New Boy

"The author of this powerful debut novel . . . writes from the inside about the civil rights struggle . . . a great addition to the history shelves."—Booklist (starred review)

Fifteen-year-old Rob Garrett wants nothing more than to escape the segregated South and prove himself. But in late 1950s Virginia, opportunity doesn't come easily to an African American. So Rob's parents take the unusual step of enrolling their son in a Connecticut boarding school, where he will have the best education available. He will also be the first student of color in the school's history. No matter—Rob Garrett is on his way.

But times are changing. While Rob is experiencing the privilege and isolation of private school, a movement is rising back home. Men and women are organizing, demanding an end to segregation, and in Rob's hometown, his friends are on the verge of taking action. There is even talk about sitting in at a lunch counter that refuses to serve black people. How can Rob hope to make a difference when he's a world away?

"This is history without the sensationalism, in which small acts of resistance eventually change the rules."—The New York Times Book Review

"Houston convincingly gets inside a young man's mind as he grapples with major issues confronting him and his race . . . By focusing on one individual's journey, Houston also lays bare the searching questions of a torn society. Though Rob's insights occasionally seem wiser than his years, events unfold entirely in his point-of-view, inserting readers directly into history-making events of the not-so-distant past."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)