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farkle's review
4.0
Kid books can be such a good break from anything grown-up. This story of a Korean American girl and her family reminds me of my first forays into diverse books (a la In The Year of the Boar & Jackie Robinson, thanks mom!) and what a lasting impact that has had on my life. Definitely a good one to add to the list.
beadeeh's review
4.0
Jenny Han and I only fight over love triangles, so I had high hopes here-- the protagonist is 9, so we dodge that Achilles heel. This is a high quality book for 7-10 year olds and goes to the top of the kiddo's to-read pile.
frankisib's review
3.0
A good 3rd grade read . I liked Clara Lee and loved the way the "American as Apple Pie" issue was handled. I look forward to more books about this character (I think I read that it would be a series.)
greenbeanteenqueen's review
4.0
I'm a big fan of Jenny Han, especially her first novel, the fantastic tween novel Shug. So when I saw she was heading back to MG territory, I was thrilled!
Clara Lee is a younger tween read, but perfect for young tweens looking for an easy chapter book to read. Clara Lee's voice is fun and she surrounds herself with a memorable cast of characters. Her relationship with her Grandpa is sweet and I loved when Clara Lee would try to spell the words Grandpa was trying to read-too cute. She has an annoying little sister Emmeline, who must be the star of everything and tries to steal the spotlight. The sister dynamic will resonate with anyone who grew up with a sister (older or younger)-Jenny Han has it spot on! And Clara Lee's frustration with her parents will be something readers can easily relate to.
Clara Lee isn't perfect-and that's what I like about her. Sure, she's full of optimism and has a lot of spunk to her, but she also gets upset with her parents after they punish her, as well as getting into a disagreement with a friend at school. Life is never easy or fair, but Clara Lee learns to deal with it the best she can.
The book has a nice message without ever getting too preachy and messagey. In fact, it's so well written into the story that I think tweens won't feel like they're getting a book with a "lesson" but instead will just enjoy a fun story. I wish the book had been a bit longer. I really liked Clara Lee and wanted to spend just a bit more time with her. There are also some side characters I wish we could have gotten just a bit more of. I really hope this turns into a series because I'd love more adventures with Clara Lee!
Book Pairings: Clara Lee would pair perfectly with other spunky tween heriones like Clementine, Judy Moody, Ivy & Bean, and Piper Reed. Although the book is much shorter, I think readers who enjoy the Allie Finkle series would also enjoy Clara Lee.
Clara Lee is a younger tween read, but perfect for young tweens looking for an easy chapter book to read. Clara Lee's voice is fun and she surrounds herself with a memorable cast of characters. Her relationship with her Grandpa is sweet and I loved when Clara Lee would try to spell the words Grandpa was trying to read-too cute. She has an annoying little sister Emmeline, who must be the star of everything and tries to steal the spotlight. The sister dynamic will resonate with anyone who grew up with a sister (older or younger)-Jenny Han has it spot on! And Clara Lee's frustration with her parents will be something readers can easily relate to.
Clara Lee isn't perfect-and that's what I like about her. Sure, she's full of optimism and has a lot of spunk to her, but she also gets upset with her parents after they punish her, as well as getting into a disagreement with a friend at school. Life is never easy or fair, but Clara Lee learns to deal with it the best she can.
The book has a nice message without ever getting too preachy and messagey. In fact, it's so well written into the story that I think tweens won't feel like they're getting a book with a "lesson" but instead will just enjoy a fun story. I wish the book had been a bit longer. I really liked Clara Lee and wanted to spend just a bit more time with her. There are also some side characters I wish we could have gotten just a bit more of. I really hope this turns into a series because I'd love more adventures with Clara Lee!
Book Pairings: Clara Lee would pair perfectly with other spunky tween heriones like Clementine, Judy Moody, Ivy & Bean, and Piper Reed. Although the book is much shorter, I think readers who enjoy the Allie Finkle series would also enjoy Clara Lee.
elllie's review
3.0
The Apple Blossom Festival (IN THE FALL!!!) was hard for me to get past (editor, you should have insisted upon a change to like, the Apple Pie Festival or just the Apple Festival), but the story itself was sweet and good for a 3rd grader.
hezann73's review
4.0
A cute first chapter book about a Korean American girl who wants to be Little Miss Apple Pie in the town festival. There was nothing out and out amazing here, but it's so nice to see a non-white main character, with good friends, and a strong, intact family to deals with issues that all young girls can relate to.
Recommened for 2nd and 3rd grade.
Recommened for 2nd and 3rd grade.
idontkaren's review
3.0
This is good for 3rd grade. The grandpa character is best and I like that she took the risk of writing that a person (the grandpa, no less) dying in a dream is actually *good* luck.
rachelreadsravenously's review
4.0
4 stars!
I thought this chapter book was so cute and I wish Jenny Han would write more! The thing I loved most about this book was the glimpse into normal Korean culture from Clara Lee's perspective, nothing was made to be very different or exotic, it was her everyday normal life.
If you are looking for a chapter book for the child in your life, I highly recommend this one! It was a delight!
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crtney's review against another edition
2.0
It just fell flat for me--although I like the themes of second (or third) generation Americans being as All-American as those who have been here longer.
afterwhat's review
4.0
Apparently, I just love Jenny Han. Everything she writes, I love.
It's always hard to explain what it is that makes intermediate novels good, because, well, here's the plot:
Clara Lee is in the third grade. She's Korean-American, and her grandfather interprets dreams. She has one day of incredible good luck after her , and she decides to sign up to be Little Miss Apple Pie, and she really really wants to be Little Miss Apple Pie in the apple festival, but she'll have to give a speech in front of the entire school. And her luck has started to turn bad.
So, not super exciting, right? The stakes, not so high. But this book is incredibly charming. Clara Lee's family--her "Korean dream genius" grandfather, her sister's preference for eating kimchi for every meal--is warm and quirky and loving. Her town is small and sweet and has a personality of it's own. And Clara Lee herself, all of her fears and hopes and her unique phraseology, is a fantastic protagonist. And that's what makes a good book for this age range. Main characters with lots of personality and secondary characters who are realistic and have sparks of their own. In a realistic contemporary novel, stakes in third grade are never super-high, but if the character is good, and if the stakes matter enough to them, they can feel pretty darn important.
Anyway, I love Clara Lee and her grandpa, and I want to live in Bramley with them.
It's always hard to explain what it is that makes intermediate novels good, because, well, here's the plot:
Clara Lee is in the third grade. She's Korean-American, and her grandfather interprets dreams. She has one day of incredible good luck after her , and she decides to sign up to be Little Miss Apple Pie, and she really really wants to be Little Miss Apple Pie in the apple festival, but she'll have to give a speech in front of the entire school. And her luck has started to turn bad.
So, not super exciting, right? The stakes, not so high. But this book is incredibly charming. Clara Lee's family--her "Korean dream genius" grandfather, her sister's preference for eating kimchi for every meal--is warm and quirky and loving. Her town is small and sweet and has a personality of it's own. And Clara Lee herself, all of her fears and hopes and her unique phraseology, is a fantastic protagonist. And that's what makes a good book for this age range. Main characters with lots of personality and secondary characters who are realistic and have sparks of their own. In a realistic contemporary novel, stakes in third grade are never super-high, but if the character is good, and if the stakes matter enough to them, they can feel pretty darn important.
Anyway, I love Clara Lee and her grandpa, and I want to live in Bramley with them.