Unidentified Suburban Object

March 7, 2016
Chloe Cho, the only student of Asian descent in her school, wants to learn about her Korean heritage, but her parents deflect her inquiries, saying that their past is too painful to revisit. Then Chloe's seventh-grade social studies teacher, Mrs. Lee, assigns a Model United Nations project, naming Chloe to represent South Korea. Facing the prospect of a bad grade for Chloe if they don't cough up some background, the Chos come clean, dropping a bombshell that sends Chloe into a spiral of confusion and anger, and the plot veering in a very different direction. Jung (Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities) excels at showing how racial insensitivity can isolate even a student who is doing everything she can to fit in. Chloe's life teems with microaggressions: a hanbok she wears is called "exotic," strangers assume she is Chinese or Japanese, and a well-meaning orchestra teacher calls her "my Abigail Yang," a famous Korean violin virtuoso. It's easy to imagine Chloe's story starting conversations about how seemingly innocent remarks can make a minority student feel like an alien in the only home she's ever known. Ages 8â12. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

February 15, 2016
Being the only Asian student in town makes the horrible but universal feeling of not fitting in just that much worse. Chloe Cho can only hope seventh grade promises improvement because there is an actual Korean-American teacher for social studies. This smart and sassy girl is determined to get Ms. Lee to help fill in the gaps of her Korean ancestry, since her parents so clearly avoid the topic. With her best friend, Shelley, Chloe dives into all things Korean: pop music, clothing, and food. After a slow start, the storyline takes a hard turn in the middle of the book. When the startling, barely believable truth about her family (hint: it takes the notion of alienation to a whole new level) is finally revealed, the Asian stereotypes start falling away fast: the star student gets detention, she loses her position as first-chair violinist in the orchestra, and (gasp!) she fights with her parents. Even worse, Chloe and Shelley walk away from their friendship. The significant plot twist has this book straddling multiple genres, but the new vein is where the humor and weirdness truly have teeth. The similarities between being different and being alien make for a powerful message. And the strongest protection against both is still your very best friend. With its quirky, determined heroine, this is a good choice to add diversity to the shelves. (Fiction. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 1, 2016

Gr 4-6-Chloe Cho is curious about her cultural heritage. Her parents were born in Korea but never speak of their time or families there, no matter how often Chloe asks. The only Asian American in her school, Chloe is excited when her new history teacher is also Korean, but alarmed to learn of an assignment where she needs to interview her parents to share a family story. She is finally able to convince her father to tell her one but receives an F on the assignment and is accused of plagiarism. When Chloe confronts her father, showing him a website that retells the account he claimed happened to his uncle, he must finally tell her the truth. A game-changing family secret is revealed that alters Chloe's perception of herself and the genre of the novel. Jung spends a lot of time hammering home how unwilling Chloe's parents are to speak of their past, making their secret a very welcome and original surprise and giving the novel some needed energy. Chloe's response to her parents' news ripples into every corner of her life. Furious she's been lied to, she rebels against not only her parents but her friends and teachers as well. While Chloe herself is a gifted student, the book has enough twists and humor to broaden the audience to include reluctant readers. VERDICT Part realistic fiction and part fantasy, this novel takes a hilariously unpredictable turn that will stun and ignite readers.-Juliet Morefield, Multnomah County Library, OR

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2016
Grades 3-6 The only Asian American at her school, Chloe Cho has learned to deal with remarks about her skills at violin playing and general academic work. Still, she can count on Shelley, her longtime best friend, to see beyond her cultural identity. At the beginning of seventh grade, their new social studies teacher doesn't just share Korean heritage with Chloe, they even like the same K-pop group. But an assignment to interview a parent and record a family story precipitates a crisis that lands Chloe in the principal's office at school and, worse, in a painful argument with Shelley. This well-paced chapter book portrays classroom dynamics and middle-school relationships perceptively. Chloe's lively, agreeable voice makes her a spokesperson for every kid who has ever felt like an outsider, and her wry first-person narrative makes this fly by, while still offering plenty to think about. A startling revelation midway through the story will create some buzz among readers, while making this a slam-dunk choice for booktalkers willing to divulge the spoiler.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)