I thought this book was a joy to read and was very fascinating. The reason I really liked this book is because it was written almost like a diary and a play by play. I also liked that it didn’t just stop with Jangmi arriving but what happens to him when he gets to his new home.
One thing that I really enjoyed about this book is the illustrations. The illustrations in this book really showed everything that happened in the book. For example, the section that starts with “on the long ride to the airport” you can start to feel a mood because its dark and raining and has a car on its way to the airport.
The second thing that I really enjoyed about this book was the writing. I thought it was really interesting of a child’s point of view of the moving stage. For example, it shows the little boy right before he leaves and when he arrives at the states. I think that it’s interesting to read and see the child develop.
The big idea of this book is moving. If it’s not moving 30 minutes from your home or 6 hours or even country, moving is a very big deal. I think that moving is something that everyone will eventually encounter and this book really shows the step by step and feelings of how moving affects someone. ( )

a story about a little girl moving and being scared of having to move from her home
4 books

In my opinion, this is a great book to use when working with English Language Learners because it tells the story in first person, allowing the reader to feel and relate to Jangmi, the main character in the story. "But I love my home right here! I didn't want to go to America and make new friends." A student coming from another country may be able to relate to this feeling.
Jangmi, is a little Korean girl who has no choice moving to the States however the whole transition of the story from Korea to America eases the reader by the end of the story because even though Jangmi is not completely content and comfortable, she has some type of hope that one day America will feel like her home. "Dad was right, it was beautiful". The big message of this story is to take chances and love your surroundings. Even though it may feel bitter leaving what you've known all your life, it is okay if change occurs. The whole idea of this story is to help children like Jangmi understand that there are many beautiful places other than the origin of your birth. It is okay to be happy and move on with life. It is not the end of the world. In this emotional story of a child’s worries about moving and her ultimate resilience, the authors evoke the feelings of every child whose family must move. The Illustrator does an excellent job setting the mood for each page of the story, from the monsoon rains of Korea, to the fogs of Massachusetts. ( )

In my opinion, this is a great book for primary age students. This book is a personal narrative about a young child moving from their home in Korea to America. The author uses first person point of view, which draws the reader in and makes it more personable and engaging to read. This allows the reader to sympathize with the main character and makes for easier connections, especially if reader has had a similar experience. Additionally, the language and detail used evoke a strong sense of imagery. The author uses phrases such as “… on it were a big pot of dumpling soup and the prettiest pastel rice cakes I had ever seen” to describe the going away party and “The heat from the ondal traveled through underground pipes and kept our wax covered floors warm and cozy.” The reader may have no idea what pastel rice cakes or an ondal is; however, they can use context clues to figure out that these were important, sacred details to the author. The reader can substitute in what things from their own life make their home feel special and gain meaning from the author’s descriptions. Finally, the big idea of the story is for readers to gain a sense of how significant this move was in the author’s life and how much they value home and a sense of security. ( )

This is another is large collection of books focused on the adjustment that life-changing moves have on a child. It's well written and the illustrations are well done. It's a solid book. ( )