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The Field Guide to the North American Teenager Audiobook
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Publisher Description
William C. Morris YA Debut Award Winner!
A hilarious YA contemporary realistic novel about a witty Black French Canadian teen who moves to Austin, Texas, and experiences the joys, clichés, and awkward humiliations of the American high school experience—including falling in love. Perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon, When Dimple Met Rishi, and John Green.
Norris Kaplan is clever, cynical, and quite possibly too smart for his own good. A Black French Canadian, he knows from watching American sitcoms that those three things don’t bode well when you are moving to Austin, Texas.
Plunked into a new high school and sweating a ridiculous amount from the oppressive Texas heat, Norris finds himself cataloging everyone he meets: the Cheerleaders, the Jocks, the Loners, and even the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Making a ton of friends has never been a priority for him, and this way he can at least amuse himself until it’s time to go back to Canada, where he belongs.
Yet against all odds, those labels soon become actual people to Norris…like loner Liam, who makes it his mission to befriend Norris, or Madison the beta cheerleader, who is so nice that it has to be a trap. Not to mention Aarti the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, who might, in fact, be a real love interest in the making.
But the night of the prom, Norris screws everything up royally. As he tries to pick up the pieces, he realizes it might be time to stop hiding behind his snarky opinions and start living his life—along with the people who have found their way into his heart.
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“With a perfect balance of snark, keen observation, and wry humor, Ben Phillippe has given us the brilliant Norris Kaplan—by far, the funniest, wittiest, smartest character I’ve ever read! Norris Kaplan would be the perfect teen host for The Daily Show!”
— Ibi Zoboi, author of American Street
Quotes
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“Norris’s evolution from cynical outsider to caring insider is a journey well-worth following—especially as it’s accompanied with laugh-out-loud moments [and] insightful revelations.”
— New York Journal of Books -
“Readers looking for a diverse, fun, coming-of-age tale need not look any further than this fantastic debut.”
— Booklist -
“Philippe has a gift for dialogue and touches on a few instances of racism with sensitivity and humor in this crowd-pleaser.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“The humor is spot-on, as is the representation of the black diaspora…Will appeal to readers who enjoy a fresh and realistic teen voice.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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Winner of the Reading the West Book Award for Young Adult Fiction
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Winner of the William C. Morris YA Debut Award
The Field Guide to the North American Teenager Listener Reviews
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About Ben Philippe
Ben Philippe is a New York–based writer and screenwriter, born in Haiti and raised in Montreal, Canada. He is the author of the novel The Field Guide to the North American Teenager, winner of the William C. Morris Award. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University and an MFA in fiction and screenwriting from the Michener Center for Writers in Austin, Texas. He teaches film studies and screenwriting at Barnard College. Find him online at www.benphilippe.com.
About James Fouhey
James Fouhey is an actor and narrator living in New York City. He received classical training at Boston University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. He has recorded more than forty audiobooks across a variety of genres, including science fiction, romance, young adult fiction, and children’s fiction.