Stand Up, Yumi Chung!

Stand Up, Yumi Chung! (March 2020) is the debut novel by Korean American author Jessica Kim. When first published, it made several 2020 award lists, including Kirkus Best Children’s Books and Amazon Best Books of the Month. The author followed this title with Make a Move, Sunny Park! (2023), which covers similar material as her first book. Like her characters, Kim was born in California and is currently a SoCal resident. She is also a former grade-school teacher. According to her website, Kim writes about “Asian American girls finding their way in the world.”

The author’s first novel falls under the categories of Children’s Asia & Asia America Studies and Children’s Performing Arts Books. It is intended for readers aged 9 to 12 in grades 4-7. This study guide and all its page citations are based on the book’s Kindle edition. The story takes place in the Koreatown neighborhood of contemporary Los Angeles during August. It is told using a first-person point of view from the perspective of protagonist Yumi Chung.

As the tale begins, 11-year-old Yumi is enjoying her summer vacation away from the upscale Winston Academy prep school.