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Title details for Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim - Available

Stand Up, Yumi Chung!

by Jessica Kim
Greta Jung
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
One lie snowballs into a full-blown double life in this irresistible story about an aspiring stand-up comedian.
On the outside, Yumi Chung suffers from #shygirlproblems, a perm-gone-wrong, and kids calling her "Yu-MEAT" because she smells like her family's Korean barbecue restaurant. On the inside, Yumi is ready for her Netflix stand-up special. Her notebook is filled with mortifying memories that she's reworked into comedy gold. All she needs is a stage and courage.
Instead of spending the summer studying her favorite YouTube comedians, Yumi is enrolled in test-prep tutoring to qualify for a private school scholarship, which will help in a time of hardship at the restaurant. One day after class, Yumi stumbles on an opportunity that will change her life: a comedy camp for kids taught by one of her favorite YouTube stars. The only problem is that the instructor and all the students think she's a girl named Kay Nakamura—and Yumi doesn't correct them.
As this case of mistaken identity unravels, Yumi must decide to stand up and reveal the truth or risk losing her dreams and disappointing everyone she cares about.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    March 17, 2020

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593162682
      • File size: 174470 KB
      • Duration: 06:03:28

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Lexile® Measure: 620
    • Text Difficulty: 2-3

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      February 3, 2020
      In Kim’s well-paced debut, 11-year-old aspiring comic Yumi Chung struggles between her dreams and her Korean parents’ wishes. Shy Yumi is frustrated when her mother enrolls her in test-prep tutoring to qualify for an academic scholarship at prestigious Winston Academy. But when Yumi accidentally assumes an absent camper’s identity at YouTuber Jasmine Jasper’s comedy camp, her summer suddenly seems promising. What follows is a balancing act of making new friends and sustaining parental expectations amid looming worries about Yumi’s older sister, Yuri, and the financial state of the Chungs’ restaurant. Amid fresh-feeling comic framing and contemporary conflicts about gentrification and community involvement, the narrative employs several elements that will be familiar to readers of similar titles—Yumi’s strict immigrant parents compare her to other kids and expect good grades, genius Yuri is in medical school, and there’s a lack of clear intergenerational communication. Yumi’s friends and heroes are diverse, which feels genuine to the Los Angeles setting, and her gradual journey toward self-confidence will resonate with anyone who has had shy or awkward stages. Interspersed with entries from Yumi’s Super-Secret Comedy Notebook, the engaging first-person narrative is a good first step into a rich landscape of reads about first-generation immigrant experiences. Ages 9–12. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Narrator Greta Jung's exuberant voice captures the honesty, humor, and conflict in Kim's poignant narrative. Yumi's hardworking immigrant parents want her to attend Hogwan on a prestigious scholarship, but when she stumbles into a comedy camp led by her favorite YouTuber, she can't stop herself from joining. Jung's pacing captures Yumi's stress and exhilaration as she struggles to balance her dreams and her family's expectations. Precise characterizations shine in conversations between Yumi and her parents, sister, and friends. The story explores cultures as characters work to understand one another and Yumi seeks to find her voice. As the action builds to a stirring conclusion, Jung's delivery and Kim's writing are a winning combination. K.S.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
    • School Library Journal

      July 1, 2020

      Gr 3-7-Greta Jung energetically embodies 11-year-old Yumi Chung's evolution from quiet odd-girl-out to feisty stand-up-comedian-in-the-making. At her exclusive L.A. private school, Yumi is rarely noticed, except by the bully harassing her as "Yu-MEAT" (for her barbecue-scent-infused clothing from helping at her family's Koreatown restaurant) or "Top Ramen" (for the bad perms enforced by her mother). Conditioned by her genius older sister, in her second year of med school at 20, Yumi's parents expect no less achievement. As seventh grade looms, Yumi needs a scholarship (via near-perfect test score) to continue her privileged education, so her parents enroll her at an all-summer, Korean-style cram school. Bad luck, until a case of mistaken identity (a cringe-inducing all-Asians-look-alike stereotype) enables her to join a comedy camp taught by her YouTube comic idol. That's where Yumi-most ironically-becomes the true self she's been composing in her "Super-Secret Comedy Notebook." Yumi learns to stand up for her family, friends, and, most importantly, herself. Jung nimbly complements spunky Yumi with equally affecting characterizations of her immigrant parents, her not-quite-perfect sister, and her quickly growing audience. VERDICT Kim's debut gets a spot-on audio boost for even the most reluctant readers.-Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC

      Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:620
  • Text Difficulty:2-3

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