Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Saunders
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Funny story of immigrant teen facing culture shock in U.S.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
When THE FIELD GUIDE TO THE NORTH AMERICAN TEENAGER begins, Norris, a 14-year-old Black French Canadian, arrives in Austin, Texas, where his mother (who's divorced from Norris' dad) is starting a job as a linguistics professor. His cultural education on U.S. high schools comes from watching his mom's video collection of TV shows and movies from the 1980s and 1990s. His mom has promised they'll go back to Montreal if the transition doesn't work for him -- but he must try. He keeps a notebook of the habits of his schoolmates and teachers as if they were the subjects of an anthropology field study. Soon, despite himself, Norris adjusts to U.S. teen life. He gets a fast food job, makes friends, and pursues romantic interests. His life gets complicated when two different girls become rivals for his attention.
Is It Any Good?
Humorous and sensitive, this novel captures teen angst. Author Ben Philippe makes artistic choices that make The Field Guide to the North American Teenager a delight. First, his main character is a Black immigrant to the U.S., so his commentary on his experiences with racism can be detached without coming across as dismissive. It allows the author to present topics like "the talk" (that Black parents give children about police abuse and other discrimination) while keeping the central emotional focus on universal themes like social disaster at the prom, parental divorce, and being the new kid at school. Second, the "field guide" structure brings a lot of funny moments, as the reader laughs along with Norris' snarky comments and when his secret thoughts become known to some of his targets.
For this book, Philppe won the 2020 William C. Morris Award for debut YA novel, an annual award given by the the Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of the American Library Association.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the theme of fitting in The Field Guide to the North American Teenager. What are the different ways kids and adults try to make their place in Austin?
How did the field guide entries help tell the story?
What are some of the messages about immigration in The Field Guide to the North American Teenager?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Friendship , School ( High School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Balzer + Bray
- Publication date : July 8, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 13 - 18
- Number of pages : 372
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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