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Back home, nine-year-old Ana s was the best English student in her class, but here in Crazy America it feels like she doesn't know English at all. Nothing makes sense (chicken fingers?), and the kids at school have some very strange ideas about Africa.

Ana s misses home. She misses their little house under the mango trees, and the family left behind--Papa and grandmother Oma and big brother Olivier. She worries about the fighting that drove her and Mama and little Jean-Claude to leave.

So she writes letters to Oma and tells her about Halloween, snow, mac 'n' cheese dinners, and princess sleepovers. She tells her all about the weird things Crazy Americans do, and how she just might be turning into a Crazy American herself.

Inspired by the author's work with students learning English, this sweet, often funny middle-grade novel explores differences and common ground across cultures. In contrast to a growing climate of fear and doubt, this story of a refugee child navigating her new life restores hope and reminds us that America is, in fact, a nation of immigrants where we must accept our differences in order to survive--and that's one very good thing.

Ruth Freeman teaches English language learners at an elementary school. She is the author of two books illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith, "Bedtime!," a National Council of Social Studies Notable book, and "Hairdo: What We Do and Did to Our Hair," which Kirkus Reviews called "a cut above." She is also the author of two books illustrated by John O'Brien, How Sweet It Is (and Was): The History of Candy and Underwear: What We Wear Under There, voted a Children's Choice Finalist for 3rd-4th Grade Book of the Year. A native of Pennsylvania, Ms. Freeman now lives in Maine.

Kathrin Honesta is an illustrator and graphic designer. She works as an advertising artist at Leo Burnett Worldwide and lives in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.