American Street

When Fabiola Toussant and her mother are moving from Haiti to Detroit to live with her aunt and cousins, her mother is detained by immigration in New York, and Fabiola must make her way alone. As she learns to navigate her new world, she must deal with cultural differences and gang life while she fights for herself, her mother’s freedom, and her cousins’ safety. This engaging novel for grades 10-12 deals with issues of immigration, culture, police interaction with youth of colour, religion, and gangs, and would be suitable for a novel study or literature circle, and to launch lively discussions of these issues. Some social considerations noted.