Books in American Dreams series

Have you ever been “the new girl”? Everyone feels like an outsider sometimes, but when you move to America from Holland, you really are the new girl.Iris Beekman is finally getting used to having divorced parents when her mom informs them all that she’s taken a teaching job in America. The panic attacks Iris has had since Dad left start up again, and her older brother Pim makes it clear to everyone that he’s not happy about the move. But with their beloved grandma in tow, Iris and her siblings move to California with their mom to start a new life. In America, Iris meets new friends, goes on a field trip to the Golden Gate Bridge, dresses up for Halloween for the first time, and joins an after-school committee to help plan the winter dance. But even as things are falling into place for her, they’re falling apart for her brother. Pim hides in his room, sulks around the neighborhood, and gets into trouble with the police on Halloween night. And just when Iris thinks things can’t get any worse, Pim decides it’s time to start scheming about how they can get their parents back together. Will Pim get his three-part plan to reunite their parents off the ground in time to break up Dad and his girlfriend? Will Iris be able to keep her anxiety in check when Mom starts dating a fellow college professor? And will the family pull together or fall apart when tragedy strikes? Follow Iris as she goes in search of her American Dream.(This series is perfect for middle grade readers and those who love the 'American Girl' books, but its family topics and real-life drama make it a solid read for all ages!)

By the time Mai Nakahara’s family leaves Tokyo to help run her aunt and uncle’s restaurant in Hawaii, she’s pretty much gotten used to living without the arm she lost to cancer. But life in Honolulu presents its own challenges: a giant ocean she’s too afraid to swim in, mean girls to ignore, and horrible sports to play in gym class. Fortunately, there are also some good things about her new home, and with the help of her cousin, her new friends, and a famous one-armed surfer named Chloe Hayes, Mai discovers that the only real obstacle to her own happiness is believing in herself.

Two weeks before school starts, Meg Pryor takes a job filling in as a waitress at a café near Penn State. The coffeehouse is always filled with young artists, and Meg enjoys getting to know the customers and listening to their ideas. After spending time with activists like Drew and the hip kids on American Bandstand, Meg finds the calm, introverted poets, philosophers, and intellectuals she meets refreshing. She's especially intrigued by Greg Carver, a brilliant and gorgeous college sophomore. When the café might be forced to shut down, the regulars are disappointed. Greg sees it as just another example of "the man" inevitably pushing freethinkers out of the way. Meg almost believes him, until her family reminds her that one person can make a difference. She doesn't know if she can fight City Hall and win, but she has to try....

Meg Pryor is about to give up on trying to come up with the perfect plan for her date with Drew when she notices a flier for the annual St. Catherine's Spring Fair. Meg can't imagine a better night than cuddling with Drew on the Ferris wheel, and despite her best friend Roxanne's warning that a college guy might not be thrilled about attending a church fair, Meg has her heart set on going -- after all, the Pryors have gone every year since before Meg was born, and she's not going to miss it. Meg is devastated to learn that the fair is in danger of closing unless attendance picks up -- and with Bob Dylan playing in town, things don't look good for St. Catherine's. Meg is determined to find a way to save the fair. But with American Bandstand commitments, boyfriend dilemmas, and a best friend who is always getting her into trouble, will Meg be able to impress Drew and save the fair?