Brainstorm 272: Japan Reads

The Seniors at our school are gearing up to host a Japanese-themed Carnival next Saturday and as their supervisor I’ve been finding myself thinking ALL about Japan. So I thought, why not fully embrace Japan on the brain and also do a Japanese-themed Brainstorm this week? I’ve narrowed things down to books by Japanese authors or authors of Japanese descent that highlight what life in Japan is or was like. To help myself further narrow down the list I reserved all the manga to share next week. Click on the titles to see my full review of each book including any content notes/trigger warnings.

The British Museum Haiku edited by David Cobb

The British Museum has compiled a selection of haiku by renowned Japanese poets both ancient and modern, organized them by their seasonal setting (which is traditional for haiku according to the intro), and paired them with Japanese artwork. The result was a very artistically pleasing little book. Whoever paired the poems and artwork did a fantastic job; they complemented each other exceptionally well.

Target Readers:

Poetry Fans, Works in Translation Fans, Art Lovers, Seasons Celebrators, Adult Readers (though approachable to Middle Grade & YA Readers)

 

Drawing from Memory by Allen Say

Picture book author and illustrator Allen Say illustrates an autobiography describing his childhood in Japan and path to becoming an artist. There’s a sequel that talks about his move to America as an older teen.

An eye-opening look at what life was like for Say as a child. The way he was tutored by a popular Japanese cartoonist was fascinating. The book looks like a picture book, but the layout is often more graphic novel-like and blends real photographs with illustrations.

Target Readers:

Autobiography Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Art Lovers, Japanese Culture Studiers, Japanese History Buffs, Nonfiction Fans, Upper Middle Grade/Young Adult Readers

 

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa, translated by Stephen Snyder

An aging math professor with brain trauma-induced memory issues and a housekeeper and her son are forever changed when an agency pairs the housekeeper to work for the professor. 

A sweet story of the healing and blessings friendship can bring.

Target Readers:

Contemporary Fiction Fans, Translated Fiction Fans, Feel Good Story Fans, Math Lovers, Intergenerational Friendship Story Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA and even high reading Middle Grade readers)

 

I Really Want to See You, Grandma by Taro Gomi

Yumi really wants to see Grandma. Grandma really wants to see Yumi. But what happens when they both leave to go visit the other at the same time? Will Grandma and Yumi ever meet?

This had a good touch of humor and also featured a variety of transportation methods for kids who love things that go. This was originally written in 1979 in Japanese so kids get a look at what things were like pre-cell phones.

Target Readers:

Humor Fans, Things That Go Fans, Grandma/Granddaughter Story Fans, Translated Fiction Fans, Picture Book Readers

 

The Last Cherry Blossom by Kathleen Burkinshaw

Yuriko is a well-off girl in Hiroshima during WWII. Her father runs the newspaper. She lives with him and her aunt and younger cousin, both of whom she can only tolerate. Her best friend lives just down the street, and they like to listen to jazz secretly together. As 1945 draws closer, a lot of changes are on the way for Yuriko as her father remarries, a deep family secret comes out, and 1945 itself will change all of their lives forever when the bombs fall.

This is biographical fiction heavily based on the author's mother's childhood. The book does a fabulous job of bringing to life what life was like for an average, upper-middle class Japanese girl during WWII.

Target Readers:

WWII Story Readers, Historical Fiction Fans, Biographical Fiction Fans, Survival Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers

 

The Mystery of the Masked Medalist (Kudo Kids, #1) by Maia & Alex Shibutani with Michelle Shusterman

Andy and Mika are super excited to be traveling to the summer olympics in Tokyo with their parents. Their mom is covering events for a sports website, and their dad is a food writer who will be doing a little work too while they are there. Andy and Mika have plans to play an online game that introduces players to various parts of Tokyo while they try to figure out who the former Olympian designer of the game is to win the chance to be beta testers for the Olympian's future video games. Andy and Mika are playing in a team with two friends in California. Andy and Mika will play live, while their friends play in VR. All of them are very motivated to win, but someone is sabotaging the game and stealing clues. Can Andy and Mika figure out who it is and unmask the Masked Medalist? And what is going on with Mika when she isn't playing Masked Medalist?

This is a good mix of tour of Tokyo, description of being at live Olympic events, and a competition mystery.

Target Readers:

Mystery Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Olympics Fans, Travel Story Fans, Sibling Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers

 

Newcomer (Detective Kaga, #2) by Keigo Higashino, translated by Giles Murray

A woman has been murdered and the unassuming Detective Kaga is on the case. But this story is told from the perspective of the people who are interviewed over the course of the investigation. Each of them has little secrets or mysteries that they each have. And one of them is a murderer. Through the points of view of all this disparate people, the course of the investigation slowly comes to light to the reader, and eventually the case is solved.

Hands down one of the most unique and cleverly written murder mysteries I’ve ever read! Don’t worry about jumping into this series at #2, you don’t have to read #1 to understand what is going on.

Target Readers:

Mystery Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Translated Fiction Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to Young Adult)

 

The Sakura Obsession: The Incredible Story of the Plant Hunter Who Saved Japan's Cherry Blossoms by Naoko Abe

This is both the history of Japan's relationship with cherry blossoms and how it evolved over time (and continues to evolve), and the biography of Collingwood Ingram, a man who in collecting as many varieties of flower cherry trees as he could and talking about them, managed to save several varieties from extinction and encouraged the planting of flowering cherries over several nations.

You would think a book on trees and a man who liked collecting them would have a high probability of being dry as dirt (or bark as it would be), but this was an absolutely fascinating read. Naoko Abe shares that she originally wrote a shorter version of this in Japanese and was asked numerous times to translate it. In order to do so she realized she'd need to explain parts of Japanese culture and history to the English speaking world, so she expanded it for a non-Japanese audience and this is the result. And it is absolutely fascinating.

Target Readers:

Biography Fans, Japanese History Fans, Japanese Culture Studiers, British History Fans, Cherry Blossom Lovers, Botany Enthusiasts, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA Readers)

 

The Star Festival by Moni Ritchie Hadley, ill. by Mizuho Fujisawa

Keiko, her mama, and her Obaasan are getting ready for Tanabata Matsuri, aka Star Festival, in Japan. The dress up in their special summer kimonos and Oba relates the folklore behind the festival to Keiko. They then tie their wishes to the bamboo outside, and go to the festival to enjoy special foods. But when Oba disappears, Keiko recreates events in the folklore to find her grandmother.

This is a cute story of 3 generations celebrating a festival together with illustrations that are absolutely stunning.

Target Readers:

Japan Festival Explorers, Japanese Culture Studiers, Art Lovers, Grandmother/Granddaughter Story Fans, Japanese Folklore Fans, Picture Book Readers

 

While I Was Away by Waka T. Brown

When Waka was finishing up 6th grade, she ignored her mom asking in Japanese for her to help fold laundry. Her mom decided her Japanese must be suffering horribly from life in the US, and so she sets up for Waka to go to public school in Japan for 5 months from the end of 6th grade into her 7th grade year. Waka is horrified. She's going to have to live with her strict grandmother who even adults in the family avoid. She's sure she is going to be horribly behind in reading and writing, and she's afraid she won't have any friends. But as the months progress, Waka finds happy surprises in store, and much to learn from her time in Japan.

An honest memoir of an immigrant kid trying to navigate the tightrope walk between cultures. It is at times bittersweet, but relatable to any expat or immigrant.

Target Readers:

Memoir Fans, Cross-Culture Experience Story Fans, Immigrant Experience Story Fans, Japan History Studiers, Japanese Culture Studiers, Third Culture Kid Story Fans, Nonfiction Fans, Middle Grade & YA Readers

Brainstorm 271: STEAM Reads

It’s the first Friday of the school year, so the Brainstorm is back from its summer hiatus. For this first Brainstorm of the school year I have some STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) books for you and your student readers. Click on the titles to see my full reviews and any content notes/trigger warnings. 

For those who are new to the Brainstorm this year, a note on some terms used frequently:

Lower Grade= K-3 grade

Middle Grade= 3-8 grade

Young Adult= Teenagers

Book by John Agard, ill. by Neil Packer

Book introduces readers to his earliest origins and many forms, from clay to leaf to skin to paper to digital, and the various cultures who influenced his development. Book also gives readers little history lessons on alphabet origins and other writing and printing tools that have revolutionized his from over the years. And lastly, he gives a little shout out to libraries through time. 

A creative way to teach kids about the history of books over time that is shorter than it looks and acknowledges both Eastern and Western contributions. The only bad thing about it is that the title is notoriously hard to find in a search (search by the author’s name).

Target Readers:

Curious Readers, Nonfiction Readers, History Buffs, Creative Writing Fans, Book Lovers, Reluctant Readers, Middle Grade Readers

 

Built for Speed (Layla and the Bots, #2) by Vicky Fang, ill. by Christine Nishiyama

Layla and the Bots are slotted to perform at a go-kart race. They are excited to watch the race, but find that one of the would-be contestants can't race because she can't use her feet to control the gas and brakes. Can Layla and the Bots modify a go-kart so Tina can race?

I love that Layla and the Bots are helping a girl in a wheelchair get the opportunity to race too. There's some great problem solving of very real engineering issues along the way, and problem solving about how to make the race fair for all after Tina gets this souped up kart. This whole series excellently models empathy, business, invention, coding, and problem solving skills.

Target Readers:

Robot Lovers, Budding Scientists, Graphic Novel Fans, Scifi Fans, Tinkerers, Problem Solving Story Fans, Lower Grade Readers

 

The Crayon Man: the True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons by Natascha Biebow, ill. by Steven Salerno

A picture book biography of Edwin Binney, who led a team to invent the Crayola crayon and bring color to children's everyday drawings.

Biebow did a stunning job in presenting the information that helps readers easily grasp how revolutionary Binney's invention was, the invention process, enough introduction to the time period and major players to easily follow, and doing all that in just a few sentences a page. It's an exceptional picture book biography. And the artwork is fittingly bright and colorful.

Target Readers:

Crayon Aficionados, Art Lovers, Invention Story Fans, Picture Book Biography Fans, Lower Grade Readers

 

Deliciously FoxTrot by Bill Amend

A collection of comics featuring the Fox family's daily nerdy/humorous/realistic antics all throughout the year.

Target Readers:

Comic Readers, Humor Fans, Science/Math Nerds, Scifi/Fantasy Fans, Family Story Fans, Middle Grade through Adult Readers

 

The Gift of Pain by Dr. Paul Brand with Philip Yancey

Dr. Paul Brand grew up in India and England, the son of British Christian missionaries to the mountainous region of India. He was sent to England for schooling, and then he went on to university eventually ending up in the medical field. He finished up his program with the military as WWII hit England, and eventually made his way back to India where he and his wife practiced medicine. Originally a hand surgeon, Brand found himself more and more working with lepers in India and went on to make some revolutionary discoveries about the disease and how to help people live without sensation in their extremities. For decades it was thought that the lost fingers, toes, and noses were just a part of the disease, but Brand discovered all these losses were due to lack of pain receptors. He became a world-renowned expert on working with people who lacked pain messages, and as a by product, had a unique perspective on pain and why pain is not always a bad thing. In working with patients in India and the US, he also had a unique perspective on the role of culture in pain and how we view it.

What a book! With stories that really stick with you, make you think, and amaze, this also reveals just how intricately our bodies are created.

Target Readers:

Autobiography Fans, Medical Case Studies Fans, Medical History Fans, India Setting Fans, Christian Nonfiction Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA)

 

If You Love Robots You Could Be… by May Nakamura, ill. by Natalie Kwee

A leveled reader that gives readers a quick taste of the kinds of things a robotics mechanical engineer, an electrical engineer working with robots, and a systems engineer working with robots would do. The back of the book briefly outlines 5 other occupations that also work with robots.

The book also includes ideas of how kids can try out some of these fields right now.

Target Readers:

Robot Lovers, Curious Kids, Occupation Studiers, Tinkerers, Picture Book Readers 

 

Machines That Think (Big Ideas That Changed the World, #2) by Don Brown

A nonfiction graphic novel that explores the history and development of machines that can perform calculations from ancient times to present and upcoming computers.

The graphic novel format and length are perfect for even kids reluctant to read nonfiction.

Target Readers:

History Buffs, Curious Readers, Tech Lovers, Graphic Novel Fans, Nonfiction Fans, Reluctant Nonfiction Readers, Middle Grade Readers

 

The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizabeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life by Amy Butler Greenfield

A biography of Elizebeth Smith Friedman who became an instrumental code and cipher breaker in the first half of the 20th century, bringing down mob and drug leaders, figuring out WWII secrets, and paving the way for women leaders in the field.

Amy Butler Greenfield did a phenomenal job of presenting Elizebeth's story for teens. It was expertly researched, included lots of photos, and had just the right amount of code breaking details to show Elizebeth's genius without causing readers to get lost in the technical details. I think this was just as good, if not even better than the adult bio I read on this amazing woman.

Target Readers:

Spy Story Fans, Biography Fans, Code & Cypher Fans, Curious Readers, History Buffs, Nonfiction Fans, YA & Adult Readers (though approachable to high reading Middle Graders)

Brainstorm 270: Camping Stories

Grab your s'mores makings and your sleeping bag because I have some camping reads for you today. Whether you want to get psyched up for your next camping trip, or you want to pretend like you are, snatch up one of these titles. Click on the titles to see my full review of each book and any content notes/trigger warnings.

Camp Rex (Rex, #2) by Molly Idle

T-Rex and his friends go camping, which proves to be a challenge for the little girl who has to remind T-Rex about all the safety rules of outdoor life. Still they manage to have lots of fun.

Adorable illustrations, and a great pick for anyone preparing for an outdoorsy adventure as the safety rules reviewed are good ones but this covers them in a totally fun way.

Target Readers:

Dinosaur Lovers, Art Lovers, Cute Story Fans, Camping Newbies, Safety Learners, Picture Book Readers

 

A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee (Mr. Magee, #2) by Chris Van Dusen

Mr. Magee and his dog Dee decide to go camping for some peace, quiet, and rest. But when a bear with poor sight stumbles into their camp in search of delicious marshmallows things get a bit exciting.

A hilarious camping misadventure!

Target Readers:

Humor Fans, Outdoor Adventure Fans, Misadventure Fans, Animal Lovers, Picture Book Readers

 

Camping with the President by Ginger Wadsworth, ill. by Karen Dugan

A picture book retelling of Teddy Roosevelt's visit to the West, especially his time in Yosemite with John Muir.

A fascinating look at an influential camping trip in the history of the US National Parks.

Target Readers:

Yosemite Setting Fans, Nature Lovers, Parks Lovers, History Fans, Nonfiction Readers, Curious Readers, Lower Grade Readers

 

Charlie & Mouse Outdoors (Charlie & Mouse, #4) by Laurel Snyder, ill. by Emily Hughes

Charlie and Mouse are headed off on a camping trip with their parents. The boys have to think up a story to entertain themselves in the car, their imaginations keep going as the family goes on a hike, and then the brothers entertain themselves in the tent before enjoying a fire at night.

This story is a nice combination of brothers using their imaginations to entertain themselves along with enjoying the outdoors.

Target Readers:

Sibling Story Fans, Family Vacation Story Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Outdoor Adventure Story Fans, Picture Book Readers

 

The Infamous Ratsos Camp Out (Infamous Ratsos, #4) by Kara LaReau, ill. by Matt Myers

Louie and Ralphie and the rest of the Big City Scouts are super excited to be going camping. When they arrive at the campsite, Grandpa Ratso surprises them by also being there to help lead the camping adventure. Grandpa teaches them the Big City Scout oath and the scouts are excited about following it to the letter, especially the part about solving problems all by themselves. After one disaster after the other, though, do they maybe need to rethink things?

I like the message in this about how we all need each other and it is totally ok to reach out for help when we need it.

Target Readers:

Grandparent/Grandchild Story Fans, Problem Solving Story Fans, Outdoors Story Fans, Lower Grade Readers

 

Laid Back Camp 1 by Afro, translated by Amber Tamosaitis

The story of two teen girls in Japan, Rin who is an avid winter solitary camper. She enjoys the peace and quiet, even if it gets a bit cold. Nadeshiko has just moved to the area, gets lost, stumbles across the Rin's camp site, gets some much-needed heat, and is able to contact her sister thanks to Rin's help. Nadeshiko is then inspired to join the Outdoor Explorer Club at her school. The club (which consists of just two other girls) spends much of the book planning for their first camping trip. Meanwhile Rin goes camping by herself a few more times but contemplates the concept of camping with others, though she is too reluctant to act on it.

An atmospheric wintry camping adventure.

Target Readers:

Japan Setting Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Manga Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Winter Story Fans, Club Story Fans, Young Adult Readers

 

Mountain Chef: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook up the National Park Service by Annette Bay Pimentel, ill. by Richard Lo

Tie Sing was a Chinese American who worked as a chef for campers in the California mountains. He is all but forgotten by history, but played an important part in convincing key Americans to form the National Park Service. When Stephen Mather put together a camping trip of these key Americans to show them the land that needed to be preserved, he picked Tie Sing to make sure their tummies were happy so that the trip would more likely be a success. Feeding men well on the trails in the mountains is a challenge, but Tie Sing impressed the men with his cooking and helped make the whole experience a pleasant one. Those men soon went back to Washington D.C. and convinced the nation to form the National Park Service.

I like this book for a number of reasons, but probably most of all because it highlights the impact even "ordinary" people can have on the future.

Target Readers:

Asian American Bio Fans, History Fans, Park Lovers, Chef Bio Fans, Foodies, Picture Book Biography Fans, Lower Grade & Middle Grade Readers 

 

Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping (Scaredy Squirrel, #7) by Mélanie Watt

Scaredy Squirrel has decided he wants to enjoy the outdoors...the safe way (aka by watching it on TV). The only problem is he needs to venture out into the actual outdoors to get his extension cord on his tv plugged in so he can watch the TV program. Scaredy plans and trains intensely for his dangerous mission. All is going smoothly until he sees a giant penguin (one of his top outdoor fears) and his smooth plans go out the window. But after playing dead for a couple hours, he realizes that maybe the outdoors aren't so bad up close after all.

Scaredy's fears aren't too far from real fears kids face that he won't be able to help them work through some things, and regardless of anxiety level, he's sure to also bring some laughs.

Target Readers:

Anxious Character Fans, Animal Lovers, Humor Fans, Picture Book Readers

 

Yotsuba &! 12 by Kiyohiko Azuma, translated by Stephen Paul

In this Yotsuba collection, Yotsuba chases geese, she welcomes Tora into the neighbors' home and learns to tie a bow, Yotsuba finds some paint and decides to spruce up the house a little, Yotsuba gets a helmet (and faces repercussions for her painting spree), Fuuka and Miss Take introduce Yotsuba to Halloween, and then Yotsuba and Daddy go camping with Jumbo, Yanda, Ena, and Muira.

The things Yotsuba gets up to are so believable for a little kid, and a good mix of hilarious and sweet. 

Target Readers:

Contemporary Fiction Fans, Fall Story Fans, Manga Fans, Japan Setting Fans, Humor Fans, Family Story Fans, Neighbor Story Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Middle Grade & Young Adult Readers

Brainstorm 269: Filipino Tales

For this week’s Brainstorm I’ve got 5 Filipino tales for you. All of these feature Filipino characters, one is a Filipino-inspired fantasy, and I believe all these authors are of Filipino heritage. Click on the titles to see my full reviews for each book including any content notes/trigger warnings.

Any Day with You by Mae Respicio

Kaia is really looking forward to 2 things this summer: film camp where she can grow her special effects makeup skills and spending time with Tatang (her great-grandfather) doing all their favorite things. But the summer gets a shade of sadness to it when Tatang announces that he's moving back to the Philippines for good at the end of the summer. Kaia adores Tatang, his stories inspired by Filipino mythology, and their special activities they do together. She figures that if she and her two best friends win the film competition they work on at camp maybe that will convince Tatang to stay.

A sweet story that celebrates Filipino culture and intergenerational relationships beautifully.

Target Readers:

Great-grandparent/Great-grandchild Story Fans, California Setting Fans, Filipino Mythology Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Movie Maker Story Fans, Family Story Fans, Self-Discovery Story Fans, Summer Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers

 

Cora Cooks Pancit by Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore, ill. by Kristi Valiant

Cora is very excited the day her Mama decides she's old enough to help cook. She learns about the family's history of cooking and then cooks pancit with her Mama while wearing her Lola's old apron.

A celebration of achieving "big kid" status, and the foods integral to families.

Target Readers:

Filipino Food Lovers, Family Story Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Tagalog Learners, Picture Book Readers

 

Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly

Life on Sanlagita is not always easy, but Lalani and her friends and family get by. However, the rains haven't come in many, many days and things are starting to get more desperate. Nothing ever changes in Sanlagita. The menyoro dictates how things will be. He says they must respect, fear, and avoid the mountain on the island or it will be angry with them. Women must become menders or planters. Men become ship builders or fishermen, and the strongest men get chosen to become sailors who go north in search of the fabled land of plenty Isa. But no one has ever returned from sailing north. What can one little girl do to help save her island from disaster?

An ode to courage in the face of overwhelming adversity, and an introduction to Filipino mythical creatures.

Target Readers:

Dystopia Fans, Fantasy Fans, Filipino Mythology Fans, Survival Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers

 

Smaller and Smaller Circles by F.H. Batacan

Pre-teen boys are showing up in the city dump dead with very distinct mutilations. When the police start to notice that this is a trend, Father Saenz (a forensic anthropologist) and his associate Father Lucero (a psychologist & former student of Saenz's) are called in as consultants to help profile and find the serial killer. Unfortunately, there's not a lot to go on. Few pay attention to kids living in and around the dumps. The case is slow going, made even more challenging by the slow-developing forensic practices, the politics, and entrenched habits of Filipino police work in the late 1990s, still recovering from days under a dictator when corruption was rampant.

This was a fascinating mystery just for the setting. You get a good dose of Filipino history and culture along with an intriguingly-written mystery. The serial killer mystery part does get a bit brutal and harrowing once you find out more details, but it is also a good reminder of how hard it is for certain people groups to get justice, even today, in various places around the world.

Target Readers:

Mystery Fiction, Philippines Setting Fans, Filipino History & Culture Studiers, Historical Fiction, Adult Readers (approachable to some mature Young Adult Readers)

 

When Lola Visits by Michelle Sterling, ill. by Aaron Asis

A description of what sights, sounds, tastes, and smells summer brings for a Filipino American girl during a season full of special foods and events as her grandmother visits from across the ocean.

This is a stunning picture book! The illustrations and the lyrical text written in a series of similes are so beautiful.

Target Readers:

Grandmother/Granddaughter Story Fans, Filipino Food Lovers, Summer Story Fans, Simile Studiers, Art Lovers, Sensory-Appealing Writing Fans, Picture Book Readers

Brainstorm 268: Surviving North Korea

For today’s Brainstorm I have some survival stories both true and imagined, set in North Korea. Most of these aren’t necessarily easy or fun reads, but they are eye opening and address important issues. Click on the titles to see my full reviews for each book and any content notes/trigger warnings (which most of these have to some extent).

Brother’s Keeper by Julie Lee

Sora and her family are tired of the restrictions of the Communists in their North Korean village. As the beginnings of the Korean War rumble, her father decides it is time to escape the religious and ideological persecution and get to South Korea. Her mother has a brother in Busan, and the family decides to head there. But as they sneak out at night with what they can carry, Sora and her 8 year old brother are separated from their parents and baby brother. Can Sora get the two of them to Busan in winter across a war zone safely?

The author says in the back of the book that this story is largely inspired by her own mother's escape from North Korea to Busan during the start of the Korean War with one brother.

Target Readers:

Historical Fiction Fans, Korean War Story Fans, Korean Setting Fans, Survival Story Fans, Bittersweet Story Fans, Middle Grade/Young Adult Readers

 

Escape from North Korea: the Untold Story of Asia’s Underground Railroad by Melanie Kirkpatrick

Kirkpatrick explores what is going on inside North Korea, what various refugees do to escape, and how different groups and individuals are working to get those refugees to freedom despite numerous difficulties. 

Incredibly well researched and written.

Target Readers:

Nonfiction Fans, Those Interested in Modern Human Rights Issues, Those Interested in International Relations, Freedom Fighters, North Korean Setting Fans, Incredible True Story Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to Young Adults)

 

Every Falling Star: the True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea by Sungju Lee with Susan Elizabeth McClelland

Sungju Lee had a cushy childhood in Pyongyang. His father was in the military. The family had a nice flat, a grand piano, a coveted dog, went to the amusement park, revered Kim Il-sung, and were enjoying the good life. Sungju dreamed of one day being a military leader for Joseon (what N. Koreans call N. Korea). And then out of the blue when he was about ten, Sungju's parents told him they were going on an extended vacation up north. In reality, his father had fallen out of favor with the regime and they were forced to leave. For a while, their wealth helped them continue to live fairly well in a more primitive setting. Their new house had no running water or electricity, but with saved money they ate well. Eventually the money ran out, and first his father and then his mother left on temporary trips to go find more food. Neither of them returned in the time promised and Sungju found himself on the streets left to fend for himself. He soon made his own gang with other street boys and together they found ways to survive. Street life was harrowing and made Sungju an angry and hardened teen, until one day a man standing in a train station recognized him and Sungju's life started to change for the better. Eventually, Sungju receives word that his father wants him to sneak out to China, and he begins a strange and terrifying trip to what he hopes will be a reunion.

An eye-opening autobiography!

Target Readers:

Autobiography Fans, North Korean Setting Fans, Incredible True Story Fans, Nonfiction Fans, Young Adult Readers (though of interest to Adults too)

 

Finding Junie Kim by Ellen Oh

When racial slurs get painted on the school's walls, it really shakes up Junie Kim and her multiethnic group of friends. Some of them want to take action of some kind, but Junie is afraid it will just make the bullying she faces on the bus and in the halls each day worse. It really upsets the balance of her precarious mental state and she slides into serious depression. When her parents finally notice how serious her condition is, she begins to hang out more with her grandparents after school. She starts to open up a little to her grandfather about what is going on and in return he starts sharing with her his experiences as the son of a doctor during the Korean War and immigrating to the United States in the early 70s. Junie starts recording the stories, and eventually gets her grandmother to also share her story of what she experienced during the Korean War.

The book really feels like 3 separate stories. There's the first part where Junie's school issues and mental health issues are introduced and come to a crisis point. Then there's her Grandpa's story of his Korean war experiences that is related at length. And then there's her Grandma's story of her Korean war experiences that is related at length. 

Target Readers:

Contemporary Fiction Fans, Mental Health Story Fans, Historical Fiction Fans, Grandparent/Grandchild Story Fans, Korean War Story Fans, Survival Story Fans, Korean American Character Fans, Korean Setting Fans, Upper Middle Grade/Young Adult Readers

 

In the Shadow of the Sun by Anne Sibley O’Brien

Mia and Simon are accompanying their father on one of his aid-relief trips to North Korea. Mia is a little excited since she was adopted from South Korea and this is the closest she's gotten to the land of her birth. Simon is grumpy and reclusive. He's several years older than his sister and has been going through stuff recently. Mia feels like they hardly talk any more. But when their father is arrested and Mia just discovered some illegal photos on the phone North Koreans gave her in a welcome package, the two siblings have to take off on their own and try to escape to freedom for fear of being locked up who knows how long by the North Korean government. Can they make it to the Chinese border without being caught? And can they learn to work together after this rift has grown between them?

The author grew up in South Korea and did extensive interviews with North Korean escapees for this book. She also has an adopted daughter from Korea, so the things that Mia is mulling over about being Korean but living with a white American family also comes from a highly-informed position.

Target Readers:

Thriller Fans, Survival Story Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Adventure Fans, Sibling Story Fans, North Korean Setting Fans, Upper Middle Grade/Young Adult Readers