A searchable database of books recommended by the CCBC.
(More information on CCBC book recommendations)
Almost American Girl
An only child raised by her single mother, Chuna lives happily in Seoul, South Korea. On a vacation to Huntsville, Alabama, Chuna is stunned and devastated to learn that they will not be returning home; her mother plans to marry the man they’re visiting, a recent immigrant from Korea. Thrust into a mostly white school with no language-acquisition program, Chuna is miserable and lost. Her new stepfamily is cold and resentful, and classmates either ignore or bully her. Her one escape is art; she enjoys drawing her favorite Korean comics heroine. When her mom finally enrolls her in a comics-drawing class, Chuna befriends Jessica, a kindred spirit and biracial (Japanese/white) girl. But life truly improves only once Chuna (who takes the American name Robin) and her mom move north, and Chuna enrolls in a diverse high school where she makes Korean American friends. Scenes from Chuna’s childhood, including mistreatment at the hands of a teacher, are neatly woven into the main narrative. Ha’s close but contentious relationship with her fiercely protective mother, who faced discrimination and was socially ostracized as a single mother in Korea, lies at the heart of this affecting graphic memoir. ©2021 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Robin Ha
CCBC Age Recommendation: Age 12 and older
Age Range:
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Formats:
Biography, Autobiography and Memoir
Graphic Novel
Subjects:
Art and Artists
Asian Americans
English Language Learners
Friendship
Girls and Women
Immigration and Immigrants
Koreans and Korean Americans
Mothers
School
Stepfamilies
Diversity subject:
Asian
Publishers:
Balzer + Bray, HarperCollins
Publish Year: 2020
Pages: 227
ISBN: 9780062685100
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 741.5 Ha