You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
When you start this book you think it’s one thing, but then it turns into something completely different. And you laugh and cry and just hold it for awhile after you’re done. I fell in love with this book, but it was definitely a slow burn.
A good book to talk of love of family and loss. Grades 4-6. Possibly a good read aloud.
A good book to talk of love of family and loss. Grades 4-6. Possibly a good read aloud.
Beautiful story about the strength of Korean women and how to cope with grief
Initial thoughts after finishing:
4/5 - love the plot, the magical realism (I’m loving how much magical realism is in the middle grade books these days!), and really enjoyed seeing the family and their traditions
- this book dealt with heavier themes than I anticipated. I borrowed it on Libby audio to fill space between my other books on hold, so I didn’t really read the description but thought the cover was pretty and heard it made it onto the Newberry list so I tried it
- I loved the character development, except the older sister. I’m not sure if it’s simply because she didn’t act like she even cared about her younger sister through the majority of the book, or that the story was from the younger sisters perspective, but the older sister was so annoying and didn’t come off as an angsty teen, but more just…heartless?
- 4/5 because I almost DNF at about 70% because the pace had slowed, and some of the characters were becoming repetitive and/or annoying in how they approached situations that didn’t make sense for what was happening. I am glad I stuck it out for the ending and overall was pleasantly surprised by this book as an interim read :)
4/5 - love the plot, the magical realism (I’m loving how much magical realism is in the middle grade books these days!), and really enjoyed seeing the family and their traditions
- this book dealt with heavier themes than I anticipated. I borrowed it on Libby audio to fill space between my other books on hold, so I didn’t really read the description but thought the cover was pretty and heard it made it onto the Newberry list so I tried it
- I loved the character development, except the older sister. I’m not sure if it’s simply because she didn’t act like she even cared about her younger sister through the majority of the book, or that the story was from the younger sisters perspective, but the older sister was so annoying and didn’t come off as an angsty teen, but more just…heartless?
- 4/5 because I almost DNF at about 70% because the pace had slowed, and some of the characters were becoming repetitive and/or annoying in how they approached situations that didn’t make sense for what was happening. I am glad I stuck it out for the ending and overall was pleasantly surprised by this book as an interim read :)
A sweet coming of age story of a girl with Korean heritage and how she handles the sickness of her grandmother.
This book is a solid magical realism story for kids. I loved the theme of telling stories, even if they are sad or hard, as an important part of life. The narrative voice really pulls you in: I could absolutely feel Halmoni's house and hear her speak. There are a few flaws, but overall I can see why this book won the Newbery; very much deserved.
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A book that combines Korean folklore, a little bit of fantasy and a lot of heart. At the core of the story is a family that's hurting and it is really well developed. This book really got me choked up.
the magical realism! the tigers! the Korean tales that were so cool that I'd never heard before because I'm not Korean! The large font so I could finish this quickly! The grandma! Lily!
A story about dealing with grief and loss, but also about sisterhood, being seen, and the importance of story. A moving and beautiful book.