Die Apfelprinzessin

by Jenny Han

Lebe deinen Traum

Was Clara Lee mag: ihre beste Freundin Shayna, ihren Großvater, ihre Bonbonkette. Was sie nicht mag: die Fischsuppe ihrer Mutter, Albträume, wenn ihre kleine Schwester sie nervt (was die fast immer tut). Was sie gerne möchte: die Apfelprinzessin ihrer kleinen Stadt werden. Doch es gibt eine scharfe Konkurrentin. Muss sie ihren großen Traum etwa aufgeben?

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Juvenile, Cultural, Contemporary

128 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 4, 2011

Reviews

[Rachel L · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!

I thought this chapter book was so cute and I wish Jenny Han would write more! The thing I loved most about this book was the glimpse into normal Korean culture from Clara Lee's perspective, nothing was made to be very different or exotic, it was her everyday normal life.

If you are looking for a chapter book for the child in your life, I highly recommend this one! It was a delight!


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[Wendi Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good! Clara Lee lives in Bramley, where one of the biggest events is the Apple Blossom Festival. She wants to try out for Little Miss Apple Pie, but she's nervous about the competition - giving a speech about what makes Bramley special in front of the entire elementary school.

Her classmate questions whether Clara Lee is American as apple pie enough. How long has Clara's family lived in Bramley? Can she be 100% American if she's also 100% Korean?

I loved how this novel embraces diversity, with boisterous Clara Lee and the special bond she has with her family, especially her grandfather.

[Sarah BT · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Jenny Han, especially her first novel, the fantastic tween novel Shug. So when I saw she was heading back to MG territory, I was thrilled!

Clara Lee is a younger tween read, but perfect for young tweens looking for an easy chapter book to read. Clara Lee's voice is fun and she surrounds herself with a memorable cast of characters. Her relationship with her Grandpa is sweet and I loved when Clara Lee would try to spell the words Grandpa was trying to read-too cute. She has an annoying little sister Emmeline, who must be the star of everything and tries to steal the spotlight. The sister dynamic will resonate with anyone who grew up with a sister (older or younger)-Jenny Han has it spot on! And Clara Lee's frustration with her parents will be something readers can easily relate to.

Clara Lee isn't perfect-and that's what I like about her. Sure, she's full of optimism and has a lot of spunk to her, but she also gets upset with her parents after they punish her, as well as getting into a disagreement with a friend at school. Life is never easy or fair, but Clara Lee learns to deal with it the best she can.

The book has a nice message without ever getting too preachy and messagey. In fact, it's so well written into the story that I think tweens won't feel like they're getting a book with a "lesson" but instead will just enjoy a fun story. I wish the book had been a bit longer. I really liked Clara Lee and wanted to spend just a bit more time with her. There are also some side characters I wish we could have gotten just a bit more of. I really hope this turns into a series because I'd love more adventures with Clara Lee!

Book Pairings: Clara Lee would pair perfectly with other spunky tween heriones like Clementine, Judy Moody, Ivy & Bean, and Piper Reed. Although the book is much shorter, I think readers who enjoy the Allie Finkle series would also enjoy Clara Lee.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apparently, I just love Jenny Han. Everything she writes, I love.

It's always hard to explain what it is that makes intermediate novels good, because, well, here's the plot:

Clara Lee is in the third grade. She's Korean-American, and her grandfather interprets dreams. She has one day of incredible good luck after her , and she decides to sign up to be Little Miss Apple Pie, and she really really wants to be Little Miss Apple Pie in the apple festival, but she'll have to give a speech in front of the entire school. And her luck has started to turn bad.

So, not super exciting, right? The stakes, not so high. But this book is incredibly charming. Clara Lee's family--her "Korean dream genius" grandfather, her sister's preference for eating kimchi for every meal--is warm and quirky and loving. Her town is small and sweet and has a personality of it's own. And Clara Lee herself, all of her fears and hopes and her unique phraseology, is a fantastic protagonist. And that's what makes a good book for this age range. Main characters with lots of personality and secondary characters who are realistic and have sparks of their own. In a realistic contemporary novel, stakes in third grade are never super-high, but if the character is good, and if the stakes matter enough to them, they can feel pretty darn important.

Anyway, I love Clara Lee and her grandpa, and I want to live in Bramley with them.

[Doret · Rating 4 out of 5]

8 yr old Clara Lee wants to be Little Miss Apple Pie for the Apple Blossom Festival. Clara Lee is scared about going for Little Miss Apple pie until her Grandpa interpret her dream, to mean good luck.

The next day everything goes right for Clara Lee. But too soon, good luck is gone. Clara Lee, gets in trouble at the dinner table and into a fight with a very good friend. Another girl who wants to be Little Miss Apple Pie tells Clara Lee she's not American enough to win.

This story was great I am going to begin bold and say this is a 2011 Newbery contender. (I know that's serious but trust me its that good)

Han's does a wonderful job with all aspects of this story. It's very well rounded. I loved Clara Lee's voice. We get to see all sides of Clara Lee. I loved Clara Lee's relationship with her Grandpa. It's very sweet.

One of the many things I loved abotu this story, its never about identity. Clara Lee embraces her Korean and American heritage. Also the author smoothly incorporates Clara Lee's fear of not being considered American enough (something many can relate to ) without making a big deal about it. Kuo's illustrations are wonderful, fitting the text perfectly and adding to the magic of the story.

There's was just such an easiness to this story that I really enjoyed. Clara Lee is one of my favorite protagonist of the year. 8 up

[Ardea Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title / Author / Publication Date: Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream/Jenny Han/2011

Genre: Fiction

Format: Hardcover

Plot summary: Clara Lee knows exactly what she likes: her best friends, her grandpa, kimchi, candy necklaces, and her dream of becoming the next Little Miss Apple Pie.

Clara Lee knows exactly what she doesn't like: when her little sister is being annoying, her mom's fish soup, bad dreams (but Grandpa says they mean good luck), and speaking in front of lots of people (but she'll have to do it for the pageant).

After a bad dream, will Clara Lee's luck change for the better? Can she overcome her fear of speaking in public and win Little Miss Apple Pie? (GoodReads)

Considerations or precautions for readers advisory: Content deals with some issues of being mixed-race (Korean American).

Review citation: Hickey, K. (2011). Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream (Book Review). School Library Journal, 57(2), 81.

Section source used to find the material: Children's Core Collection, Most Highly Recommended

Recommended age: 7 and up

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I read an ARC of this book where much of the art was not finalized**

This book was short and sweet, about a Korean- American girl named Clara Lee who has dreams of being on the Apple Blossom Festival. She has a dream that her grandfather interprets to mean good luck, which leads her to keeping track of all the good things that happen to her. As the list grows, she gets the courage to sign up for the speech contest that determines who will ride on the float. But as her luck seems to turn, will she be able to talk in front of the whole school on her own? Nice lesson about every day being sprinkled with good and bad luck, and nice integration of the Korean culture. The art that was included looked promising, gentle sketches that flowed with the story but didn't detract from it.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Typed by a 3rd grader for her summer reading project.

Clara Lee and the apple pie dream is about a girl named Clara Lee who is about 9 years old and lives in a small town. She goes to school there and has lots of friends. In the book, there is a contest to be the "little princess". Many people want to be the little princess because the winner gets to be on a the apple pie festival float in a parade. You have to try out and make a speech in front of the whole school the school votes to choose the winner. The winner gets to ride on the float at the apple pie festival. I hope you enjoy the book!!!

[Erica Elwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this early chapter book! It’s got great diversity with a Korean American family. Clara Lee has a great relationship with her grandfather and her parents. She also has a pretty realistic relationship with her sister...she is annoyed by her but does love her.

Clara Lee makes a few mistakes but she listens to her grandpa and parents and tries to make amends.

The best part of this book is the theme about being 100% American and 100% Korean or whatever ethnicity.

Recommend: 6 and up depending on reading level; one small comment about dream interpretation and some things regarding Korean history...not bad but worth having a conversation with the reader

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took us a long time to read this book. We had a slow start and put it down for awhile. But once we got really into the story, we finished it quickly. We liked the various characters and we loved the mixture of Korean culture and the Apple Blossom Festival. The black and white illustrations are very expressive and complement the story nicely. We really enjoyed reading this story and would like to read more about Clara Lee and her family and friends.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Children's fiction, realistic fiction
Format: Print
Plot: Clara Lee, a Korean-American third-grader, desperately wants to be Little Miss Apple Pie. After a good dream, she finds herself brimming with confidence and luck.
Readers advisory:
Review citation: SLJ 2010
Source: Children's Core Collection
Recommended age: 6-8

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, appealing story for young independent readers. Would make a good classroom read aloud, too, for 2nd or 3rd grade.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read again for a Cozy Mysteries Group monthly challenge (Feb. 2018)

[Lauren Porteneuve · Rating 4 out of 5]

the third grader that i read this book with told me it would have been 5 stars but it was “too long”

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve officially read all of Jenny Han’s books now.

[Yukiraking · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was adorable. It wasn't deep. It wasn't much other than fluffy kid stuff, but then it never tried to be anything else. What it was, however, was exactly the kid of book I would have wanted to read as a kid. I didn't have it back then, when it would have been a favourite for me, but I still enjoyed it now, even though I'm well above the intended demographic. It was so sweet. And Clara Lee's grandfather was probably my favourite part. He was sweet and adorable, and Clara's heartbreak at disappointing him really struck a chord with me.

As my first foray into Jenny Han's writing, I can't say she's amazing just yet, but I have decided that she's caught my interest. I'm going to read one of her trilogies next, in order to fully decide on my opinion on her, but I did thoroughly enjoy Clara Lee's story.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clara Lee has always dreamed of one day being Little Miss Apple Pie in her town's Apple Blossom Festival parade. But to get the position you have to give a speech, and that is a little intimidating. When Clara has a scary dream her Grandpa tells her is good luck, and then a string of good things happens, Clara decides to maybe try some things that worried her before like climbing the rope in gym...and giving a speech in front of the entire school about why her town is so great so she can be in the running for Little Miss Apple Pie. Clara really hopes she'll get Little Miss Apple Pie, but then a string of bad things happens, she's afraid her luck has run out, and she worries that though she was born in this town perhaps with her Korean blood maybe she's not American enough to win.

I sometimes have issues with contemporary fiction for kids because often the problems seem so juvenile and so easily fixed, but then I have to step back into childhood memories and realize that these things are quite realistic for the age group. Clara Lee did make me roll my eyes at times, but she's a very believable little girl with believable everyday problems. I liked how she wrestled a little with her cultural identity as I work at a school full of kids who will identify with Clara's questions. Included in that group are lots of Koreans and Korean Americans who will love having a literary character they can identify with. So I appreciate this for providing a character kids can identify with. I wasn't sure I would have had the book end the way it did. Clara does get Little Miss Apple Pie, but I'm not sure it will be good for her in the long run. She seems like the kind of girl that would let that go to her head.

No content issues.

[RLL22016_beatrizmatamoros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream by Jenny Han is about a young proud Korean American child who has a bad dream. Clara Lee grandfather interpret her dream to be good luck. Clara Lee as having good luck on her side decide to sign up for little miss apple pie pageant an event that takes every year during the apple festival. Clara has to give a speech in front of the whole school about what makes her community unique. The theme of the book is realistic fiction because young children in school can relate to Clara Lee, such as, going to school, having friends, having good days and bad days at schools. Young children who are Korean American can relate to Clara Lee and the culture. I would recommend this book for third graders and up because is easy to read which has an understandable storyline.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenny Han and I only fight over love triangles, so I had high hopes here-- the protagonist is 9, so we dodge that Achilles heel. This is a high quality book for 7-10 year olds and goes to the top of the kiddo's to-read pile.

[Artemis Zhu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this in second or third grade and loving it like crazy! Clara Lee (Yes, I had to go by her rules in saying her name right.) is a lot like be but is also wistful and hopeful (Half the time that is NOT me.) and is very persistent as well. She also kind of reminds me of when I was little, when I used to always bark at anyone in frustration or anger who tries to get in my path of doing something important. (Yes, I did that unfortunately, sorry everybody.) I'd also be soulless (Meaning I'd actually be entirely emotionless.) on the outside but ready to explode on the outside when some underestimates me. (I'm pretty good at hiding true emotions.) I also sometimes feel like every time something goes my way or something goes right, I feel like a champion and I am victorious! (Yeah, I could've thought twice if I saw my life after that. -_-) Like how Clara in her story finds victory but gets bowled over when she didn't even see the unlucky things happen, like when her classmates don't think she can be Little Miss Apple Pie (They didn't mention it, but it's probably because they think Clara Lee as a Korean-American Girl, she can't be Little Miss Apple Pie. How racist and rude!)or when she gets punished by her parents. Clara's story is like a roller coaster of luck. I highly recommend it to anyone who is willing to read a story about victory, defeat, and small amounts of racism in between.

[Sarah Patt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this sweet story about a third-grade Korean-American girl named Clara Lee. She has a lot of personality, and this realistic fiction novel offers a fun look at her family, school, and friends. The illustrations keep the story moving along perfectly and bridge the gap for kids just transitioning into reading longer chapter books. Clara Lee's fondest dream is to win the Little Miss Apple Pie contest and ride in a parade float during her small town, Bramley's yearly Apple Festival.
To win, she's got to deliver a speech in front of the whole school, which makes her very nervous. Clara Lee begins to worry when an obnoxious "mean girl" classmate reminds Clara that "American as apple pie" usually means blonde and blue-eyed, NOT Korean-American. Does she still have a shot at winning the contest? She delivers her speech, speaking from the heart about what she loves about Bramley. You are going to have to read this book to find out if she won! ;)
I'll be recommending this charming book for 8-12-year-old readers who enjoy an endearing, inspirational, and relatable story.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great early chapter book. Clara is precocious and vocal. She is a leader and also self-reflective. Seems like a lot for a third-grader but I know a few like her. Jenny Han’s writing gives Clara a voice that is reminiscent of other strong female characters—clementine and Judy moody of course, but also Sheila Tubman! Especially “I never said I was scared”. The central plot of who will be little miss Apple pie gives Clara a way to explore her own culture (which we see in her house mostly in food and some names, vocab, and the ideas about luck) and the balance between being Korean and American. The message from her grandpa that she can be both 100% American and 100% Korean is important and is probably authentically confusing for young kids like Clara too.

[Sylvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Selingan dari perjalanan Samiam, karena butuh baca sesuatu yang langsung habis sekali duduk. Clara Lee adalah anak Korean yang lahir di Amerika. Dia se-Amerika apple pie yang menjadi ciri khas kota tempatnya dia tinggal.

Namun saat ada pemilihan Miss Apple Pie, saingannya berkata bahwa Clara Lee tak se-Amerika itu. Dan si rival ini sangat yakin dia yang akan terpilih karena buyutnya adalah salah satu founder kota tersebut, dan emaknya dulu Miss Apple Pie.

Apakah Clara Lee akan cukup percaya diri untuk mendaftarkan dirinya sendiri menjadi kandidat Miss Apple Pie?

Seperti biasa Jenny Han mengusung kisah yang ringan namun bermakna, seperti kisah sekolah, persahabatan, dan keluarga. Cocok buat remaja dan anak-anak.

[Victoria (hotcocoaandbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was adorable!!!!
I read this to my sons in a few days during our Korean study. We wanted to learn a little about how life might be like for someone who is a Korean American. This talks about Clara Lee, a second generation American girl who is close to her Korean grandfather who lives with her family. He braids her hair for her and teaches her a few things about her culture.

In the process of life, Clara Lee has some close friends at school. She wants to have a chance to possibly become Little Miss Apple Pie at the festival in town coming up!!! This shows a struggle of what I even know some Korean Americans have had in the country...

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the idea of the story is very charming and socially and culturally educational. But I had a hard time enjoying the story because the main character, Clara Lee, was so unlikable. She’s sometimes nice, sometimes unfriendly. She’s caring but selfish at the same time. I found it hard to root for her in her efforts to become Little Miss Apple Pie.

The writing was excellent – very detailed and relatable – especially for this young of a reading level. Julia Kuo’s illustrations were a lovely addition to the story – cute and expressive.

Although I didn’t enjoy the story, I would read more by Jenny Han because I think she is a talented writer and storyteller.

[Zureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually, I read this book not because I know a little about it from people or reviews but because I like the books published by Jenny Han. But unexpectedly, it turned out good and fun to read. I like the confidence Clara Lee has and all, especially about her grandpa. Her grandpa made her believe that her dream is a meaning of 'good-luck' although her dream scared her. I highly recommend everyone to read the book if you guys aren't sure what to read and this will be the great one!

[Effie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very mixed feelings about this book... loved that it was about a Korean girl by a Korean author and its authentic glimpses into Korean culture. Would have liked to see more weight given to Dionne’s statement about Clara Lee not being “American enough.” Also not sure that the grandpa’s accent was necessary since it was not thoroughly explained...

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really cute! I am a big fan of Jenny Han and this was my first time reading one of her middle grade/kids books. I would have read this over and over in elementary school no doubt. The illustrations were great and I liked the inclusivity of Korean culture and the small nods to modern culture gender norms turned on their heads.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was curious about The Summer I Turned Pretty series and decided to start at the beginning of the author's bibliography before diving into her most well-known titles. This book was really good, prose was simple but witty and well-done. I ended up reading this in one sitting hence the five star rating. I look forward to reading more of her works.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this book while pulling holds during my shift at the library. Decided it looked adorable - and I wanted something easy to read, anyways. Such a sweet book! The messages are valuable for everyone; and anyone, no matter their age, could enjoy reading it.