Finding Junie Kim audiobook

Excuse me as I pick my feelings up off of the floor where my emotions drained. I'm not crying. I'M NOT! This book GOT TO ME. This story gives us current climate racism, mental health, Korean War history, friendship, grief, pride, resilience with a dash of after school special. I couldn't love this book any more.I felt so SEEN through Junie's character and what it feels like to be one of very few POC in a school. "Truth is, even though I was born and raised here, I'll never be truly American to her." GAH. While Junie and her diverse group of friends deal with their feelings of the racism and bullying happening in their school, they are all layered characters and we get deep past this top layer into all the action and reactions that accompany. The stars of this book are the grandparents and it's through Junie's relationship with her grandfather and his story telling that we see her growth. We get immediately transported in their story telling of their love story but also their own very different experiences with the Korean War. I LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT MY CULTURE. I'm not usually big on a history lesson but I imagined what it would've been like as if my own Korean grandfather (whom I never knew) was talking to me. There's so much to unpack from this story. Please read this. Especially if you're Korean. And when you do, be sure to read the Author's note. "At the time, half full was still quite a lot. I don't remember when I started noticing that it was actually half empty.""Instead of seeing us as these horrible words, see us as people." Our name is not commie or chink or dog eater or North Korean spy. Her name is Junie. My name is Chandra. And Junie, your grandpa would've absolutely loved you getting his story out there.

I did not expect this book to be so 'dark' and to discuss really difficult topics like depression, suicide, death, war, and everything you try to shelter your children from but eventually creeps into their lives. I loved how honest it war, how well researched it was, and showed you what life could be like. Go pick up a copy!

Parts of this were VERY heavy. I don't know how young would be appropriate for this one. There is extreme racism and mental health. You would want to talk about actionable and healthy coping mechanisms when they are faced with similar situations.It was well-written, though, if uncomfortable to read at times. I felt terrible for Junie Kim a lot of the time. I think many girls, in general, go through this extreme identity question. Junie Kim had different identities to sift through with her race and location. Solid 4 Stars

4.5⭐️Wow I'm surprised that this is a middle-grade novel because it covers so many hard-hitting topics! I thought it would only focus on the immigration experience and history of the Korean War, but it also explores mental health, bullying, peer pressure, racism, hate crimes and more.This book is harrowing, heartbreaking and moving all at once. I like how the story was told mainly through Junie's POV but consisted of two segments from her grandparents, in which they recount their painful wartime experiences. I even found myself tearing up at some scenes. The only reason why this isn't a solid 5 stars for me is because I feel like there is over-idealisation of the American Dream.Nevertheless, I think this is a fantastic book that should be picked up by everyone.Food for thought:✨"Rice is my favourite. I would eat it three times a day every day."✨"There are moments in life when a person must decide between what's right and what's safe. It is one of the most difficult decisions in life, and I would never be angry at you for choosing to do what's safe. But I will always be proud of you for doing what's right."✨"Always remember that silence is a weapon. When people don't speak up, and let evil continue unchecked, they too have come corrupt."

This is such a powerful, important, emotionally intelligent book that beautifully weaves together the trauma of war, hate crime, bullying, depression, friendship tiffs, and lack of cell phone without diminishing or minimizing any of them--in a tender way that I think most older elementary and middle schoolers will find relatable and much-needed.Finding Junie Kim has so much wisdom to share, and is a beautiful starting point for important conversations about compassion toward yourself and others.

Wow. Just wow. The Korean part of me was so excited to read an #OwnVoices book by a Korean American, and wow--I was not disappointed. The feel of the book was great. I enjoyed the tiger story that the Grandpa told and the descriptions of Korea and Korean food. It really connected with me on a personal level. But even more than that, the story is really good. Despite the disconnect I sometimes feel when reading JF (since I'm almost 30), I felt so strongly connected to Junie and I found myself rooting for her to succeed. I will say that the modern parts with Junie felt more juvenile, and I could see junior highers connecting to her emotions and impulses. But the flashback war stories from Junie's Grandpa and Grandma were exceptional. I couldn't get enough. The war stories are a little gruesome, and after finishing the Grandpa's story, I considered whether this book is truly JF... (the characters see--and describe--dead bodies and violence and hardship). It's hard to place, since the main character is pre-teen... Overall, I think the messages and lessons about race, identity, and mental health are very important to kids in middle school but I would discourage younger children from reading up to it simply because it is so heavy and dark. If your child is mature for their age, and has the support system to discuss any questions they may have, I would say go for it. But definitely would not recommend this book blindly.

I totally wept throughout this entire book. Perhaps it's because I could relate to some of what Junie Kim went through. Perhaps it's because I've been reading several depressing books about mental illness lately and it's just put me in that sort of mood. But this one hit me even more than the previous two (John Green's Turtles and Jennifer Niven's All the Bright Places), again, perhaps because I was able to relate to the main character a bit more. This is a middle-grade book, but it's not an easy one. Junie Kim is a middle school girl just trying to keep her head down and handle (and ignore) the outright racism she has been experiencing in her school. While her school's official policy is to not tolerate that kind of behavior, she keeps quiet in part because she feels like nothing will ever change, she has no power, and if she complains, the bullies will make it worse for her. Her friends (black, Latina, Asian), who have also experienced racism, decide they want to speak out, but she's reluctant to do so, again, because she feels powerless and she's worried about making things worse. Mixed in with this is her struggle with depression and even suicide, but this is handled very compassionately and in a way that I think is accessible to younger audiences.She has an amazing relationship with her grandparents, especially her grandfather, and when she's assigned a project to interview a person from her grandfather's generation, she ends up learning many of his stories. The story moves from contemporary to the past as she listens to the stories of her grandfather, and later, her grandmother. As she learns their stories, she also learns to find her inner voice and realizes she is much stronger than she thought she was. As I mentioned, I wept throughout this book, but even with the serious topics, I did not find it a depressing book, per se. Rather, I found it to be inspiring and I absolutely cheered Junie on as she found her little victories. While this book is not autobiographical, the author did incorporate many of the stories in her family and in her people as she shared with us her family experiences with the Korean War. She mentions that this was one of the hardest books she's written and I can definitely see that. I highly recommend this book as a must-read, as a way to increase your understanding of the Asian American experience. I believe this book should be in every middle school library.

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.

Thank you @netgalley for an #advancedreaderscopy of this unbelievably amazing #ownvoices by @elloecho Junie’s middle school gets vandalized with racist graffiti. She faces a bully everyday on the bus. When a class assignment to interview someone who has lived through war, Junie’s grandparents share stories of the Korean War making Junie discover things about her family that she never imagined. Middle grade readers need this book for so many reasons. I learned so much about the Korean War and loved Junie’s journey from the start. Out on May 4th and one of my favorites of 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣1️⃣!!

Totally outstanding.Every school library in the country should have this book. If I were still teaching it would go to the top of my list to read aloud and discuss with the class.I learned a lot about the Korean War. I loved how Junie learned about her Grandfather and grandmother and their life in Korea during very difficult times.I thought the issue of racism in its many forms was handled well. It always saddens me to hear of racism, which is so rife in my culture in New Zealand but everywhere. Let's all stand against it. Thank you Ellen Oh for an amazing book.

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.

This book felt like an epic journey and was just beautifully written! It took the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Nominee for Children's Literature, was a Cybils finalist, and it was on my #MustReadin2022 list. It's based on the true story from her mother about her and her siblings’ trek, searching for their parents during the Korean war. And that just makes it all the more AMAZING!

Richie’s Picks: FINDING JUNIE KIM by Ellen Oh, HarperCollins, May 2021, 368p., ISBN: 978-0-06-298798-3“Through early morning fog I seeVisions of the things to beThe pains that are withheld for meI realize and I can seeThat suicide is painlessIt brings on many changesAnd I can take or leave it if I please”– Johnny Mandel, the theme from M*A*S*H, the movie/TV show featuring an American medical military unit, set amidst the Korean War“President Trump’s first use of the phrase ‘Kung Flu’--during a campaign rally in Tulsa–drew broad political backlash as a racist slur against Asian Americans.Within three days, however, it was also something else: a rallying cry for his supporters…‘The fact that he got the crowd so riled up was just chilling,’ said Chris Lu, a Chinese American who served as a cabinet secretary in the Obama White House. ‘In that really primal desire to get a rise out of the crowd and get that affirmation he wants, he went to this place that has such bad consequences for Asian Americans broadly and for Asian American kids in particular. It’s a joke to him but not to us.’”– Washington Post, “With ‘kung flu,’ Trump sparks backlash over racist language – and a rallying cry for supporters” (6/24/2020)“‘How did you deal with all of it?’‘All of what?’‘The racism.’ I wipe the tears away from my eyes. ‘How come it didn’t get to you? Weren’t you depressed? Didn’t it make you want to just run away and never have to deal with it?’Grandpa gets up and comes over to hug me. The video is still running on his empty chair, but I can’t be bothered to turn it off. I let myself cry in my grandfather’s arms. It takes me a few minutes to finally compose myself as Grandpa gently pats my back. When I’m finally cried out, he gets up to give me a box of tissues and waits as I blow my nose.‘I’m sorry, Grandpa.’‘No, Junie, never apologize for showing your feelings. That is not something my generation of Koreans is good at doing, but it is a beautiful thing to see how Americans can be so open and honest about how they feel.’‘Are you talking about that Chama thing?’Grandpa smiles and nods. ‘We Koreans have learned to hold in so much suffering. But we also have the ability to love deeply. This country has been so difficult and yet I love it very much. I still believe in the American dream. Your grandmother and I came with very little money, and now we are comfortable in our old age. This country has been very hard on us, and yet it has been very good to us also. For every terrible racist we have had to deal with, there have been many more wonderful people who have helped us and cared for us. That is why I never regret moving here. I don’t know if we would have been better off in Korea, but I do not doubt that I gave my children a chance at a better life during a very turbulent time in our own country, and I am grateful for that opportunity.’”Junie Kim is a contemporary Asian-American tween. She attends a middle school whose gym has now been marred with racist and anti-Semitic graffiti. One of her peers refers to her as Kim Jung Un and tells her to go back to her “own Communist country.”In dealing with this racism, Junie comes to learn the stories of her Korean immigrant grandparents. Her grandparents were children who survived the Korean War. Their stories of bravery and resilience in the face of brutal wartime experiences are the primary focus of this powerful read. The Korean people were treated poorly by Japan, which annexed Korea in 1910. Then, with Japan’s defeat in WWII, the Soviet Union and the U.S. battled for control of the Korean peninsula. Both the Soviets and Americans were guilty of atrocities and duplicity. The occasional descriptions of war crimes are sufficiently horrific to lead me to recommend this notable and powerful tale for 10-14-year olds, instead of the publisher’s suggestion of 8-12s.“War is not healthy for children and other living things.”– popular 1960s saying/imageI hope that this stellar piece of historical fiction finds its way into the hands of tomorrow’s decision makers. I fear that online war games desensitize young people who should, instead, read this book and begin to understand what war is really about.Richie Partington, MLISRichie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.comhttps://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/https://twitter.com/richiespicks [email protected]

4.5 - The first 80 pages went by so fast! Grandpa’s and Grandma’s stories (which were much needed) taught me some historical and cultural ideas, and then coming back to what’s happening in Junie’s life… such a wonderful blend. I love how it ended, and yet I wish there was more at the end for those students who aren’t yet getting therapy for their (known or unknown) depression.