Kathie M. Josephs (Children's Literature)
This is a collection--in their own words--of the life stories of ten young teenagers who have had to flee their country for a variety of reasons. Being a teenager is hard enough in everyday life, but when you are a refugee in a new country and new school each day is full of tension, stress, and, in some cases, fear. These young people are honest and full of emotion as they write from their hearts. I was amazed at their ability to draw the reader into their lives. Each story starts with a question or statement for the reader to think about while reading. For example, “The Swede” begins with “Per-Eric is a likable new student, but what he represents is something the local residents can’t stand.” The editor is a recipient of the ALAN Award for Outstanding Contributions to Young Adult Literature. He himself was an immigrant and has done an outstanding job in putting this anthology together. After reading this book, teens will never look at immigrants the same way. Social studies, history and language arts classes could use this particular book as a vehicle for writing assignments and learning more about innocent people caught in political uprisings and wars. 2004, Candlewick Press, $16.99. Ages 13 up.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2004 (Vol. 72, No. 19))
Gallo sets the stage-explaining the rationale for the book and presenting a short biographical sketch of the author after each story-for this well-meaning, uneven anthology. Some of the earlier stories read more like essays, explaining the characters' problems rather than working as successful fiction. Several of the stories do stand out as slices of life with real characters and a lightness of touch or depth of feeling that make them a pleasure to read. In Lensey Namioka's "They Don't Mean It!," Mary Wang and her friend Kim find out that Chinese customs don't translate easily into American culture. Alden Carter's "The Swede" gives readers a horrifying picture of the tormenting of a Swedish teen from the point of view of his American persecutor, while Rita Garcia-Williams illustrates the tensions between two Haitian girls in the ultimately hilarious "Make Maddie Mad." The anthology's stronger stories provide insights into human behavior and the universal experiences of being "different." Let's hope teens hang on till they get to them. 2004, Candlewick, 240p, $16.99. Category: Fiction. Ages 13 up. © 2004 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Kristin Fletcher-Spear (Library Media Connection, January 2005)
In this diverse short story collection, Donald Gallo has gathered 10 fictional tales of teen immigrants. Each story focuses on the challenges immigrants face on American soil. As with many short story collections, some stories are stronger than others. In one story, Pam Munoz Ryan describes Marco's fears of crossing the Mexico/United States border for the first time. There is humor in the stories as well as the realistic challenges the teens must overcome. All the stories are very well written and engaging, but the topic has limited appeal with teens. Additional Selection. 2004, Candlewick Press, 224pp., $16.99 hc. Ages 12 to 18.

F. Todd Goodson (The ALAN Review, Fall 2004 (Vol. 32, No. 1))
Gallo's latest collection of short fiction examines the immigration experience from the perspectives of teen-agers from ten cultural groups. First Crossing offers a variety of immigration stories. We have Ameen, a Palestinian working to gain the respect of his teammates necessary to play varsity quarterback. We have Marco, a Mexican boy making his first trip to America to work with his father. And we have Maya, a girl from Kazakhstan whose family's immigration was sponsored by an aunt who married an American through an international dating magazine. Other stories feature protagonists from Venezuela, China, Romania, Sweden, Korea, Haiti, and Cambodia. Authors in this collection include Pam Munoz Ryan, Alden Carter, and Lensey Namioka. First Crossing is an invaluable resource for the contemporary middle school and high school classroom. The stories explore the challenges and possibilities faced by young people as their first cultures collide with the dominant American culture, and it offers a clear sense of empathy and shared humanity. This collection offers realistic situations and characters and should help contemporary adolescents better understand complex cultural dynamics. Category: Short Stories/Immigration. YA--Young Adult. 2004, Candlewick Press, 224 pp., $16.99. Ages young adult.Manhattan, KS

Karen Coats (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, March 2005 (Vol. 58, No. 7))
The identity issues, first loves, power struggles, and misunderstandings endemic to being a teen are difficult enough, but some kids have to negotiate an entirely new homeland on top of them. These stories bring this experience to readers in challenging and powerful ways. A Palestinian boy wants to play quarterback on a mostly white team with post-9/11 prejudices, a Venezuelan girl is forced to leave home and boyfriend due to political unrest, and a Romanian boy is welcomed into the Goth culture of his high school on the belief that he just may be a vampire. In such stories, typical teen concerns of peer acceptance and negotiating the identity nexus are heightened and magnified by the problems of living in a second culture. The authors in this collection (mostly well-known names, such as Pam Muloz Ryan and Lensey Namioka) offer up a complex array of custom and attitudinal adjustments that crossing cultures entails while they maintain an authentic teen vision--mostly highlighting the exasperation of having limited power over image management. They don't shy away from more difficult issues--the bitterness, for instance, of a Korean adoptee's discovery that her birth family is only interested in her American parents' wealth, the brutality of high-school boys taking out the aggressions of their corporately employed fathers on the son of one of their new Swedish managers, and the terrors of border crossing for a Mexican boy trying to help his family financially. Each story shows a teen finding the sort of power he or she needs, whether it be internal mettle, patience, or wry acceptance. The short-story format and multinational focus make this a boon for second-culture classrooms; the frank and edgy honesty makes for a timely read for others directly familiar with such experiences, and for those welcoming (or not) second-culture peers into their lives. Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2005, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2004, Candlewick, 224p, $16.99. Grades 7-10.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2005)
Although it has selections by some well-known writers, including Pam Muñoz Ryan, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Lensey Namioka, this anthology of ten stories about young immigrants (from Mexico, Haiti, Korea, Venezuela, Cambodia, and elsewhere) is uneven--some stories are purposeful and didactic, while others, such as Minfong Ho's contribution, are haunting and passionate. Category: Nonfiction-Literature. 2004, Candlewick, 227pp, 16.99. Ages 14 to 18. Rating: 4: Recommended, with minor flaws.

Leslie Carter (VOYA, October 2004 (Vol. 27, No. 4))
Many well-known writers for teens, including Pam Muñoz Ryan, Rita Williams Garcia, and Lensey Namioka, contributed stories for this book about the obstacles facing young people who immigrate to the United States. Most stories read more like personal narratives than short stories. One boy tells of crossing the U.S./Mexican border under the hood of a car, hovering just above the engine. A girl expresses the pain of trying to fit in when her parents will never understand the cultural differences between the old country and America. Although interesting, these narratives do not captivate the reader with the power and focus of a well-written short story. Two of them, however, stand out. The Swede by Alden R. Carter is the only story written from the point of view of an American youth watching the outsider trying to cope. Here a Swedish newcomer is greeted with hostility because his presence is a reminder of the sale of the local paper plant to a Swedish company, an act that means layoffs for many town residents. A group of boys, including the narrator, decide to teach him a lesson. The Green Armchair by Minfong Ho tells of a Cambodian girl whose family fled to America to escape the Communists. A third generation Irish-American boy befriends her, and his reverence for his grandfather's memory helps her see how she can have her grandmother with her by keeping alive her gift of dance. Composed around the refinishing of an overstuffed armchair, this story promises renewal. This book will easily make its way into ESL classes and will provide a bridge for American youth trying to understand students from other countries. VOYA CODES: 3Q 3P M J S (Readable without serious defects; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2004, Candlewick, 240p., $16.99. Ages 11 to 18.