Just after World War I, Rosina and her family leave Italy and sail to America, land of opportunity. But when they settle in New York, American girls make fun of Rosie's dress, her foreign accent, and her ethnic food. How can she prove to the world that she is an American, too? As the feast of San Gennaro approaches, banners, piles of cheeses, and special pastries fill shop windows. Rosie, chosen to be queen of the celebration, is torn between excitement and her desire to be a modern girl. So when she appears in the parade, the band suddenly stops, and everyone stares, for Rosie has a surprise for them all. Elisa Bartone, a teacher in the New York City Public Schools, based American Too on an old family story told to her by a great-uncle. There was a real Rosie who led the feast day parade. Bartone has molded this account into a tale that shines with all the enthusiasm and optimism of those who immigrated to America, the great melting pot.
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“The likable heroine and judicious details about the setting help distill the experience of new Americans caught between two cultures.”
— Publishers Weekly
“Another moving tale of Italian immigrants…Bartone’s prose is tight and well-paced with subtle touches of humor.”
— Kirkus ReviewsBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Elisa Bartone, a teacher in the New York City Public Schools, is the children’s author of American Too and Peppe the Lamplighter, a Caldecott Honor–winning book.
Barbara Caruso, winner of numerous Earphones Awards for narration, is an accomplished actress. A graduate of London’s prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she was a featured player in the Royal Shakespeare Company. She has played starring roles on Broadway and in theaters across the country. She won the Alexander Scourby Reader of the Year Award for her performances of young adult fiction and has more than one hundred audiobook narrations to her credit.