Finding Junie Kim
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4.5 • 15 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
For fans of Inside Out and Back Again and Amina’s Voice comes a breathtaking story of family, hope, and survival from Ellen Oh, cofounder of We Need Diverse Books. When Junie Kim is faced with middle school racism, she learns of her grandparents’ extraordinary strength and finds her voice. Inspired by her mother’s real-life experiences during the Korean War, Oh’s characters are real and riveting.
“Both unique and universal, timely and timeless.” —Padma Venkatraman, Walter Award-winning author of The Bridge Home
"A moving story that highlights how to find courage in the face of unspeakable hardship." —Hena Khan, award-winning author of Amina’s Voice
"Junie discovers where she comes from and gains the courage to make a difference in the future." —Wendy Wan-Long Shang, award-winning author of The Great Wall of Lucy Wu
Junie Kim just wants to fit in. So she keeps her head down and tries not to draw attention to herself. But when racist graffiti appears at her middle school, Junie must decide between staying silent or speaking out.
Then Junie’s history teacher assigns a project and Junie decides to interview her grandparents, learning about their unbelievable experiences as kids during the Korean War. Junie comes to admire her grandma’s fierce determination to overcome impossible odds, and her grandpa’s unwavering compassion during wartime. And as racism becomes more pervasive at school, Junie taps into the strength of her ancestors and finds the courage to do what is right.
Finding Junie Kim is a reminder that within all of us lies the power to overcome hardship and emerge triumphant.
Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Honor Book
A Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year
Included in NPR’s 2021 Books We Love List
2021 Nerdy Award Winner
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Oh (The Dragon Egg Princess) conveys the legacy of bravery, tenderness, and forgiveness alongside the fallout of intergenerational trauma in a complex novel that touches on gender discrimination and racism, mental health, and imperialism and civil war. Following a series of racist incidents at her largely white middle school, including graffiti targeting Black, Jewish, and Asian students, Korean American student Junie Kim, 12, falls out with her friend group and into a fatalistic spiral, eventually receiving a diagnosis of depression. As prejudicial bullying continues at school, an assignment leads Junie to interview her beloved grandparents, Doha and Jinjoo, about their experiences during the Korean War, an experience that gives her renewed resilience and courage. Oh alternates Junie's first-person tale of a contemporary America replete with MAGA hats and "fake news" with her grandparents' stories of war-torn South Korea, injecting experiences of painful realism through wartime events, ethnic slurs, and a description of suicidal ideation. Junie's healthy and inclusive family dynamic contributes warmth and hopefulness, and her grandparents' backstories and personal integrity in the face of hardship are thoughtfully drawn. Ages 8–12.
Customer Reviews
감사합니다
What an amazing book! Excellent story!