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TROUBLEMAKER by John Cho

TROUBLEMAKER

by John Cho with Sarah Suk

Pub Date: March 22nd, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5447-4
Publisher: Little, Brown

Noted actor Cho and co-author Suk share the journey of a Korean American sixth grader struggling with feeling inadequate.

It’s 1992 in Glendale, California, and Jordan’s life is coming apart: He’s been suspended from school for cheating. He’s banned from seeing Mike, his impulsive church friend. Sarah, his adored older sister, is always busy—and so perfect that he looks even more disappointing by comparison. Appa and Umma, burdened with financial worries, are constantly working at their liquor store. Jordan’s family immigrated 9 years earlier, but the bright American future they sacrificed so much for seems questionable. Now people are erupting in protest over the unjust Rodney King verdict and tragic killing of Latasha Harlins by a Korean shop owner. Driven by deep emotional pain and a desire to prove himself to Appa, Jordan sneaks out with Mike—and the gun his father’s forbidden him to touch. As violence spreads toward Koreatown, he tries to deliver it as protection for Appa, who’s boarding up the store. This ill-conceived plan goes awry, and during the fraught evening the boys learn about integrity, bias, and more. The realistically middle-grade voice, strong characterization, and well-paced storyline show the growth of a boy who is moving from limited awareness to a mature perspective on his place in his family and broader community. The novel weaves together large-scale issues of social injustice and interracial barriers with the intimate pain—and joy—of personal relationships.

Equal parts suspenseful and emotionally insightful.

(author’s note) (Fiction. 9-13)