What a beautiful book about the value of family stories and finding your voice to stand up against racism. I learned so much about Korean history alongside the main character Junie. Junie and her grandparents' stories will stay with me for a long time. Looking forward to getting a copy of this book for my school's library when it comes out. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this important story.

3.5 stars

There's a lot to like about this middle grade novel, but for me, there was too much happening.

Junie is a fantastic kid who has loving parents and even a great brother, amazing grandparents, and friends with whom she is having typical middle grade struggles. What's interesting about Junie is that she encounters A LOT in this novel: racism, bullying, death, friendship related struggles, and trips back into her grandparents' pasts while she makes her video project. Oh, and she's here to teach us about microaggressions, too. This is a big job for a relatively young kid.

I found myself really engaged in Junie's story, and while I LOVE both grandparents, I couldn't get as invested in their stories as I'd have liked. I also wanted more exploration of parts of Junie's experience that come up early on and then sort of go away.

I'll recommend this novel to students because it's simply a solid middle grade work, the representation is good, the relationship between generations is wonderful, and the Korean War backdrop is interesting and not well covered elsewhere in the genre. I do wish the topics had been cut in half and those that remained further explored. Overall, a solid read.

Finding Junie Kim is a book that packs an emotional punch. It is the story of Junie who is a middle schooler facing racist attacks by her peers. This causes her to get depressed and push her friends away. As Junie is learning how to cope with how she is feeling, she learns more about her grandparents' stories about their experiences and strength during the Korean War. This leads her to be brave as she faces more obstacles thrown her way. I thought that each of the three stories were wonderfully told. The stories helped us understand the three perspectives and how they got to where the were and where they were going from there. There is great opportunity for discussion on a range of important topics while reading this book.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Junie is a Korean American girl who attends a mostly white school where she gets bullied and where there's an incident of racist graffiti on the first day of school. She feels helpless and tired and doesn't think standing up for herself will do any good, which causes a rift between her and her friends. Then Junie starts therapy for depression and starts to talk to her grandparents who tell her their stories of being young during the Korean War. Young readers shouldn't have any trouble connecting the dots between these stories and current events, understanding how racism and hatred can escalate into war between neighbors. Oh's writing shines in the historical passages. Junie complains about being lectured to, and unfortunately I found sections that felt very lecture-like, but young readers may need more explicit statements about how to deal with racism in their daily lives. It was good to see another middle grade character going to therapy and finding it helpful, which may help reduce any stigma. Junie is an excellent example of how even the quietest person can find their voice for themself and for those around them. Review from e-galley.

Ellen Oh tackles bullying, mental health, microaggressions, PTSD, racism, sexism, etc. in this middle-grade novel about middle-schooler Junie Kim, a Korean-American who learns to use her voice to speak up against intolerance and hate when it is often easier to stay quiet. This novel takes place in the past and in the present as Junie learns about the experiences of her grandfather and grandmother during the Korean War.

I appreciated Oh using the Korean War as a backdrop for the story because I don’t think it is a topic that is covered much in middle-grade literature. Personally, I felt that the story would have been improved if the author didn’t have Junie comment at the end of each grandparent’s POV—I found it jarring and felt it detracted from the story.

What a powerful book! Junie Kim is a Korean American middle school who faces bullying daily and there is large scale racism occurring as well (racist graffiti) After an incident at her school, she contemplates taking pills to dull the pain but doesn't. She begins therapy and is diagnosed with depression. Junie is also extremely close to her grandparents and she learns the stories of their experiences as children during the Korean War. The book touches on so many important themes and Ellen Oh is to be highly commended for beautifully tackling so many tough issues. Loved this story!

Wow! This story is phenomenal! I loved it and cannot wait to share a copy with my kids when this book is published. Beautiful, emotional, moving, inspiring!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Middle school can be a difficult time because many are on a journey of self discovery. When you have to also deal with prejudice, racism, and hate crimes, it can feel easier to just stay quiet even when you know you should speak up. Junie Kim is faced with this internal struggle, but as she learns more about her family's story, she her confidence grows and she is able to find her voice.

Finding Junie Kim is inspirational, suspenseful, and full of heart. Ellen Oh does a phenomenal job of weaving in many topics (racism, sexism, grief, mental health, grandparent relationships, etc.) that students can relate to and are talking about. The story is told through multiple points of view, which brings power to the story. As readers, we know we are being told first person account every time, which allows us to have a better understanding of each of the characters' perspectives and feelings.

As I was reading, I realized how little I know about the Korean War and it is often taught as a Korean and American event. I will spend time reading and learning about this war. In addition, Junie's story connects to the racism and discrimination Asian Americans have experienced and are currently experiencing at even higher rates since the Covid-19 outbreak. We must listen to the action call to educate ourselves on what Anti-Asian racism looks like, so we can call it out.

I want to say thank you to Ellen Oh for writing this life changing book. She is a fantastic author who is also a co-founder of We Need Diverse Books. Their mission is crucial because we need to make sure that all young people can see themselves in books they read.

Finding Junie Kim a powerful middle grade realistic fiction + historical fiction novel that I couldn't put down! If you enjoy books that cover a range of topics, make you cry, and push your understanding this is the book for you.

Finally, a huge thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books and Netgalley for this ARC copy of Finding Junie Kim. This has been my favorite read of 2021 and I will be purchasing copies to share this powerful story with my students!

Junie learns how to stand up for herself after hearing about her grandparents' experiences during the Korean War. This book touches on a period in history that is rarely covered in school while also connecting to current events like racism and microaggression. Junie's story is one that most middle school students can relate to - having the confidence to stand up to bullies, speaking out against racism and intolerance, etc., but the stories of both grandparents teach Junie about loyalty and friendship in difficult times. These are themes that all students can relate to, and this novel would be a solid addition to a classroom or school library.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

4.5 ⭐️.

I was fortunate to receive an eARC of Finding Junie Kim via NetGalley from the publisher. I have deep respect and admiration for its author, Ellen Oh, the founder of We Need Diverse books and advocate of #ownvoices stories.

And Junie Kim is a beautiful, tragic, and hopeful #ownvoice story. Told part in realistic fiction from Junie’s first person perspective and in 3rd person historical fiction, Oh weaves the racist conflicts in a middle-school setting with the protagonist learning how to find her voice through the stories of both of her maternal grandparents during the Korean War.

The characters are ones for whom my heart simultaneously cheered and broke. Junie’s grandparents reminded me of the importance of family history, particularly when whiteness has worked to erase that history. And Junie herself learns so much from her grandparents: the differences in racism depending on ethnicity, how remaining silent upholds racism, and to lean on your friends and family for strength and wisdom. Oh’s normalization of mental health through Junie’s story is refreshing.

The story grew a bit long in the tooth during part four, but that was because I was yearning to find out how their classmates responded to and her friends’ systemic racism education. All schools - yes, elementary, too, should have a training like Junie’s school did. I wonder if the character the Black trainer hired in the school setting was someone Ellen Oh knew?

Finding Junie Kim would make an excellent read aloud, as it is a fine example of a window/mirror/sliding glass door (Sims-Bishop, 1990) book that humans of all walks of life can learn from. Be aware of the realities of war (violence, death) that may be traumatic for some students, but let that not take away from the necessity of this book. Finding Junie Kim is an avenue toward compassion, and is a must for libraries public, school, and classroom.

My heart was full after reading this book. This story is told in three narratives. Readers will learn about stories of Junie’s grandparents lives during the Korean War and all that they had to endure. Not only do you get a historical aspect of this book, but it is also contemporary as it is set during this present time. Junie and her friends at school face microagressions and systemic racism. This plays into Junie’s depression which is diagnosed from a therapist. Middle grade readers will be able to connect with Junie on such a real level and I know this will be a book readers will never forget.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how the author brought up so much history that is not typically taught in school. I also liked that important topics such as racism and mental health are presented. While telling a wonderful story these subjects are woven through the pages making a beautiful and meaningful book. I would definitely buy a hard copy for my own library.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Many Americans are not taught about the Korean War and Korean-focused discrimination in our present or history. Finding Junie Kim by Ellen Oh is at its heart, a story of 12 year old Junie learning how to find her voice in a world that does not want her to speak. Within its pages, we also hear the harrowing stories of Junie's grandparents who survived the Korean War as children. As Junie Kim learns more about her family's past, she learns valuable lessons about herself and the importance of fighting for what's right.

This story is deeply woven with the importance of intersectionality, but never feels forced or preachy to the reader. In the present, Junie must deal with frequent bullying from white classmates amidst a school-wide investigation to find someone committing hate crimes on school grounds. The hate crime targets Junie and the rest of her friend group, which includes a Black and Jewish student. With the help of her grandfather's stories, Junie is able to figure out a way she can make a difference in a way she feels comfortable with. The book also discusses about mental illness, interracial discrimination, and how American racism looks different depending on what race you are. There is also a small blurb about LGBT acceptance (although no one is explicitly LGBT in the novel). I was deeply impressed by the amount of nuance packed in this story, and it's great to see books like this in a middle-grade fiction aisle.

Finding Junie Kim reminds me of other inter-generational stories such as Min Jin Lee's Pachinko and Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club. There are heavy descriptions of trauma and wartime sacrifices made in order to keep family together. When reading this book, know that the grandparents' stories covers extreme violence, political unrest, and character deaths (some of whom are children). In Junie's story, racism, hate crimes, slurs, and mental illness are center stage. Despite all the hardships both Junie and her grandparents endure, it is their love for each other that keeps the family woven together. There is a part of the novel where the grandfather expresses how Koreans were able to endure hardship through their sense of community and resilience, which I would consider central themes to the overall novel. Junie thrives only after seeing the professional help she needs for her mental illness (major depressive disorder with suicidal idealization) and has the patient support of her family and friends.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts are my own. I would highly recommend any reader interested in this book to preorder Finding Junie Kim or pick it up at a local bookstore on May 4, 2021. Due to the severity of some of the content in this book, I would highly recommend reviewing the content warnings before reading the book.

"Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
Released 5.4.2021

Like most tweens, Junie Kim wants to fit in and not make waves. She keeps out of trouble and doesn't draw any attention to herself. One day, racist graffiti appears at her school, and Junie must make a decision. Will she stay silent or speak out?

In history class, Junie is assigned a project, and she decides to interview her grandparents. They discuss their experiences during the Korean War. Junie learns what brave, fierce, and compassionate grandparents she has.

Junie's voice is honest and reflects what many of our middle graders are feeling -- self-doubt, fear, grief, and anger. This book describes racism, war, and depression. Junie must decide if she wants to speak out against the microaggressions and has internal struggles with her decision.

This is a great title to add to We Need Diverse Books. Will definitely purchase for my library collection.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#bookstagrammer #bookstagram #findingjuniekim #ellenoh #weneeddiversebooks #2021bookreleases #middlegrade #middlegradenovels

Excellent book about Junie and her friends at school facing racism at school. While Junie retreats into depression, her friends want to start a club to help with diversity. Junie’s grandparents help her with her depression by telling her what they dealt with during the Korean War. This helps Junie see that one needs to speak up and be part of the solution.

There are not enough books for middle grade students that deal with racism and micro aggressions, yet this is such an important topic. In addition, I would venture to guess that almost no middle school students know much of the Korean War and this book can help educate them through flashbacks. This feels like a very personal book and is another great title for We Need Diverse Books. Well worth reading as a class.

This book explores a lot of really heavy topics regarding racism. The structure of the story was not quite what I was expecting, and large portions of the story center around Junie's grandparents' stories. I think this book takes an important look at a part of American culture and history, and also features some important representation. It wasn't my favorite book because of the structure, but I appreciate what the book was trying to accomplihs.

The author braids together 3 stories depicting the plight of immigrants fleeing war, anti-Asian racism, and the power of story to educate and build community.
The grandparent stories are lengthy and cover some back history of Korea, Japanese occupation, communism, wartime struggles, cultural battles between modern and ancient beliefs.
There is a lot going on here, most of it unfamiliar to readers. The racist attitudes and actions are front and center both in the past and the present. Junie faces MAGA hat wearing bullies and feels like an outcast at school, at one point contemplating suicide. There’s a lot of ugliness, but it does end on a positive note. Junie and some other kids hold a diversity assembly at school, showing a video they created with non-white kids talking about their experiences. A group of kids finally support Junie when she stands up to the school bus blue who has been tormenting her.

Finding Junie Kim is a heartfelt and moving story which weaves family history with modern struggles. Junie connects with her family’s story as it helps her face racism and identity struggles. Ellen Oh demonstrates the importance of preserving family history through stories. Young readers will be moved by Junie’s struggles and how she faces them as well as by the stories her grandparents tell. Highly recommended.

Wow! Finding Junie Kim pulled me from from one strong human emotion to another, making me feel all of the feelings just as Junie was feeling them herself. Anger, frustration, loneliness, love for her grandparents, nostalgia, sadness, deep grief , loneliness, empowerment. This book made my heart ache and my head hurt from crying. It had so much to say about family, racism, immigration, mental health what it was like in Korea then, and what it is like in America now. Junie Kim is a character experiencing the overwhelm of a multitude of things, not unlike current students of her age. There is so much so many people are dealing with all at once, and this book felt very true to that. It was raw and real and didn’t gloss over or sugar cost any aspect of the things Junie was facing in the present or the realities of what each of her grandparents faced in Korea in the past.