Almost American Girl - By Robin Ha

Almost American Girl is a powerful and moving teen graphic novel memoir about immigration, belonging, and how arts can save a life.

For as long as she can remember, it's been Robin and her mom against the world, growing up as the only child of a single mother in Seoul, Korea.

When a vacation to visit friends in Huntsville, Alabama unexpectedly becomes a permanent relocation following her mother's announcement that she's getting married, Robin is devastated.

Overnight, her life changes, and she finds herself struggling to keep up in a new school where she doesn't understand the language and is completely cut off from her friends in Seoul.

At home, she doesn't fit in with her new stepfamily, and worst of all, she is furious with the one person she is closest to--her mother.

But when Robin's mother enrolls her in a local comic drawing class, it opens up a whole new world for her.

This nonfiction graphic novel has four starred reviews and is an excellent choice for teens and accelerated tween readers, perfect for independent reading or units on immigration, memoirs, and the search for identity.

With unblinking honesty and raw vulnerability, Ha successfully brings to life the wide range of emotions that both tell the story and provide evidence that the comic medium has been a healing force for her and perhaps could be for readers who have walked similar paths.

Almost American Girl is an incredibly honest, poignant, and ultimately triumphant treasure that will promote empathy with readers.