above the crowd and to be recognized for their abilities. Other protagonists are concerned primarily with blending in and remaining as inconspicuous as possible. For example, the narrator of Lensey Namioka's "The All-American Slurp" is mortified by her family's dining-room etiquette. In a similar vein, the heroine of Gish Jen's "The White Umbrella" wishes she were part of a more "American" family--until her loyalty for her mother is tested. The sometimes rib-tickling, sometimes wrenching incidents chronicled in this highly readable volume provide first-rate entertainment while shedding light on the unique struggles and dreams of first-, second- and third-generation Americans. Ages 10-up.