August 1, 2022
Gr 4-7-Pippa explores the highs and lows of friendships and first crushes in this well-crafted sequel to Pippa Park Raises her Game. As Christmas approaches, Pippa is busier than ever juggling basketball, homework, hanging out with her friends, and working at her sister's laundromat. When she accidentally agrees to host her new friends' annual Christmas party and her sister volunteers her to help out with the church pageant, Pippa's responsibilities increase. Throw in money troubles, a grumpy cat, and confusing feelings for both her math tutor Eliot and an old friend from church, and Pippa finds herself in over her head. VERDICT This warm-hearted, feel-good series continues to realistically explore one Korean American girl's middle school experience in a relatable way.
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September 1, 2022
Pippa is in over her head and head over heels in the second installment of the Pippa Park series. Pippa, a working-class Korean American 12-year-old, lives with her adult sister, Mina, and Mina's husband in Massachusetts; her mother returned to Korea due to visa issues. Pippa has settled into the private middle school she attends on a basketball scholarship. She is friendly with the Royals, the group of popular girls, most of whom are wealthy and White, but she isn't quite one of them--yet. When the venue for the Royals' Christmas party falls through, Pippa impulsively volunteers to host it. What the other girls don't know is just how tiny Pippa's apartment is and that her family can't afford glitzy decorations or catering--even Christmas presents are outside their budget. Obstacles abound, one of the Royals seems to have it in for her, her best friends are drifting away from her, and she develops feelings for two different boys, one White and one Korean American. It's too much, and Pippa makes one disastrous decision after another until it all comes to a head a few days before the party. Luckily Pippa learns some valuable lessons in friendship and teamwork just in time to make it a very merry Christmas after all. This is solid, classic middle-school drama fare that benefits from the interesting ways Pippa's family background is developed. An engaging variation on a familiar theme. (Fiction. 9-12)
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January 6, 2023
Grades 4-7 Pippa gets way in over her head when she agrees to host a Christmas Eve party at her small apartment for the most popular kids in school. Her Korean American family is a bit strapped for cash, and what's worse, her upstairs neighbor takes a tumble and ends up moving into their living room because she needs care. Add to that her neighbor's terrifying cat and getting caught between two crushes, and Pippa's middle-school experience just became her worst nightmare. This is a heartfelt story about a kid who wants to make everyone happy, including herself, and do things the ""right"" way but who struggles with asking for help. Young and older readers alike will find this relatable, because who--least of all a middle-schooler--wants to admit to their pals that they have to let them down? This lovely Christmastime read has broad appeal and fleshed-out characters who all share in the limelight. This is also a great story for folks who like to read about triumphant underdogs.
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