It'll Be Irie: Staying True To Yourself

What's wrong with Jamaican Christmas Cake? Everything, if it's not American! Raymond is moving with his family from Kingston, Jamaica to Queen, New York and he can' t wait to show everyone how American he can be! Whether it' s through books, magazines, music videos and movies, he learns about America in any way he can, even if some of his sources of information are out-dated. However, on Raymond' s first day of school in America, his every attempt to impress everyone with his " American-ness" backfires. What' s worse, his new classmates doubt if he' s Jamaican at all. It' s not until Raymond remembers what he loves most about being Jamaican – making Jamaican Christmas cake – and shares it with his new classmates, that he gains the courage to be himself. Everything is Irie will captivate young readers' hearts with the story of a head-strong immigrant child's humorous attempt to embrace a new cultural environment. In addition, it also offers readers a figurative taste of the underrepresented culture of Jamaica.