SYNOPSIS

A magical-reality story combined with some very real-life challenges. Lily, an introverted and empathetic sixth grader, moves to her grandma’s town along with her older sister and their single mom. In a busy start of the school year, Lily struggles to fit in at her new school, make sense of the mysterious tiger that visits her nightly, and accept her grandma’s terminal illness. While her mom tackles a job search and her sister settles into a newly-revealed sexual identity, Lily explores the beauty and richness of her grandma’s and her own Korean heritage. 

PERFECT AGE 8 – 12

THEMES

• Beauty of one’s heritage
• Burden of leaving one’s country and adjusting to life in a new country
• Making friends
• Protecting, taking care of a family member
• Feeling alone, misunderstood

We love

• Magical realism for kids – enchanting and thought-provoking
• Everything about the grandma; what a cool lady!
• An inspirational love letter to one’s heritage, Korean or otherwise. It will motivate young readers to appreciate what’s unique in their own backgrounds 
• Portrayal of loving family members, even in their hardest and least polite moments. Just like in real-life, moms get angry; sisters are surly and sarcastic; grandmas don’t always make sense

WATCH OUT FOR (Language, Big / Sensitive Topics, Outdated Concepts):

• If same-sex relationships are new to your family conversation, perhaps preview the idea with your reader
• Death of a family member is both a thing of recent past (Lily’s dad) and a detailed topic of book’s end (grandma, in the hospital, surrounded by Lily and her family)
• Beloved family member’s prolonged sickness / cancer features prominently

CONVERSATION STARTERS

• What could be some reasons the tiger only shows up to Lily?
• What are some other immigrant stories do you know of? Anyone in your own family?
• What do you think makes Lily act unkindly sometimes?
• How did the book make you feel? Tell me more about those feelings.
• Who was your favorite character? Why?