Yumi Chung's Korean immigrant parents expect a lot of her—intensive studying, perfect grades, admission to an Ivy League institution, and the pursuit of an ambitious career (her older sister is in medical school).  Eleven-year-old Yumi couldn't care less about school.  In fact, she kind of hates the fancy prep academy her parents make her attend.  Her big dream?  Becoming the next great stand-up comic.  To her family, comedy is a silly hobby, a waste of time.  To Yumi, it's a way to express herself and connect with people in a way she can't otherwise.  

When Yumi happens upon a comedy camp for kids taught by her favorite YouTube comic, she can't help wandering in.  She's instantly mistaken for an absent camper.  Knowing her parents would never let her join the camp for real, Yumi assumes the missing girl's identity.  Yumi's thrilled to be learning from her idol, but maintaining her lie and keeping her activities a secret from her parents is stressing her out big time.  When the inevitable happens, Yumi must decide how much she's willing to risk to make her dream come true.  

A debut middle-grade novel by Jessica Kim, Stand Up, Yumi Chung! tells a fun, upbeat story that's entertaining and humorous.  The set-up is a little cliché with its demanding Asian-American parents and restaurant setting, but the stand-up comedy angle is one I haven't encountered before in a children's book.  Yumi is funny and likable, which makes her an easy-to-root-for heroine.  She and her friends act a lot older than 11, with more freedom and ambition than kids typically have at that age.  This made the story feel unauthentic, making me think this novel would have worked a little better as a YA book.  Still, Stand Up, Yumi Chung! is an enjoyable, empowering romp with lots of heart.  I didn't absolutely love it, but I definitely liked it.

(Readalikes:  A hundred titles should be coming to mind, but I'm drawing a blank.  Any ideas?)

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

As the child of hardworking Korean immigrants who sacrificed to move to the U.S. in order to give their children a better life, Frank Li is expected to assimilate.  But not too much.  Although he was born in Southern California and not even his parents use his Korean name, Frank is nevertheless expected to marry a Korean girl.  Problem:  Koreans are not exactly plentiful in Playa Mesa.  Also a problem:  Frank has already fallen hard for smart, funny Brit Means, who is white.  Thanks to his older sister's marriage to a Black man and her subsequent disownment from the family, Frank knows exactly how his loving (but totally racist) parents react to mixed-race relationships.  He can't let them know about his.

Enter Joy Song, the daughter of a couple Frank's parents know from Korea.  Joy's got a secret she's keeping from her own racist parents—she's dating a Chinese boy.  In order to keep all the adults in the dark, Frank and Joy decide to fake-date each other, a ruse that delights their parents.  When things go awry and then awry-er, Frank learns some important lessons about friendship, family, first loves, and forging the future for himself that he really wants.  

Frankly in Love by David Yoon is a funny, upbeat story that's more than just a romance.  Although the story spends a lot of pages on Frank's fumbling about on his path to true love, it also hits on issues of identity, racism, parental expectations vs. children forging their own paths, the struggles of those with hyphenated identities, and what love really means.  Frankly in Love has poignant parts along with humorous ones.  Frank's voice is especially engaging.  He's funny, self-deprecating, and thoughtful.  His friends are a likable bunch; even their flawed, sometimes totally clueless family members feel authentic.  The novel gets long, but overall, it's an enjoyable romp that's entertaining, thought-provoking, and fun.  I could have done without the strong language and R-rated bits; otherwise, I liked Frankly in Love a lot.

(Readalikes:  Um, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, and innuendo/sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find