A review by yapha
Unidentified Suburban Object by Mike Jung

5.0

Mike Jung has knocked it out of the park with this one! Chloe Cho has had it with being not just the only Korean-American in her entire school/town, but the only Asian-American at all! To make matters worse, her parents refuse to tell her anything about her heritage. Luckily, her best friend Shelley is just as excited to explore all things Korean. Together they make food, buy clothes, and listen to K-Pop. It's almost enough to make up for the microaggressions she faces on a daily basis. Chloe can't believe her luck when the new social studies teacher at school is also Korean-American! Finally, some one like her! But her first assignment from the Ms. Lee is disastrous -- she has to write a personal family history story. This leads to her parents finally revealing the truth about her heritage, which turns Chloe's world upside down. Chloe's raw emotions, mixed with equal parts snarky sarcasm, will ring true for any middle schooler who feels out of place. It is not only a fun book, but can also serve as an important starting place for discussions on identity and feelings of being "other." Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss