Don't Cause Trouble

by Arree Chung, Arree Chung (Illustrator)

Overview

Twelve-year-old Ming Lee hopes middle school will be the fresh start he needs.

But stepping into school with the same bowl haircut his mom insists on giving him, and wearing the extra-discounted thrift shop clothes she buys him doesn't quite make for the first day of his dreams. Things only get worse when he’s placed in an ESL class despite English being his first (and only) language. The journey ahead is full of awkward, painful, and downright embarrassing moments.

Ming’s dad always tells him, “Get good grades! Don’t cause trouble!” But with two new friends by his side, and a few tricks up his sleeve, Ming is determined to make some changes.

Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Jerry Craft, Don’t Cause Trouble is a funny, warmhearted graphic novel that will resonate with readers who are looking for a place to belong.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250887306
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	04/22/2025
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Arree Chung is the author and illustrator of Ninja! and Ninja! Attack of the Clan, as well as the illustrator of How to Pee: Potty Training for Boys/Girls. Prior to writing and illustrating picture books, Arree worked at Pixar, where he learned the secret to success: loving what you do. To pursue his passion, Arree enrolled at the Art Center College of Design where he learned to draw, paint, and think differently. When Arree is not practicing his Ninja moves, you can find him playing basketball or riding his bike. He lives with his family in San Francisco, California.

www.arree.com

@arreechung

Arree Chung is the author and illustrator of Ninja! and Ninja! Attack of the Clan, as well as the illustrator of How to Pee: Potty Training for Boys/Girls. Prior to writing and illustrating picture books, Arree worked at Pixar, where he learned the secret to success: loving what you do. To pursue his passion, Arree enrolled at the Art Center College of Design where he learned to draw, paint, and think differently. When Arree is not practicing his Ninja moves, you can find him playing basketball or riding his bike. He lives with his family in San Francisco, California.

www.arree.com

@arreechung

Editorial Reviews

2025-02-01
Being a first-generation American makes school more challenging for a plucky tween boy.

Ming Lee faces middle school with his usual bowl haircut (administered by his mom), the embarrassment of thrift store shopping for back-to-school clothing, and a fervent wish to just get through it all unnoticed. His other deep desire is a pair of Air Elevates sneakers—much too costly for his extremely frugal Chinese-immigrant parents to ever buy him. After initially being assigned to an ESL class (even though English is his first and only language), Ming is placed in Honors English. He makes two new friends, Vikrum (who’s cued Indian) and Marcus (who’s Black). The trio support each other through Halloween hilarity, Ming’s crush, basketball mishaps, and school candy sales turf wars. But the real test of friendship comes when Ming, in a desperate move after his sneaker fund is stolen, involves his buddies in a bungled shoplifting attempt. In the aftermath, Ming learns about the power of family, religion, friends, and self-acceptance. His parents, grappling with their own tribulations around finances, racism, and familial duty, gain insight into Ming’s situation, improving their family bonds. In this graphic novel inspired by the author’s life, Chung inserts humor and love beside moments of pain and frustration in a way that meshes stylistically with the straightforward dialogue and clean, simple drawings.

This humorous and heartwarming glimpse into an immigrant family’s experiences entertains and educates. (author’s note, how to make a graphic novel)(Graphic fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews

01/27/2025

Despite English being the first—and only—language he speaks, middle schooler Ming Lee is placed in ESL. But with his parents pressuring him to get good grades and not “cause trouble,” he stays quiet about the assignment, rationalizing, “At least I’m on my way to an easy A!” Later, as he watches other kids play basketball, Ming fantasizes about proving himself on the court while wearing his dream pair of Air Elevates shoes. After moving out of ESL, Ming befriends classmates Vikrum Patel and Marcus James; the trio bond over their love of video games and plan money-making schemes to help Ming save for Air Elevates. Depictions of Ming’s mother, once a nurse in Thailand who now earns money cleaning, and his largely silent Chinese father’s expectations that Ming do well in school so he can attend Stanford highlight how underemployment affects Ming’s immigrant parents, their focus on providing better opportunities for him, and this pressure’s impact on his sense of self. In this candid graphic novel debut informed by personal experience, Chung (Remixed: A Blended Family) utilizes crisp, character-focused artwork that features clever visual cues to smoothly transition between exterior events and interior thoughts, as when solid-black-lined panels give way to wavy, loose-inked flashbacks. Ages 8–12. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

★ "Real life” inspired Chung’s graphic novel debut, which uses vibrant, vivacious, full-color panels. His dynamic characters’ expressions are particularly affecting, although Mom just might be the title’s star player."—Booklist, starred review

"This humorous and heartwarming glimpse into an immigrant family’s experiences entertains and educates."—Kirkus

"Perfectly capturing the experience of navigating middle school as the child of immigrants, this heartfelt and funny title is a must-have for all middle grade graphic novel collections."—School and Library Journal

"In this candid graphic novel debut informed by personal experience, Chung utilizes crisp, character-focused artwork that features clever visual cues to smoothly transition between exterior events and interior thoughts"—Publisher's Weekly

"Chung’s ability to combine humor and the heart-wrenching experiences of not only teenagers, but teens of immigrants, makes this a graphic novel that will reflect the desire of many readers to fit in and be seen. It also showcases parental sacrifices and acts of love that often go unnoticed by children, as well as the hope that our authentic selves can be accepted and celebrated."—Mochi Magazine

From the Publisher

03/01/2025

Gr 5–7—As 12-year-old Ming starts his first day of middle school, his parents leave him with one clear message: don't cause trouble and get good grades. Ming typically worries about his hair, which his mother cuts, and his shoes and clothes, which come from the thrift shop. Chung's graphic novel eloquently portrays Ming's feelings as a child of immigrants. He wants to be like all the other kids at school and struggles to understand his parents' different approaches to being American and the American Dream. Ming and his two new friends, Vikrum and Marcus, begin to navigate the middle school student body hierarchy, finding their social positions with awkward interactions aplenty. Ming, like all kids, makes poor choices and must face the consequences head-on. Because the story is somewhat autobiographical, it is no surprise that Ming likes to draw. Chung's illustrations capture Ming's feelings of being an outsider after Ming discovers his father's Resident Alien card and begins to draw himself as an actual alien from outer space in his journal. Chung thoughtfully includes notes at the end of the book to show what goes into writing and illustrating a graphic novel. VERDICT Perfectly capturing the experience of navigating middle school as the child of immigrants, this heartfelt and funny title is a must-have for all middle grade graphic novel collections.—Kim Gardner

School Library Journal