FINDING JUNIE KIM by Ellen Oh

 

Junie Kim is a shy, Korean girl trying to get through middle school. She would like to be noticed as little as possible unlike most of the other girls she knows. When some vandals paint racist comments in the school gym and later in the restroom, Junie is upset to realize there are such hateful individuals in her school.

A number of Junie's friends are planning ways to speak up about the vandalism and the racism that has basically targeted anyone who is not white. Junie isn't sure how much she wants to speak up which causes her friends to question how much she cares about them. The main thing causing Junie to keep quiet is the taunting she suffers from a boy named Tobias. Each day on the bus Junie faces his nastiness.

Hiding the fact that she is being bullied results in a depression Junie finally admits to her parents. They are heartbroken to learn about the abuse Junie has been dealing with and immediately take action to find her help from a therapist and medication to treat her depression.

An assignment from her history teacher just might help Junie find out more about her identity and her understanding of where she fits in with the world around her. The assignment is to interview members of an older generation to learn about their struggles. Junie chooses to interview her grandparents. She is amazed and horrified to hear their stories about living in South Korea during the Korean War. Learning about the atrocities they witnessed and what they suffered before coming to the United States, helps Junie find the courage to stand up with her friends against the racism threatening her school and community.

Author Ellen Oh unflinchingly tackles the current negativity prevalent in our society. Inspired by her own family background, Oh tells a courageous, multi-generational story sure to open the eyes of her readers.