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Disney/Pixar Turning Red: The Junior Novelization
This paperback junior novelization retells the exciting story of Disney and Pixar's Turning Red--now streaming on Disney+! Also includes an eight-page insert with images from the film!
In Turning Red, Mei Lee is a confident, dorky thirteen-year-old torn between staying her mother's dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. And as if changes to her interests, relationships, and body weren't enough, whenever she gets too excited (which for a teenager is practically ALWAYS), she "poofs" into a giant red panda! Turning Red is directed by Academy Award-winner Domee Shi (Pixar short Bao), produced by Lindsey Collins and coming to Disney+ on March 11th, 2022. The feature film is all retold in this digest junior novelization that's perfect for girls and boys ages 6 to 9. Also comes with a full-color insert featuring scenes from the film!
In Turning Red, Mei Lee is a confident, dorky thirteen-year-old torn between staying her mother's dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. And as if changes to her interests, relationships, and body weren't enough, whenever she gets too excited (which for a teenager is practically ALWAYS), she "poofs" into a giant red panda! Turning Red is directed by Academy Award-winner Domee Shi (Pixar short Bao), produced by Lindsey Collins and coming to Disney+ on March 11th, 2022. The feature film is all retold in this digest junior novelization that's perfect for girls and boys ages 6 to 9. Also comes with a full-color insert featuring scenes from the film!
144 pages, Paperback
First published February 8, 2022
6 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Cynthea Liu
44 books66 followersCynthea spent her formative years in Oklahoma and Texas where she was a Whiz Quiz member, an Academic Decathloner, and a spelling bee champion. (Yes, she was very popular.) After attending college on the East coast, she worked at a corporate job where she mastered PowerPoint and racked up thousands of frequent flyer miles. Eventually, she traded in her suit for sweats to do the fun stuff–writing for children.
Based in Chicago, Cynthea has spoken to a number of schools in Illinois and across the country. She has also been a guest speaker for national conferences organized by the American Library Association, American Association of School Librarians, Association for Library Services to Children, and the Young Adult Library Services Association, among others. Locally and regionally, Cynthea has also spoken for the Illinois School Media Library Association, the Illinois Reading Council, the Illinois State Board of Education, and the Chicago Teacher-Librarians Association. Cynthea is also a frequent guest author for local family literacy nights and young author conferences.
She is also a writing coach and faculty member for both local and national conferences associated with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators as well as universities and colleges. She has been featured on ABC’s Chicago 7 and the Chicago Sun Times.
Based in Chicago, Cynthea has spoken to a number of schools in Illinois and across the country. She has also been a guest speaker for national conferences organized by the American Library Association, American Association of School Librarians, Association for Library Services to Children, and the Young Adult Library Services Association, among others. Locally and regionally, Cynthea has also spoken for the Illinois School Media Library Association, the Illinois Reading Council, the Illinois State Board of Education, and the Chicago Teacher-Librarians Association. Cynthea is also a frequent guest author for local family literacy nights and young author conferences.
She is also a writing coach and faculty member for both local and national conferences associated with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators as well as universities and colleges. She has been featured on ABC’s Chicago 7 and the Chicago Sun Times.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 28, 2024
It was just like the movie the same exact thing lol it was a good book
March 23, 2022
One of my favorite movies and the book was just as good! I've seen the movie 6 times and I know I'll revisit this book too! Meilin is such an amazing character and I'm just in love with the entire story. "People have all kinds of sides to them. And some sides are messy. The point isn't to push the bad stuff away. It's to make room for it, live with it."
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March 5, 2024Read it with the little women in my life and was thoroughly entertained - legitimately wonderful coming of age story rife with symbolism for the older child and pandas for the younger. Aces.
September 21, 2022
Keď na meniny bola Pauli v kine, nepočúvala som o inom, len o Mei, červenej pande, náhrdelníku….
Keďže ja som v kine nebola, len z útržkov chaotického rozprávania 7-ročného dieťaťa,som si mohla poskladať príbeh, ktorý v nej zarezonoval. Netušila som, že je dostupná knižka, no len čo som to spomenula, Pauli išla “z kože vyskočiť” od samej radosti a prehlásila, že TÚTO KNIHU MUSÍME MAŤ DOMA! Tak ju doma máme a konečne viem, o čom KEĎ SA ČERVENÁM je.
Mei Lin je obyčajné dievča, ktoré navštevuje školu, zbožňuje svoje kamarátky, začína sa zaujímať o chlapcov, rada kreslí, teší sa na koncert obľúbenej skuoiny a je poslušnou dcérou svojej prísnej mamy. Ale len do okamihu, kedy sa jedného dňa rozčúli a premení sa na červenú pandu. Je to rodinné tajomstvo a prekliatie zároveň, ktoré sa dedí v generácií žien rodiny jej mamy. Zúrivú pandu v tele sa dá “uzamknúť” do náhrdelníka špeciálnym rituálom. To, či ho Mei podstúpi, čo všetko zažije a ako sa s tým vyrovná, sa dozviete na takmer 70- tich stranách knižky.
Ako inak, knižka je krásne ilustrovaná, zábermi z animovaného filmu a doplnená stručným textom. Dej je dosť zrýchlený, ale všetko podstatné v knižke je.
Príbeh je krásny, plný tajomstiev, tínedžerského vzdoru, vzťahov medzi dospievajúcimi a dospelými ľuďmi, rodinných tradícií.
My túto knihu zbožňujeme…
Keďže ja som v kine nebola, len z útržkov chaotického rozprávania 7-ročného dieťaťa,som si mohla poskladať príbeh, ktorý v nej zarezonoval. Netušila som, že je dostupná knižka, no len čo som to spomenula, Pauli išla “z kože vyskočiť” od samej radosti a prehlásila, že TÚTO KNIHU MUSÍME MAŤ DOMA! Tak ju doma máme a konečne viem, o čom KEĎ SA ČERVENÁM je.
Mei Lin je obyčajné dievča, ktoré navštevuje školu, zbožňuje svoje kamarátky, začína sa zaujímať o chlapcov, rada kreslí, teší sa na koncert obľúbenej skuoiny a je poslušnou dcérou svojej prísnej mamy. Ale len do okamihu, kedy sa jedného dňa rozčúli a premení sa na červenú pandu. Je to rodinné tajomstvo a prekliatie zároveň, ktoré sa dedí v generácií žien rodiny jej mamy. Zúrivú pandu v tele sa dá “uzamknúť” do náhrdelníka špeciálnym rituálom. To, či ho Mei podstúpi, čo všetko zažije a ako sa s tým vyrovná, sa dozviete na takmer 70- tich stranách knižky.
Ako inak, knižka je krásne ilustrovaná, zábermi z animovaného filmu a doplnená stručným textom. Dej je dosť zrýchlený, ale všetko podstatné v knižke je.
Príbeh je krásny, plný tajomstiev, tínedžerského vzdoru, vzťahov medzi dospievajúcimi a dospelými ľuďmi, rodinných tradícií.
My túto knihu zbožňujeme…
July 22, 2025
⭐️✨
it was a literally regurgitation of the movie. it described details of the movie that were not important and did not explain parts that were confusing if a reader had never watched the movie. it did not read like a normal book. it felt like someone who was watching the movie was describing what was happening on the screen and not trying to write an actual story. this made me mad and sad because i love the movie so much and this did not do it justice.
it was a literally regurgitation of the movie. it described details of the movie that were not important and did not explain parts that were confusing if a reader had never watched the movie. it did not read like a normal book. it felt like someone who was watching the movie was describing what was happening on the screen and not trying to write an actual story. this made me mad and sad because i love the movie so much and this did not do it justice.
August 10, 2022
Fiona and I picked up this novelization of the incredible movie from Disney/Pixar and read it at bedtime. This is one of her favorite movies so she had a great time and enjoyed it the whole time. I do so love reading at night with my girl!
December 30, 2022
This book was a fun read. I have already watched the film. I enjoyed the film better than the book.
What I liked:
friendship
strong women characters
Chinese Myth
What I didn't like:
exactly like the film
What I liked:
friendship
strong women characters
Chinese Myth
What I didn't like:
exactly like the film
June 26, 2022
Amazinggg!!
March 14, 2023
This was cute - they did a good job of recreating the movie without having it be an exact repeat.
September 24, 2023
I liked the cover. The story was okay/
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July 17, 2024Great movie and book but not suitable for sleeping.
September 24, 2025
A junior novelization of the Pixar movie by the same name, Turning Red follows Mei Mei, a second-generation Chinese-Canadian immigrant who is all about her family. Every day, she works in the Lee family temple, where they give tours and explain about their traditional ancestor worship. She has great friends at school, and she loves her parents. So what could go wrong? Maybe a giant red panda that comes out at any strong wave of emotion. Join Mei Lee as she struggles to realize that things change, even those things you wish would stay the same.
A heartwarming, awkward, wonderful story of a teenage girl coming of age in a unique way, this book and the movie it’s based on are fantastic. They explore Chinese-Canadian culture of the early 2000s perfectly, and yet it is still relatable at a core level to even today’s youth. I cannot recommend this story enough, so at least give it a chance. If you want to laugh, cry, and smile, read about Mei Lee and then watch the movie, too.
A heartwarming, awkward, wonderful story of a teenage girl coming of age in a unique way, this book and the movie it’s based on are fantastic. They explore Chinese-Canadian culture of the early 2000s perfectly, and yet it is still relatable at a core level to even today’s youth. I cannot recommend this story enough, so at least give it a chance. If you want to laugh, cry, and smile, read about Mei Lee and then watch the movie, too.
Read
June 3, 2025I would rate it 0 if I could this is a horror movie Pixar just doesn't make movies like they used to and if they don't get their act together I'll have to stop watching it what I want is less perfection more reflection
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews