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Stand Up, Yumi Chung!

Jessica Kim

4.18 · Rating details · 870 ratings · 215 reviews

One lie snowballs into a full-blown double life in this irresistible story about an aspiring stand-up comedian.

On the outside, Yumi Chung suffers from #shygirlproblems, a perm-gone-wrong, and kids calling her "Yu-MEAT" because she smells like her family's Korean barbecue restaurant. On the inside, Yumi is ready for her Netflix stand-up special. Her notebook is filled with ...more

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Hardcover, 320 pages

Published March 17th 2020 by Kokila

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Feb 07, 2020 Betsy rated it really liked it

Shelves: diverse, multicultural-fiction, family-stories, funny-fiction, realistic-fiction, middle-grade-realistic-fiction, asian-american-characters

Remember the funny girls. No one else seems to. Living as we do in an age when every other book published is an inspiring group biography, our children are currently steeped in the very serious nature of what makes a woman great. And being funny, quite frankly, isn’t something that tends to make the cut. Humorists have a purpose on this planet, but you’re not going to win a Nobel or a Pulitzer or even an Oscar most of the time for making someone laugh. This is why funny books written by women ar Remember the funny girls. No one else seems to. Living as we do in an age when every other book published is an inspiring group biography, our children are currently steeped in the very serious nature of what makes a woman great. And being funny, quite frankly, isn’t something that tends to make the cut. Humorists have a purpose on this planet, but you’re not going to win a Nobel or a Pulitzer or even an Oscar most of the time for making someone laugh. This is why funny books written by women are such unicorns in the publishing world. You might find one or two written for 9-12 year olds in a given season, but they’re probably not going to attract much literary cred. You know what they’ll do instead? Make kids laugh. Give them an alternative to the deadly serious fare that’s out there. And, most importantly, show them that women can be just as hilarious as guys. So hats off to Stand Up, Yumi Chung! Sure it’s a funny story couched in a meaningful one, but for what it’s saying and how it says it, I award it a great big rubber chicken. It may not be a work of grit and resonance, but it’s fun and that, to my mind, is worth all the hoity-toity awards in the world.

Tragedy plus time equals comedy. All well and good, but it’s not like everyone’s gifted enough to turn their tragical tragedies into comic gold. Yumi Chung’s been struggling in particular since she’s first generation Korean-American and her parents have some crazy high expectations for her. They want her to pass a scholarship exam for financial aid to her fancy private school with flying colors. She wants to do stand up comedy. What’s a girl to do? Probably not sneak into a summer comedy camp hosting by her idol, pretend to be another camper under an assumed name, and concoct a crazy plan to perform and convince her parents she’s a natural born comedian. Yet that’s exactly what Yumi (now Kay Nakamura) does, and as the lies build up and her parents’ restaurant starts to flounder, she’s caught between her desires and the desires of her family. Is there a way to balance both?

So here’s a pretty basic question about the book: Is it funny? I mean, it’s about someone who’s digging deep down into the depths of their soul to bring hilarity into the world, but are the jokes any good? That sounds like a simple question, but it’s actually pretty complicated. First off, there are definitely funny moments in the book itself. Not too many wild and crazy hijinks, but good observational stuff. You know how I can tell whether or not I’ll like a book? I see how the first chapter feels. It’s not a perfect litmus test, but nine times out of ten it’s pretty darn accurate. In the case of this book, that first chapter is a joy to read. I’ve been taking deep dives into a lot of serious subject matter so encountering a first line like, “I should have known better than to think anyone would listen to me at the Korean beauty salon” feels like a breath of fresh air. But to get back to whether or not the book is funny at all, what about Yumi herself? Do her jokes fly? Let me remind you that Yumi is an eleven-year-old girl. As such, if she were whipping out brilliant material like some kind of George Carlin / Richard Pryor / Ali Wong child savant, how believable would that be? Now I’d argue that the first joke Yumi writes in her notebook is probably her funniest, but the simple fact that she’s so young and willing to try so many things is evidence of the reality of the story. Is she the funniest thing you ever saw? Nope. She’s eleven, but she's working on that.

Ms. Kim also does this adept little tap dance around the microaggressions Yumi has to deal with in her life without having them draw attention away from whatever scene is playing out. For example, in one moment early in the book, Yumi is talking with a guy named Felipe who has just complimented her. “I break into a sweat. I’m not used to people striking up conversations with me. Last year at Winston, hardly anyone bothered to speak to me at all. My own teacher didn’t call on me for the entire first week of school because he thought I couldn’t speak English. True story.” Then we’re back in the moment with Felipe. It doesn’t skip a beat, but you know a lot more about Yumi from its inclusion. This proves true for the people around Yumi too. In one case, she’s considering how her mom can’t really compliment her without “attaching some kind of warning to balance it out. Like when she tells me, ‘You are pretty, but if you don’t put on sunscreen, your skin will turn rough like dried squid.’ It’s just her way, but I can read between the lines.” You may not be able to completely identify with Yumi’s mom after knowing that, but you can at least be convinced that she truly loves her daughter.

I should mention that I have nothing against inspiring group biographies of women. Just out of curiosity though, where’s the group biography of funny women throughout history? Does it not exist because it would be too hard to write, or because no one’s interested in women that can make people laugh? I’m interested. I bet other people are too. It’s important for kids to see all kinds of people being funny, and until we get a collection of such biographies I’ll be happy that at least kids are getting books like Stand Up, Yumi Chung! in the interim. This is a book unafraid to declare its love of comedy in the face of overwhelming odds. Funny stuff.

For ages 9-12.
...more

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Jun 20, 2020 CW (The Quiet Pond) ✨ rated it really liked it

Shelves: diverse-shelf, has-poc-rep, ownvoices, arc, middle-grade, humour-comedy, year-of-the-asianreading-2020, 2020, realistic-fiction, 2020-favourites

Oh, I ADORED this!!! This is such a feel-good story that's also unexpectedly laugh-out-loud funny, being who you are, and the shenanigans of accidentally living a double-life.

- Follows Yumi, a shy young Korean girl who loves stand-up comedy! When she stumbles on a comedy camp led by her idol, Jasmine Jasper, she is mistaken for another camp-goer and accidentally leads a double-life.
- This was just really funny? Even though it's aimed at a younger audience, I found myself chuckling and giggling ...more

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May 18, 2020 Nev rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020

This was such a fun, heart-warming Middle Grade book. Even though Yumi Chung is super shy she dreams of being a stand up comedian. When she stumbles into a comedy summer camp and gets mistaken for a camper she doesn’t correct anyone. Now she’s secretly attending summer camp, growing her confidence, and hopefully learning how to stand up for what she wants.

I loved this book so much! Yumi was a great character. Her struggles with her parents not really listening to what she wants to do were very ...more

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May 03, 2020 Shaye Miller rated it really liked it

Shelves: diversity

Yumi Chung’s greatest desire is to become a stand-up comedian. But her Korean-American parents have sacrificed everything to send her to a special private school in order to get her into a top-notch university in hopes that she’ll become a lawyer or go to med school like her “perfect” older sister. While her parents face severe financial troubles at their family-owned restaurant, they are informed that Yumi can continue to attend her private school on scholarship if she scores high on an exam. S Yumi Chung’s greatest desire is to become a stand-up comedian. But her Korean-American parents have sacrificed everything to send her to a special private school in order to get her into a top-notch university in hopes that she’ll become a lawyer or go to med school like her “perfect” older sister. While her parents face severe financial troubles at their family-owned restaurant, they are informed that Yumi can continue to attend her private school on scholarship if she scores high on an exam. So she’s being sent to specialized tutoring all summer long. Yumi really doesn’t want to continue to attend her school. She doesn’t feel like she fits in and there are constant microaggressions she faces as a non-white student. However, she attends her tutoring sessions and plans to do as well as possible on the exam. By completely accident, Yumi happens upon a comedy camp taking place as a local theatre. When she pops her head in to see what’s going on, she is mistaken for another enrollee who didn’t show up. She plays the part perfectly and becomes Kay Nakamura at camp, but remains Yumi Chung at her tutoring group. As would be expected, her friends from both places eventually meet in a single space and Yumi’s lies begin to unravel. The heart of this story is about taking a risk to do what you love doing. But in the story we discover (and understand) how hard Yumi’s parents have worked to keep their family business running and WHY they’ve sacrificed everything in hopes that Yumi’s life will be devoid of a financial stress. Being a stand-up comedian means a lack of financial security, so they’re only trying to look out for her. There are a number of comedic moments throughout the story, but I just loved the thoughts about second chances and the cozy, feel-good ending. ❤ I’m more than happy to recommend this one!

For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo! ...more

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Mar 17, 2020 Darla rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Yumi Chung has #shygirlproblems. She also loves to tell jokes using her hairbrush as a pretend microphone after a long day of school and helping out in her family's struggling Korean BBQ restaurant. Yumi's parents sign her up for a summer tutoring class to prepare her for a scholarship exam so she can continue to attend a tony private school for free. On her way to the library to study after class, Yumi stumbles upon a new comedy club in her neighborhood. Inside is favorite comedian and a summer ...more

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Mar 24, 2020 Lisa (Remarkablylisa) rated it really liked it

Shelves: asian-books, march-2020

A book that took some time for me to get into but I loved the immigrant representation in this, expectations from parents, discussion of relevant topics like BTS, and everything else.

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May 03, 2020 Adri rated it really liked it

Shelves: childrens-middle-grade, ownvoices

4.5 Stars

Yumi Chung has earned herself a big fan in me, because oh boy did I love this book!

I love how this story shows us that comedy, while being a form of entertainment, is really a space of vulnerability where comics share so much of their lives and use storytelling as a way of healing and making sense of their experiences. Yumi loves comedy so much, but struggles because she lacks confidence and self-belief, which is whatmakes her so determined to learn.

As the story progresses, we see that 4.5 Stars

Yumi Chung has earned herself a big fan in me, because oh boy did I love this book!

I love how this story shows us that comedy, while being a form of entertainment, is really a space of vulnerability where comics share so much of their lives and use storytelling as a way of healing and making sense of their experiences. Yumi loves comedy so much, but struggles because she lacks confidence and self-belief, which is whatmakes her so determined to learn.

As the story progresses, we see that Yumi isn't just dealing a standard bout of shyness, but that she's being held back by her fear of failing and her fear of being herself. I also appreciate how this story breaks down stereotypes concerning "tiger parents" and "strict Asians" by showing us that, yes, Yumi's parents are hard on her, but it's because they don't want her to become a labourer like them, and they don't want her to feel uncertain about her future. Yumi is not trying to defy her parents, in fact she deeply respects them, and that's a level of nuance that I really appreciate.

Another layer this story gives us is how entitlement and privilege are not something afforded to many POC and especially the children of immigrants. Everyone in Yumi's life is advising her to "just be honest," and "tell your parents what you really want," and while it all comes from a good place, all she can think about is that her parents would never sign her up for comedy camps or send her to a performing arts school, because those things are luxuries. Getting a first chance at living your dream, much less a second one, is a privilege in and of itself. And getting what you want exactly how you want is simply not the reality for many POC.

To me, this story says that maybe the endgame isn't getting what you want, but learning how to love each other better, and how love yourself better. Maybe the endgame is learning to take what you're given and look for every chance you have to use it in the best way you know how. And yes, the story celebrates learning to be yourself in the funniest and sweetest way possible.

So, in short, I love Yumi Chung and I love this book, and I wouldn't say no to reading more adventures about this wonderful comedic hero. ...more

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Dec 09, 2019 Abby Johnson added it

Shelves: 4th_grade, 6th_grade, funny, author-of-color, diverse, 5th_grade, contemporary

Yumi Chung dreams of being a comedian, but that is not at all what her Korean immigrant parents have in mind for her. When she stumbled across a comedy camp meeting in her neighborhood and a girl with an Asian last name has not shown up for the first day, Yumi finds herself pretending to be "Kay" and taking her spot in the camp. Not only does she have to protect her secret identity, but she has to make sure her parents do not find out. AND she has to find the courage to take the stage and perfor ...more

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Mar 03, 2020 Carli rated it it was amazing

Thanks to Libro.fm.fm and Penguin Random
House for the advance listening copy of this 3.17.20 release. All opinions are my own.
•
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this story about finding your voice, which is perfect for fans of Front Desk, The First Rule of Punk, and The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora. Eleven-year-old Yumi longs to be a stand-up comedian. Her Korean parents, however, insist that she keep her attention on studying and helping out at their struggling Korean barbecue restaurant. When she stumbles upon h ...more

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Apr 18, 2020 DaNae rated it liked it

Shelves: diverse, 20-new, realistic-fiction, 21-newbery, asian-ameriacan, 22-beehive

Fun story about following your dreams when your parents don't understand what the dickens you're dreaming of. I could wish that a book about a wannabe comedian was just the least bit funny.

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May 06, 2020 Adriana rated it really liked it

A shy girl who wants to be a comedian, Yumi Chung finds herself deceiving her parents in order to make her dreams come true. Along the way she learns the importance of family and that her immigrant parents might just support her if she gave them the chance.

A heartfelt story centered on family, comedy, and being your true self; Stand Up, Yumi Chung! is one of the most hyped middle grades of 2020 and for good reason. Jessica Kim's debut has stand out characters and an impactful storyline. Yumi's p A shy girl who wants to be a comedian, Yumi Chung finds herself deceiving her parents in order to make her dreams come true. Along the way she learns the importance of family and that her immigrant parents might just support her if she gave them the chance.

A heartfelt story centered on family, comedy, and being your true self; Stand Up, Yumi Chung! is one of the most hyped middle grades of 2020 and for good reason. Jessica Kim's debut has stand out characters and an impactful storyline. Yumi's passion for comedy is what truly sold me on her. She practices and writes jokes in her "Super-Secret Comedy Notebook" constantly. She is so determined to show her parents that she can do comedy and ace an important test that she spends hours studying for something she doesn't want to do. She finds it in herself to take a chance, although a morally gray one, to learn how to be a better comedian. She learns to tell jokes in front of people and be okay with being in the limelight while being shy. As a fellow shy person, I appreciated her realistic growth on the stage. Family was a large aspect of the story and having an immigrant father and grandparents myself, it's always interesting to see the similarities and differences between immigrant cultures. My parents drilled into me and my brothers how important education is because it's something that can't be taken away. With our careers they mostly want us to have stable jobs and for us to be happy. At first, Yumi's parents didn't seem to focus on happiness, but for them, a successful career where you don't have to worry about money is being happy. Speaking of being happy, I loved that Yumi's sister - Yuri - decided she rather go find herself then do something she knows she hates in order to make her parents happy. Both sisters were going through the same thing at different times in their lives which I thought was a great addition to the plot. Yumi's jokes themselves could be very good especially when she was talking about her permed hair. None of them were belly laugh funny but I'm not the audience. I can see kids her age enjoying her jokes. Lastly, I enjoyed the satisfying and somewhat realistic ending to the story. I think it had a good message that kids can take with them after the story is finished.

I do have some qualms about Yumi's story centering around being a comedian. It would be nice if more books focused on characters who want to be something either kids' have never heard of or something not revolving the arts. Yumi wants to be a comedian like someone she follows on YouTube which isn't really realistic but I guess that's the point. However, I do think that showing the drive Yumi had towards working hard to be a good comedian leveled off the playing field. Also, I love books with food descriptions but I didn't know any of the food that was talked about in this story. It would have been so nice to have an illustrated image or two of some of the food that was served at Chung's Barbecue. One last thing, I wish this wasn't a standalone. I would be really interested to see Yumi in seventh, eighth, or even as a freshman in high school with the new friends she made and her current best friend.

Stand Up, Yumi Chung! is well worth the hype as it showcases the struggles and love of being a part of an immigrant family and the determination it takes to stand up for your dreams.

Thanks to Kokila (Penguin Group) and NetGalley for letting me read Stand Up, Yumi Chung in exchange for an honest review! ...more

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May 01, 2020 Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-non-christian

2 stars.
This was a fun read about Yumi, a Korean-American girl who’s parents own a Korean Barbecue restaurant. Much to the dismay of her parents, Yumi loves comedy and telling jokes. Personally, I really enjoyed seeing Yumi and her family’s Korean culture—even if it was a little strange seeing Korean words written in English (called “Romanization”) as a posed to 한글. While I wasn’t thrilled with Yumi lying and keeping things from her parents, there was a message throughout the book of going for y 2 stars.
This was a fun read about Yumi, a Korean-American girl who’s parents own a Korean Barbecue restaurant. Much to the dismay of her parents, Yumi loves comedy and telling jokes. Personally, I really enjoyed seeing Yumi and her family’s Korean culture—even if it was a little strange seeing Korean words written in English (called “Romanization”) as a posed to 한글. While I wasn’t thrilled with Yumi lying and keeping things from her parents, there was a message throughout the book of going for your own passions and being yourself that I think some readers would like. There was one part with Yumi’s friend where the friend had to seriously talk and show research on what they wanted to do for the parent to understand where their child is coming from. This is very similar to what my parents did with me growing up, so I appreciated Yumi trying it in her own way to get her parents to understand her.
Besides the lying, the only difficulties I had with this book was some of the language—while not a big deal to some, I personally am not a fan of different words used (buttload and kick butt being two that were often said). There also was some humor related to a girl’s period and a pad that I felt went over my (personal) comfort line. So, it was a fun book at times, but there were some parts I wished were left out.

Content:
Spiritual Content: A few mentions of churches & a pastor; A couple mentions of a crowd being like a cult; A comment of ‘Thank God you’re here’ and another about ‘Lord knows I try to be a forgiving person…’.

Negative Content: Some minor cussing/language (buttload, dang, darn, freaking, fricking, heck, ‘holy hot cheetos’, kick butt, OMG, shoot, stupid, sucks, sucker, what the heck, and what the…, are all used often; Yumi also comments that her mom scared the ‘shin kimchi’ out of her). Yumi lies and deceives about being another person and keeps from her parents about going to the comedy club; Mentions of TV shows, celebrities, singers, actors, & comedians (SNL, Conan, BTS, Elton John, and Hugh Jackman); Mentions of acne, poop, & throwing up; Mentions of smoking cigarettes (Yumi’s dad does it when he is really stressed); A few mentions of animals being killed; A mention of R-rated movies.

Sexual Content: Mentions of studying your butt off or laughing it off; Mentions of a story about a girl getting her period at a sleepover, pads, making a makeshift pad, & an embarrassing situation; Mentions of girl superheroes chests and needing support.

...more

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May 27, 2020 Kat // Novels & Waffles rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Stand up, Yumi Chung! is a fun, uplifting, and heartwarming middle grade novel about one eleven-year-old girl’s journey to find her true self and overcome the fear of failure. It deserves nothing less than a standing ovation.

Novels & Waffles Blog・ Twitter ・ Instagram

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May 17, 2020 Priscilla (Bookie Charm) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Stand Up, Yumi Chung! is a middle grade contemporary story that follows a shy, Korean- American girl who has big dreams of becoming a stand up comic. Just don't tell her parents because, as immigrants originally from Seoul, the last thing they want to spend their hard earned money on is a comedy summer camp. When Yumi gets mistaken for another camper, she decides to attend the classes in secret under another student's name.

This book is incredibly charming and I loved the familial relationships ...more

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Mar 24, 2020 vanessa rated it really liked it

Shelves: childrens-lit, jf, 2020, listened-on-audiobook

4.5. Ah, this warmed my heart and made me smile. It was exactly what I needed & if you're looking for a comfort read, I totally recommend. Yumi Chung is a normal girl in L.A., the daughter of immigrant parents who run a restaurant and encourage Yumi to become a doctor or lawyer. Yumi, however, loves stand-up comedy and can't help herself when she stumbles into a comedy camp full of kids that share her interests and a vlogger/comedian Yumi loves as their teacher. This is a story of family (loved ...more

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Apr 05, 2020 Nadine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobooks, middle-grade, diversity, asia, humour

Another great book from the Korean-American community that will resonate with students everywhere who have the same familial pressures to succeed for the sake of their community and parents and where success is fairly narrowly defined as a few white collar careers.
At once poignant and humourous this is a great middle school read about satisfying both your own needs while remaining respectful to the needs of your family, finding compromises and maintaining relationships.
Thank you to libro.fm for ...more

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Sep 08, 2019 Kimberly rated it it was amazing

I LOVE this book! It’s been awhile since I’ve laughed out loud so many times during one book. It is super funny and very relatable. It will make you laugh, cry and you will find yourself super hungry for some Korean BBQ. Yumi’s internal dialogue is hilarious and although it is geared towards a much younger age group (🤫) I found myself really connecting with her. A book for all ages! I look forward to reading more from Jessica Kim.

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Mar 15, 2020 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, finishedreviewcopy

Very cute! Sort of like American Panda but middle grade and without the romance in terms of themes. It's fun to see a book about different kinds of career aspirations for middle grade kids, and it's awesome that Yumi can be a hero without having parents who aren't present. Sometimes kids have innovative ideas adults wouldn't think of.

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Jul 16, 2020 Martha rated it really liked it

Shelves: 3-6-realistic-fiction, 3-6-humor, 3-6-diversity-books

There are so many strands that miraculously come together in this highly entertaining story about 11-year-old Yumi, want-to-be comedian, who is too shy to speak up. She's overshadowed by her gifted beautiful older sisiter, and success driven parents who immigrated from Korea. Her parents work tirelessly at their Korean Barbecue restuarant, to make sure their daughters succeed in life through a strong education. Although Yumi wants to always please her parents, they don't appreciate her passion f ...more

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May 21, 2020 Leonard Kim rated it did not like it

There is a pejorative among Asian-Americans: "banana" or "Twinkie" meaning "yellow on the outside, white on the inside." I am definitely one myself. It is claimed any young reader should be able to find people who look like them represented in books. But the result has been the publication of many books like this. This book is a banana. It's a white, progressive book, for a white, progressive readership, in yellowface. I and other Korean-American parents I know do look for books in English that ...more

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May 25, 2020 Laura (bbliophile) added it

Shelves: mg-2020, 2020-releases

I would very much like to thank Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim for reminding me of why I love reading after a 2-month-or-so slump.

(Seriously, I had so much fun reading this and I'd highly recommend it.)

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Jun 02, 2020 Laura rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-2020, fandom-artists-and-writers, girl-power-books, standalone, fun-and-diverse, east-asia

Such a sweet, quirky, and fun book! Definitely made me cry at a few times, but made up for it with all of the laughter!

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Jun 15, 2020 Regsly added it · review of another edition

Shelves: children-books, 2020-release, own-voices

**Read for Jordan Ford's Summer Reading Challenge 2020. Prompt 1. A book set in a campground or at a summer camp**

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May 21, 2020 Heather Jensen rated it it was amazing

Yumi is just the character I needed to get me back into my reading groove. Yumi is the perfect representation of how most middle schoolers feel about themselves. We learn about the pressure of living under a "perfect" sister and demanding parents. A beautiful story of how immigrant families work so hard to make sure their children can have a slice of the American Dream. Thank you Jessica Kim for this story. I cannot wait to share it with my fifth graders!

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May 14, 2020 Sam Bloom rated it really liked it

Shelves: childrens-realistic-fiction

4.5 stars

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Jan 05, 2020 Ms. Yingling rated it really liked it · review of another edition

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Yumi lives in Los Angeles with her mother and father, who run a struggling Korean barbecue restaurant. Her older sister, Yuri, is very academically gifted, and attending medical school across town. Yumi is enrolled in a summer hagwon (cram school) run by Ms. Pak so she can hopefully do well on a test and get a scholarship to the school she attends, Winston Prep. On her way to the library for her required three hours of studying one day, Yumi happens upon a theater E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Yumi lives in Los Angeles with her mother and father, who run a struggling Korean barbecue restaurant. Her older sister, Yuri, is very academically gifted, and attending medical school across town. Yumi is enrolled in a summer hagwon (cram school) run by Ms. Pak so she can hopefully do well on a test and get a scholarship to the school she attends, Winston Prep. On her way to the library for her required three hours of studying one day, Yumi happens upon a theater where her comedic idol. She is mistaken for another attendee, Kay, and doesn't correct anyone when they start to call her that. While she tries to make things right (her sister even gives her money for the registration fee), she is enjoying the comedy lessons and doesn't tell anyone about her subterfuge, knowing that her parents are determined that she go to medical school like her older sister. In the meantime, the restaurant is not doing well. The father comes up with the idea to add karaoke and spends some money on renovating the run down facility, but the grand reopening doesn't do well. After her parents find out about her comedic excursion, Yumi and her friends come up with an idea to save the restaurant. Will comedy be the way to save her family after all?

N.B. For some reason, this E ARC kept crashing my E reader, so I don't have all the character names.

Strengths: Over the years, I have had a number of students whose parents either run or work at ethnic restaurants, so this was a fascinating glimpse into that world. Yumi doesn't really like working at the restaurant or having kids at her school call her Yu-meat, but she loves her family and has a strong sentimental attachment to the business. She doesn't like her school, but understands why her parents want her to have the best education possible so that she can have a better life. Yumi is a very sympathetic character, and her struggles with her parents will ring true with many middle grade readers. It's also nice to see that she has her own interest in stand up comedy and has a plan to pursue it. The identity mix-up is fun, and something I have only ever seen in Being Sloane Jacobs.
Weaknesses: This was a tiny bit on the long side; like many books, it could have been tightened up a bit in the middle. My recurring regret is that so many middle grade novels involve children pursuing career ideas because it is their "passion", even if there are not many jobs available. I wish we would see more books about children wanting to go into tech or science fields and fewer going into writing and performing arts! (Remember, Latin didn't end well for me, and both of my daughters are in financial careers and love what they do, so this is a very personal objection!)
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and see this being popular with a wide variety of students. ...more

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May 01, 2020 Julia rated it it was amazing

My favorite book of 2020. For readers who love to laugh, for anyone who has ever felt pressured to be someone they are not. For people who know what it’s like to be raised by an immigrant parent or parents (literally one passage that like healed my souls a little). I loved this book with my whole heart and can’t WAIT to get back to school and push it on all my students!!

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Oct 23, 2019 Kathie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for an eARC of this book.

This debut book by author Jessica Kim attracted my attention because it focuses on a Korean-American girl who wants to be a comedian, but whose parents don't approve of her non-academic pursuits. It seems like a topic that many middle graders would be able to relate to (having dreams different than what their parents want for them, having a successful older sibling), and yet I was curious to see how Yumi's immigrant parents would ...more

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Apr 02, 2020 Katie Mac rated it really liked it

Shelves: middle-grades, own-voices

This is a refreshing read. There are some aspects of this (e.g., Yumi's lying and self-deprecation, how harsh Yumi's parents are) that I found problematic at the beginning, but I think they serve their purpose by the end of the book.

I also appreciate how well-rounded this book is; so often we see books of parents vs children in which the parents are one-dimensional and/or lack depth, but the author does a nice job of balancing this dynamic--Yumi, her sister, and her parents all have their flaws ...more

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