Celebrate Korean American Day with Great Books for Kids!
Happy Korean American Day! Celebrated every year on January 13, Korean American Day commemorates the arrival of the first Korean immigrants to the United States. We honor and celebrate Korean American culture and contributions on this day (and year-round, of course!). Today, we’re sharing some of our favorite children’s books written by Korean American authors! Read on to find the next book on your TBR list.
Pippa Park Raises Her Game by Erin Yun (Ages 9-12)
The first book in the Pippa Park series (a reimagining of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations) follows Korean American Pippa Park as she navigates friendships, peer pressure, crushes, and family. When she gets a mysterious basketball scholarship to a prestigious new private school, she must come to terms with her new life and learn to embrace her truest self! This book is also available in Korean.
The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi (Ages 3-7)
This heartwarming picture book follows Unhei, a young girl who just moved to America from Korea. She’s already nervous about being the new kid at school, but she’s also worried that no one will be able to pronounce her name correctly! When she decides to pick a new name from a glass jar at school, none of the names feel quite right. Throughout this story, Unhei finds the courage to be herself and learns that the best name is her own!
Giving Thanks with Halmoni: Celebrating Chuseok, the Korean Harvest Festival by Kathleen Choi and Sook Nyul Choi, illustrated by Il Sung Na (Ages 4-7)
Learn all about Chuseok in this heartfelt picture book! In Giving Thanks with Halmoni, Su-Jin gets ready for Chuseok, the Korean Harvest Festival, with the help of her “halmoni” (grandmother). They prepare their favorite Korean foods, wrap gifts, and remember the importance of honoring their ancestors. Su-Jin is so happy to share her family’s holiday with her friends Maddy and Keisha, and together they celebrate both Chuseok and American Thanksgiving.
Gracie Under the Waves by Linda Sue Park (Ages 8+)
Author Linda Sue Park infuses this story with her own experiences of a being a Korean American girl who is inspired to fight climate change. Meet Gracie—she loves snorkeling, so when her family takes a vacation to Honduras, she’s super excited to see all the underwater reefs and cool fish! Everything is going great (if her little brother would just leave her alone) until Gracie hurts her leg and learns that the reef is in danger. She’s determined to help save the reef she loves—but what can she do all by herself? This book incorporates Spanish and Korean words!
The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim, presented by Rick Riordan (Ages 9-12)
This middle-grade fantasy book introduces readers to Riley Oh, a Korean American girl who longs to belong to her family’s powerful clan of Korean healing witches, even though she has no magic of her own. When her sister Hattie suggests a forbidden spell that could let them share magic, they cast it—but the spell backfires, leaving Hattie’s life in danger. To save her, Riley must hunt for the mysterious “last fallen star.” On her magical quest, Riley learns about magic, family, and what it truly means to belong. The first of the Gifted Clans trilogy!
Seoul Food by Erin Danielle Russell (Ages 4-8)
Dive into this story about Hana, a young biracial girl celebrating both her Black and Korean cultures through food! When she can’t decide what she wants to cook for her grandparents—Southern gumbo or Korean stew— Hana is inspired to create a brand-new dish that blends her two cultures.
Cooper’s Lesson by Sun Yung Shin, illustrated by Kim Cogan, translated by Min Paek (Ages 6-8)
Written in both English and Korean, Cooper’s Lesson follows a young biracial boy as he struggles with his identity, wondering why can’t speak Korean fluently, and why he can’t just be “one race or the other.” With the help of Mr. Lee, the owner of his neighborhood grocery store, Cooper will learn to embrace both of his cultures and realize that cultural identity is never simple.
Gigi Shin is Not a Nerd by Lyla Lee (Ages 8-12)
Meet Gigi Shin, a creative Korean American girl who dreams of being an artist—but her immigrant parents have other ideas. They want her to study something practical, but art is Gigi’s true passion. When she learns about an elite summer art camp, she’s determined to go! With the help of her best friends, Carolina and Zeina, Gigi starts a tutoring club to raise enough money to pursue her dreams.
Haru, Zombie Dog Hero by Ellen Oh (Ages 8-12)
This middle grade novel by acclaimed author Ellen Oh tells the story of eleven-year-old Luke and his best friend: his dog, Haru. After Haru is falsely accused of biting Luke’s landlord, she is kidnapped, and Luke must go on a mission to get her back! Luke quickly discovers a nefarious plot by an evil multibillionaire and must face zombie attacks and more in order to save the world—and his dog.
Ben Lee and the Magic Lunch Box by Hanna Kim (Ages 8-11)
This novel by Hanna Kim follows Ben Lee, a fourth grader growing up in Koreatown with his immigrant parents. When the other kids make fun of Ben’s homemade kimbap lunch on the first day of school, an embarrassed Ben throws out his food and makes a wish to be like everyone else! When his wish is unexpectedly granted, strange magical happenings occur: his Korean lunches are replaced with ham sandwiches, his favorite Korean cartoon disappears, and the pencils his grandma sent from Korea are nowhere to be found! Ben must figure out how to reverse his wish and make things right—and in the process, learn to appreciate his culture.
Imposter Syndrome & Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim by Patricia Park (Ages 12+)
Patricia Park introduces us to Alejandra Kim, a teen struggling to feel understood while growing up in New York. Alejandra, or Ale, feels out of place: both in her diverse Jackson Heights neighborhood and her predominantly white Manhattan prep school. Ale plans to lay low until graduation, but a sudden microaggression places all of the attention on her. As she faces this newfound spotlight, Ale will grapple with her identity and discover what it means to create a space for herself.