Unidentified Suburban Object

by Mike Jung

Overview

Comic and satirical, but also full of painful truths about being both a bright, sensitive middle schooler, and a so-called "model-minority" in a decidedly NOT-diverse town

The next person who compares Chloe Cho with famous violinist Abigail Yang is going to HEAR it. Chloe has just about had it with people not knowing the difference between someone who's Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. She's had it with people thinking that everything she does well -- getting good grades, winning first chair in the orchestra, et CETera -- are because she's ASIAN.Of course, her own parents don't want to have anything to DO with their Korean background. Any time Chloe asks them a question they change the subject. They seem perfectly happy to be the only Asian family in town. It's only when Chloe's with her best friend, Shelly, that she doesn't feel like a total alien. Then a new teacher comes to town: Ms. Lee. She's Korean American, and for the first time Chloe has a person to talk to who seems to understand completely. For Ms. Lee's class, Chloe finally gets to explore her family history. But what she unearths is light-years away from what she expected.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545782265
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	04/26/2016
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.20(d)
Lexile:	830L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Mike Jung is the author of Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities and contributed to the anthologies Dear Teen Me, Break These Rules, and 59 Reasons to Write. He is a library professional by day, a writer by night, and a semi-competent ukulele player during all the times in between. Mike is proud to be a founding member of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks team. He lives in Oakland, California, with his wife and two young children. Find Mike at www.mikejung.com.

Read an Excerpt

"I can't believe you pretended something you read from a book was about our family! That's what you did, right?"Dad's mouth was still open, but instead of saying anything he made it into an "O" shape and blew out a long breath. He dragged a hand all the way down his face, forehead to chin."Yes.""You're a liar, Dad. A LIAR!""I'm... I'm sorry, sweetie. How did you find out?""I told you, I got an F on my paper. Miss Lee knows that book.""I'm... I'm honestly surprised anyone in Primrose Heights would be interested in a book on North Korea.""Miss Lee is. She's KOREAN and everything, you know.""Yes, I know. I just didn't... I know.""Do I even have a great uncle named Ho-Joon?" I said. "Or any kind of uncles at all? What else about my life is made up? All of it?"Dad put both hands on top of his head."I guess it's time to tell you the truth.""Oh, do you think?"Dad looked pained by my sarcastic tone."Yes.""About EVERYTHING." I said. Except I didn't know if I wanted to know about everything, because what if it actually was everything, and not just this one thing? What if it was my whole life??

Editorial Reviews

03/07/2016
Chloe Cho, the only student of Asian descent in her school, wants to learn about her Korean heritage, but her parents deflect her inquiries, saying that their past is too painful to revisit. Then Chloe's seventh-grade social studies teacher, Mrs. Lee, assigns a Model United Nations project, naming Chloe to represent South Korea. Facing the prospect of a bad grade for Chloe if they don't cough up some background, the Chos come clean, dropping a bombshell that sends Chloe into a spiral of confusion and anger, and the plot veering in a very different direction. Jung (Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities) excels at showing how racial insensitivity can isolate even a student who is doing everything she can to fit in. Chloe's life teems with microaggressions: a hanbok she wears is called "exotic," strangers assume she is Chinese or Japanese, and a well-meaning orchestra teacher calls her "my Abigail Yang," a famous Korean violin virtuoso. It's easy to imagine Chloe's story starting conversations about how seemingly innocent remarks can make a minority student feel like an alien in the only home she's ever known. Ages 8–12. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Unidentified Suburban Object:"In Unidentified Suburban Object, Mike Jung takes 'not fitting in' to a whole new level. Chloe, her friends, and her family are funny, surprising, and authentic. Wonderful!" -- Gene Luen Yang, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and author of American Born Chinese"How much do I love this book? Unidentified Suburban Object is a wonderfully heartwarming and seriously funny tale about a Korean girl who has always felt alien... only to discover [REDACTED].* Mike Jung has a talent for writing books that I wish I had written instead. Curse you, Mike Jung!!!!" -- Ellen Oh, founder of #WeNeedDiverseBooks and author of The Prophecy series"Wow! Important and thought-provoking ideas wrapped in a funny and surprising story -- with a crackerjack ending!" -- Linda Sue Park, New York Times–bestselling author of A Long Walk to Water"For any kid who ever felt like they were all alone in the universe. Hilariously original!" -- Jennifer L. Holm, New York Times–bestselling author of The Fourteenth Goldfish"With clever snark and easy humor, Mike Jung... manages to infuse thought-provoking statements about identity, race and living life as the only and 'other' -- or, as Chloe proudly insists, 'waving my freak flag solo.' Go, Chloe, go!" -- Terry Hong, Shelf Awareness"Jung excels at showing how racial insensitivity can isolate even a student who is doing everything she can to fit in... It's easy to imagine Chloe's story starting conversations about how seemingly innocent remarks can make a minority student feel like an alien in the only home she's ever known." -- Publishers Weekly"Chloe’s lively, agreeable voice makes her a spokesperson for every kid who has ever felt like an outsider... A slam-dunk choice." -- Booklist"A powerful message... A good choice to add diversity to the shelves." -- Kirkus Reviews"A very welcome and original surprise... This novel takes a hilariously unpredictable turn that will stun and ignite readers." -- School Library Journal*Are you kidding? We’re not giving this away! You have to read the book!

From the Publisher

03/01/2016
Gr 4–6—Chloe Cho is curious about her cultural heritage. Her parents were born in Korea but never speak of their time or families there, no matter how often Chloe asks. The only Asian American in her school, Chloe is excited when her new history teacher is also Korean, but alarmed to learn of an assignment where she needs to interview her parents to share a family story. She is finally able to convince her father to tell her one but receives an F on the assignment and is accused of plagiarism. When Chloe confronts her father, showing him a website that retells the account he claimed happened to his uncle, he must finally tell her the truth. A game-changing family secret is revealed that alters Chloe's perception of herself and the genre of the novel. Jung spends a lot of time hammering home how unwilling Chloe's parents are to speak of their past, making their secret a very welcome and original surprise and giving the novel some needed energy. Chloe's response to her parents' news ripples into every corner of her life. Furious she's been lied to, she rebels against not only her parents but her friends and teachers as well. While Chloe herself is a gifted student, the book has enough twists and humor to broaden the audience to include reluctant readers. VERDICT Part realistic fiction and part fantasy, this novel takes a hilariously unpredictable turn that will stun and ignite readers.—Juliet Morefield, Multnomah County Library, OR

School Library Journal

2016-02-02
Being the only Asian student in town makes the horrible but universal feeling of not fitting in just that much worse. Chloe Cho can only hope seventh grade promises improvement because there is an actual Korean-American teacher for social studies. This smart and sassy girl is determined to get Ms. Lee to help fill in the gaps of her Korean ancestry, since her parents so clearly avoid the topic. With her best friend, Shelley, Chloe dives into all things Korean: pop music, clothing, and food. After a slow start, the storyline takes a hard turn in the middle of the book. When the startling, barely believable truth about her family (hint: it takes the notion of alienation to a whole new level) is finally revealed, the Asian stereotypes start falling away fast: the star student gets detention, she loses her position as first-chair violinist in the orchestra, and (gasp!) she fights with her parents. Even worse, Chloe and Shelley walk away from their friendship. The significant plot twist has this book straddling multiple genres, but the new vein is where the humor and weirdness truly have teeth. The similarities between being different and being alien make for a powerful message. And the strongest protection against both is still your very best friend. With its quirky, determined heroine, this is a good choice to add diversity to the shelves. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews

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