Part contemporary, part historical, this is a middle grade novel about a Korean American girl who turns the lessons from her grandparents’ experiences in Korea during the 1950s into the strength to counter the hateful actions of racists in her school.  Junie just wants to fit in at her school, but as an Asian student she is targeted by a bully. When her school gym is graffitied with racist slurs, Junie doesn’t fully understand why her friends, particularly those who are from the ethnic and racial backgrounds targeted by the slurs, are angry and want to take action that will let the rest of the students know how it feels to be a person of color in their school and in this country. Junie is overcome with anxiety and spirals into depression, even toying with suicidal ideation. Through therapy and weekly meetings with her grandfather in which he shares stories from his youth during the Korean War, Junie is able to find coping mechanisms and to reconnect with her friends. Oh uses a story from her own mother’s childhood in Korea as an anchor for the plot and it is deftly woven into the family lore in the book. This is an important story for library collections.

Reviewed by Jill O’Connor, Merrill Memorial Library, Yarmouth