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Goodbye, French Fry
A sparkling debut novel featuring a Chinese American girl doing her best to stay true to herself in a world that often judges
Some days Ping-Ping feels like she just can’t win. She was born in the US, so it’s frustrating when people are surprised by how American she is, but her Chinese relatives feel she’s not Chinese enough. But the things bugging her the most lately are her classmate Lee Beaumont, who has taken to calling her “French Fry” because of the tofu sticks she eats at lunch, and the possibility that her family will have to relocate to Kenya for her father’s UN job. Of all the things Ping-Ping loves, her home and best friend are at the top of the list, and she’d hate to have to leave them. What’s a girl to do when she can’t be in as much control as she’d like to be? Well, good thing Ping-Ping is a wiz at taekwondo—she’s learning how to kick her frustrations away, and there’s almost nothing she can’t master if she puts her mind to it. Rin-rin Yu has written a warm and funny family story that will have kids rooting for Ping-Ping—a girl who is ready to kick all the assumptions made about her aside!
Some days Ping-Ping feels like she just can’t win. She was born in the US, so it’s frustrating when people are surprised by how American she is, but her Chinese relatives feel she’s not Chinese enough. But the things bugging her the most lately are her classmate Lee Beaumont, who has taken to calling her “French Fry” because of the tofu sticks she eats at lunch, and the possibility that her family will have to relocate to Kenya for her father’s UN job. Of all the things Ping-Ping loves, her home and best friend are at the top of the list, and she’d hate to have to leave them. What’s a girl to do when she can’t be in as much control as she’d like to be? Well, good thing Ping-Ping is a wiz at taekwondo—she’s learning how to kick her frustrations away, and there’s almost nothing she can’t master if she puts her mind to it. Rin-rin Yu has written a warm and funny family story that will have kids rooting for Ping-Ping—a girl who is ready to kick all the assumptions made about her aside!
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First published February 17, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 25, 2026
This is a good book with awesome communication between the kids and their parents. I love how the story brings out the characters’ personalities so vividly and quite naturally for both the younger and the adult characters.
Love the storytelling. Love the caring family vibes.
The writing is engaging and fun to read till the end. The cultural diverse presentation is good I would say for the middle grade readers. It’s not overdone or complicated.
My favourite character is Xy, the younger child. He’s the cutest and so caring about his family.
I just couldn’t believe the parents did nothing about the constant bullying of their older girl child. That’s the only part I just couldn’t like about this book.
Love the storytelling. Love the caring family vibes.
The writing is engaging and fun to read till the end. The cultural diverse presentation is good I would say for the middle grade readers. It’s not overdone or complicated.
My favourite character is Xy, the younger child. He’s the cutest and so caring about his family.
I just couldn’t believe the parents did nothing about the constant bullying of their older girl child. That’s the only part I just couldn’t like about this book.
March 5, 2026
I enjoyed being immersed in the family’s day-to-day activities in New York, especially because of their Chinese heritage. The story almost read like a memoir. My favorite character was the little seven-year brother. He had some cute jokes which were seven-year-old authentic. A debut middle grade author to watch!
March 12, 2026
A very sweet middle grade book.
November 9, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Fifth grader Ping-Ping and her younger brother Xy (pronounced "she") were born in New York City and are being raised in Edgewood, so they don't understand why ignorant classmates like Lee Beaumont give them a hard time about being Chinese. Their supportive mother translates picture books, and their Baba has a high level position in the Population and Statistics Bureau at the United Nations and commutes into New York City. There are a few higher expectations for academic performance, and since both Ping-Ping and Xy have perfect pitch, they take piano lessons. Ping-Ping also studies taekwondo, and likes to hang out with her best friend, Ana. When she overhears her mother saying that her father might get a promotion to a position in Nigeria, Ping-Ping is devastated. Finding out from her cousin Pai at Thanksgiving that people often take promotions for higher pay, the siblings both try to raise money, Ping-Ping by selling friendship bracelets, and Xy by holding unsuccessful car washes. When her eyesight makes it hard for her to see the blackboard in school and read music that is too far away, Ping-Ping tries to hide this from her parents, since they believe that bad eyesight is caused by reading at night, but she has to eventually come clean. Her parents admit that since they both wear glasses, genetics might play a part. Xy has a boy, Jack, move to his class from China, and asks Baba to help him improve his Chinese language skills. Lee's bullying behavior is a thread throughout the story, and when Ping-Ping accidentally kicks him in the face while practicing a taekwondo move, she is conflicted. She eventually confesses to her mother, who calls Lee's parents, only to find that Lee has explained his injury as an accident caused by slipping on the ice. Ping-Ping is surprised when her mother includes an extra brownie in her lunch to share with Lee, and is even more suprised when this seems to improve Lee's attitude towards her. In the end, Baba gets a promotion, but the family can still stay in the New York area.
Strengths: This was an interesting slice-of-life book involving identity and family dynamics. Ping-Ping's trying out of the name "Megan" as something that would be less problematic for her made me laugh, because I remember wanting to reinvent myself as "Kay" because there were so many people named Karen in my grade! I loved that she took piano lessons, practiced taekwondo, and studied Chinese with her father. Both parents are alive, supportive, and loving in their own way (which is also explored when Ping-Ping sees her friend Ana's mother frequently hugging her and saying "I love you", which Ping-Ping's parents don't do.). Lee and his bullying behavior is realistically portrayed, and the resolution was a relief. I would be interested in seeing more books by this author.
Weaknesses: I wish that Ping-Ping's vision problems were more clearly depicted. While the parents eventually admit that genetics might be behind Ping-Ping's need for glasses, young readers might come away with the idea that bad eyesight might be caused by individual actions. I was glad to see that Ping-Ping didn't mind her glasses, but it was alarming that she felt like needing them might be her fault.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want to explore the issues surrounding being an Asian American and who enjoyed books such as Chen's With Twice the Love, Dessie Mae, Tsong's Fake Chinese Sounds, Keller's Jennifer Chan is Not Alone, Wang's Summer at Squee, or Soontornvat and Cacao's The Tryout: A Graphic Novel. It's also a good look at the family and school activities that upper elementary students might be involved with. I'm debating this one, as it is a bit young. I would definitely buy this for an elementary library.
Fifth grader Ping-Ping and her younger brother Xy (pronounced "she") were born in New York City and are being raised in Edgewood, so they don't understand why ignorant classmates like Lee Beaumont give them a hard time about being Chinese. Their supportive mother translates picture books, and their Baba has a high level position in the Population and Statistics Bureau at the United Nations and commutes into New York City. There are a few higher expectations for academic performance, and since both Ping-Ping and Xy have perfect pitch, they take piano lessons. Ping-Ping also studies taekwondo, and likes to hang out with her best friend, Ana. When she overhears her mother saying that her father might get a promotion to a position in Nigeria, Ping-Ping is devastated. Finding out from her cousin Pai at Thanksgiving that people often take promotions for higher pay, the siblings both try to raise money, Ping-Ping by selling friendship bracelets, and Xy by holding unsuccessful car washes. When her eyesight makes it hard for her to see the blackboard in school and read music that is too far away, Ping-Ping tries to hide this from her parents, since they believe that bad eyesight is caused by reading at night, but she has to eventually come clean. Her parents admit that since they both wear glasses, genetics might play a part. Xy has a boy, Jack, move to his class from China, and asks Baba to help him improve his Chinese language skills. Lee's bullying behavior is a thread throughout the story, and when Ping-Ping accidentally kicks him in the face while practicing a taekwondo move, she is conflicted. She eventually confesses to her mother, who calls Lee's parents, only to find that Lee has explained his injury as an accident caused by slipping on the ice. Ping-Ping is surprised when her mother includes an extra brownie in her lunch to share with Lee, and is even more suprised when this seems to improve Lee's attitude towards her. In the end, Baba gets a promotion, but the family can still stay in the New York area.
Strengths: This was an interesting slice-of-life book involving identity and family dynamics. Ping-Ping's trying out of the name "Megan" as something that would be less problematic for her made me laugh, because I remember wanting to reinvent myself as "Kay" because there were so many people named Karen in my grade! I loved that she took piano lessons, practiced taekwondo, and studied Chinese with her father. Both parents are alive, supportive, and loving in their own way (which is also explored when Ping-Ping sees her friend Ana's mother frequently hugging her and saying "I love you", which Ping-Ping's parents don't do.). Lee and his bullying behavior is realistically portrayed, and the resolution was a relief. I would be interested in seeing more books by this author.
Weaknesses: I wish that Ping-Ping's vision problems were more clearly depicted. While the parents eventually admit that genetics might be behind Ping-Ping's need for glasses, young readers might come away with the idea that bad eyesight might be caused by individual actions. I was glad to see that Ping-Ping didn't mind her glasses, but it was alarming that she felt like needing them might be her fault.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want to explore the issues surrounding being an Asian American and who enjoyed books such as Chen's With Twice the Love, Dessie Mae, Tsong's Fake Chinese Sounds, Keller's Jennifer Chan is Not Alone, Wang's Summer at Squee, or Soontornvat and Cacao's The Tryout: A Graphic Novel. It's also a good look at the family and school activities that upper elementary students might be involved with. I'm debating this one, as it is a bit young. I would definitely buy this for an elementary library.
December 8, 2025
Ping-Ping is being bullied. But she doesn't want to be a snitch, though she does tell her mother she is being bothered by Lee Beaumont. Her mother’s response is that there are a lot of Lee Beaumont’s out in the world, so she should get used to dealing with them. Mostly what Lee makes fun of is her name. He called her Ping-Pong for a while, but then started calling her french fries because of what she ate. On one hand, she wants to be called by her name, but on the other hand, she doesn’t want him to know he is bothering her.
This is an interesting take on dealing with bullies, as well as being the first generation where people think you don’t know English, just because you look like “the other”. Add to all this the prospect that her family might have to move to Kenya, for her dad’s job, she has a lot on her mind.
Middle grade fiction is all about friendships, and bullies, and learning to deal with both. This is an interesting take, in the end, of how Ping-Ping dealt with it all.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book will be published on the 17th of February 2026
This is an interesting take on dealing with bullies, as well as being the first generation where people think you don’t know English, just because you look like “the other”. Add to all this the prospect that her family might have to move to Kenya, for her dad’s job, she has a lot on her mind.
Middle grade fiction is all about friendships, and bullies, and learning to deal with both. This is an interesting take, in the end, of how Ping-Ping dealt with it all.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book will be published on the 17th of February 2026
March 17, 2026
In GOODBYE, FRENCH FRY, Chinese American fifth grader Ping-Ping navigates challenges at home and at school. At school a classmate continuously bullies her over her name, leading her to wonder if it would stop if she changed her name to Megan instead. At home Ping-Ping is concerned about the possibility of her father getting a promotion at work and moving the family from their home in New York to Kenya. The strong and loving relationship Ping-Ping has with her parents and younger brother offers continual support, even when she doesn’t make the best choices. She takes initiative to deal with a variety of challenges, all the while staying true to herself as she navigates the different elements of her identity.
Ping-Ping’s experiences with microaggressions and straddling multiple identities play out in an age-appropriate way that showcases the character’s strength while incorporating humor in a variety of different day-to-day situations. The personalities of Ping-Ping and her family members are well-developed, which supports the realistic feel of the narrative. The story’s short chapters keep the action moving in this engaging story incorporating culture and identity.
Ping-Ping’s experiences with microaggressions and straddling multiple identities play out in an age-appropriate way that showcases the character’s strength while incorporating humor in a variety of different day-to-day situations. The personalities of Ping-Ping and her family members are well-developed, which supports the realistic feel of the narrative. The story’s short chapters keep the action moving in this engaging story incorporating culture and identity.
November 10, 2025
Ping Ping is mocked by not just by her name. Classmate bully, Lee, takes it a step further when he ridicules her when she brings her family's Chinese for a school lunch. At home, her father patiently teaches both Ping Ping and her brother the language alongside noting the significance in celebrating the Chinese New Year.
Each of Ping-Ping encounters, when straddling two cultures, is not uncommon. Author utilizes relatable experiences in each chapter but, at times, felt that the chapters were each independent of one another leading to a choppy read. Good cover but don't think the title fit the book.
This ARC was provided by the publisher, Penguin Young Readers Group | Nancy Paulsen Books, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#GoodbyeFrenchFry #NetGalley
Each of Ping-Ping encounters, when straddling two cultures, is not uncommon. Author utilizes relatable experiences in each chapter but, at times, felt that the chapters were each independent of one another leading to a choppy read. Good cover but don't think the title fit the book.
This ARC was provided by the publisher, Penguin Young Readers Group | Nancy Paulsen Books, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#GoodbyeFrenchFry #NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Goodbye, French Fry is a quick, fun read that captures many of the everyday trials and tribulations kids experience, making it easy for young readers to relate to Ping-Ping. Her journey feels genuine and heartfelt, and I especially enjoyed the strong bond she shares with her best friend, which adds warmth and emotional depth to the story. Ping-Ping’s positive, can-do attitude is encouraging and helps carry her through challenges in a way that feels both realistic and inspiring. Overall, this is an engaging and approachable book that will resonate with children and leave them feeling uplifted. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group | Nancy Paulsen Books for the ARC.
Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group | Nancy Paulsen Books for the ARC.
February 23, 2026
Ping-Ping is such a bold character. She is bring bullied by Lee and she tells her mom, but her mom pretty much tells her she has to figure out how to deal with him, because there are many like him in the world.
At the same time she's dealing with the fact that her family might be moving. Her family is very close knit and there are a lot of dynamics we see through her culture.
I liked the dynamic between her and her best friend. I also really liked the relationship she has with her brother Xy and how much he looks up to her.
We learn a lot about Ping-Ping and how she excels in piano and tae kwondo. She is a very relatable character that kids will like reading about.
At the same time she's dealing with the fact that her family might be moving. Her family is very close knit and there are a lot of dynamics we see through her culture.
I liked the dynamic between her and her best friend. I also really liked the relationship she has with her brother Xy and how much he looks up to her.
We learn a lot about Ping-Ping and how she excels in piano and tae kwondo. She is a very relatable character that kids will like reading about.
February 17, 2026
Goodbye, French Fry is a sweet and (actually) funny slice-of-tale with a charming lead navigating the ups and downs of upper elementary school life while learning to love and accept her Chinese heritage. This gentle, relatable story feels like a book kids can read a chapter at a time before bed each night and talk about with their friends at school. All in all, a delight to read!
Full review - https://readingmiddlegrade.com/goodby...
Full review - https://readingmiddlegrade.com/goodby...
March 8, 2026
A fun and heartfelt middle grade book about a young Chinese American girl living in New York City who is dealing with a bully at school and struggling with wanting to be more 'American.' I really enjoyed this one, the main character has a great family and best friend and she was relatable. Recommended for fans of authors like Kelly Yang.
March 17, 2026
This gave me big Ramona Quimby vibes in the best way possible.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews