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A powerful graphic novel memoir in the vein of American Born Chinese, about a Korean-born, non-English speaking girl who is abruptly transplanted from Seoul to Huntsville, Alabama, and must grapple with extreme culture shock until she discovers her passion as a comic artist.
About the author
Robin Ha is the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of Cook Korean!: A Comic Book with Recipes, as well as the graphic novel memoir Almost American Girl and historical fantasy graphic novel The Fox Maidens. Her comics and illustrations have also appeared in various publications, including The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times, as well as in anthologies highlighting Asian American culture: Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now, New Frontiers: The Many Worlds of George Takei, and Shattered: The Asian American Comics Anthology (Secret Identities). Robin grew up reading and drawing comics. At fourteen she moved to the United States from Seoul, Korea. She studied illustration at Rhode Island School of Design. She now lives in Virginia.
Robin Ha is the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of Cook Korean!: A Comic Book with Recipes, as well as the graphic novel memoir Almost American Girl and historical fantasy graphic novel The Fox Maidens. Her comics and illustrations have also appeared in various publications, including The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times, as well as in anthologies highlighting Asian American culture: Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now, New Frontiers: The Many Worlds of George Takei, and Shattered: The Asian American Comics Anthology (Secret Identities). Robin grew up reading and drawing comics. At fourteen she moved to the United States from Seoul, Korea. She studied illustration at Rhode Island School of Design. She now lives in Virginia.
Summary
Harvey Award Nominee, Best Children or Young Adult Book
A powerful and moving teen graphic novel memoir about immigration, belonging, and how arts can save a life—perfect for fans of American Born Chinese and Hey, Kiddo.
For as long as she can remember, it’s been Robin and her mom against the world. Growing up as the only child of a single mother in Seoul, Korea, wasn’t always easy, but it has bonded them fiercely together.
So when a vacation to visit friends in Huntsville, Alabama, unexpectedly becomes a permanent relocation—following her mother’s announcement that she’s getting married—Robin is devastated.
Overnight, her life changes. She is dropped into a new school where she doesn’t understand the language and struggles to keep up. She is completely cut off from her friends in Seoul and has no access to her beloved comics. At home, she doesn’t fit in with her new stepfamily, and worst of all, she is furious with the one person she is closest to—her mother.
Then one day Robin’s mother enrolls her in a local comic drawing class, which opens the window to a future Robin could never have imagined.
This nonfiction graphic novel with four starred reviews is an excellent choice for teens and also accelerated tween readers, both for independent reading and units on immigration, memoirs, and the search for identity.
Additional text
“Robin’s story is both utterly her own and deeply resonant for anyone who’s felt lost in the world and fought to carve out a place for themselves.”
