Parents' Guide to

American Street

By Lucinda Dyer, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Raw and gritty immigrant story best for mature teens.

Book Ibi Zoboi Coming of Age 2017
American Street Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 15+

Based on 3 parent reviews

tobier
tobier Adult
September 26, 2018
age 13+

An exploration into a world I didn't know about

As someone who grew up in a safe, suburban, and wealthy town, this book let me glimpse into the lives that many people have to live through. An important book if you want your kids to have a look into cultures different then theirs. I made my rating 13+ despite the moderate use of profanity - your kids have heard all these words by middle school, and this book is not glorifying the way they are used. Censoring this book from their reading collection because of language would be censoring them from learning about the very real world presented in the story. Also, not to call out anyone in particular, but I do find it funny how a parent would find the swearing problematic, but not the violence.
1 person found this helpful.
RAL0608
RAL0608 Parent of 10 and 13-year-old
April 5, 2023
age 17+

Mature book not meant for kids

I wasn't a fan of this book. The story was decent but the author managed to make it 324 pages by adding a ton of inappropriate language and content. I did think the story was interesting at times, but overall it was too much swearing, teen drug and alcohol abuse, and violence for my taste, and definitely too much for my 8th grader.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In AMERICAN STREET, U.S.-born Fabiola and her Haitian mother decide to return to America in search of a better life. When her mother is detained by U.S. immigration and told she will be returned to Haiti, the teen goes on alone to her aunt's home in a gritty Detroit neighborhood. Fabiola immediately bonds with her cousin Chantal, who's enrolled in college and shares her love of books. Attending high school with her twin cousins Donna and Princess is another story. Donna has a drug-dealing boyfriend who physically abuses her, and Princess is a notorious brawler willing to fight both girls and boys. Desperate to help her mother, Fabiola agrees to a dangerous deal offered her by a police detective: provide evidence against Donna's boyfriend, and the police will do their best to see that her mother is able to stay in the U.S. Only then does Fabiola discover her aunt supports the family by dealing drugs and that her cousins' are involved in the family business.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (2):

This edgy and realistic novel takes an unflinching look at the new life a Haitian-raised teen girl tries to create for herself in a gritty Detroit neighborhood. Author Ibi Zoboi, who immigrated to the U.S. from Haiti when she was a child, is a gifted storyteller who has created a vivid and memorable cast of characters. But her novel is best suited for mature teens given the graphic storylines about family loyalties, drug dealing, and an abusive relationship. Readers should consider whether the merits of the writing outweigh any concerns about language and drug-related content.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the the challenges immigrants face in American Street. Do you have friends or family members who are immigrants? How have their lives changed since they came to the U.S.? What kinds of struggles have they faced?

  • How do you feel about the amount of swearing in American Street? Does it add to the realism or intrude upon the storytelling?

  • How many TV and film stars can you name who are from other countries but live and work in America?

Book Details

  • Author: Ibi Zoboi
  • Genre: Coming of Age
  • Topics: High School
  • Book type: Fiction
  • Publisher: Balzer + Bray
  • Publication date: February 14, 2017
  • Number of pages: 324
  • Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
  • Last updated: September 27, 2021

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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