Finding Junie Kim

Written by Ellen Oh

Narrated by Greta Jung

For fans of Inside Out and Back Again and Amina’s Voice comes a breathtaking own voices story of family, hope, and survival from Ellen Oh, cofounder of We Need Diverse Books. When Junie Kim is faced with middle school racism, she learns of her grandparents’ extraordinary strength and finds her voice. Inspired by her mother’s real-life experiences during the Korean War, Oh’s characters are real and riveting.

“Both unique and universal, timely and timeless.” —Padma Venkatraman, Walter Award-winning author of The Bridge Home

""A moving story that highlights how to find courage in the face of unspeakable hardship."" —Hena Khan, award-winning author of Amina’s Voice

""Junie discovers where she comes from and gains the courage to make a difference in the future.""  —Wendy Wan-Long Shang, award-winning author of The Great Wall of Lucy Wu

Junie Kim just wants to fit in. So she keeps her head down and tries not to draw attention to herself. But when racist graffiti appears at her middle school, Junie must decide between staying silent or speaking out.

Then Junie’s history teacher assigns a project and Junie decides to interview her grandparents, learning about their unbelievable experiences as kids during the Korean War. Junie comes to admire her grandma’s fierce determination to overcome impossible odds, and her grandpa’s unwavering compassion during wartime. And as racism becomes more pervasive at school, Junie taps into the strength of her ancestors and finds the courage to do what is right.

Finding Junie Kim is a reminder that within all of us lies the power to overcome hardship and emerge triumphant.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: May 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063085459

Ellen Oh

Ellen Oh is the cofounder of We Need Diverse Books and author of the award-winning Spirit Hunters series for middle grade readers and the Prophecy trilogy (Prophecy, Warrior, and King) for young adults. Originally from New York City, Ellen is a former adjunct college instructor and lawyer with an insatiable curiosity for ancient Asian history. Ellen lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with her husband and three children and has yet to satisfy her quest for a decent bagel. You can visit her online at ellenoh.com.

Reviews for Finding Junie Kim

[Becky Baumgartner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A powerful book about mental health, racism, and a Korean family's history both during the war and adjusting to life in the US afterwards. A story of how a girl is inspired by her family's past to stand up for herself and others in the present. Excellently narrated.

[Mary Bronson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I thought this was a very powerful middle grade novel. Junie is such a great main character. She is a young girl who suffers from anxiety and depression because of the bullying and racism she faces at school. When she gets an assignment for school to do an oral history project she interviews her grandparents who were children during the Korean War. I like how the author intertwined both Junie’s story and her grandparents. I like how she writes about Junie and her friends take a stand against racial comments left around the school. I think this book is something that everyone should read. Even young adults and adults. I also think this book is something children should read this with their parents so there can be an open discussion and plus some of the subject matter might be hard for younger middle grade kids.

[jennybeast · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Powerful story that moves back and forth between a modern day bullying situation combined with racist graffiti and Junie's grandparent's stories from their lives as children in the Korean War. Well written, engaging characters moving through a bunch of complex situations. Loved how Junie grew over the course of the story. Found it hard to put down.

[ewyatt_16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Junie is struggling with her response after a racist incident(s) at her middle school. Her group of friends wants to take action. She's unsure if her efforts can make a difference. Her conversations with her grandpa help her find direction as she learns his story during the Korean War and of coming to America. There's a lot of ground covered her, and the message gets heavy handed at times. But Junie is a character who grows throughout the novel and navigates the tough stuff with grace, finally asking for help when she needs it.