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ALMOST AMERICAN GIRL:

AN ILLUSTRATED MEMOIR

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2020 Harvey Award Nominee

2021 Walter Award Honoree

2021 Project Lit Book Club Selection

2023 Louisiana Reader's Choice Award Winner

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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 wasn’t always easy, but it has bonded them fiercely together.
 
So 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. She is dropped into a new school where she is doesn’t even

understand the language. At home, she struggles to fit in with her new stepfamily.

Worst of all is that the person she counted on most in the whole world -her mother- has betrayed her.
Then one day Robin’s mother enrolls her in a local comic drawing class,

which opens the window to a future Robin could never have imagined.

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In the tradition of graphic novel memoirs such as AMERICAN BORN CHINESE by Gene Yang,

Almost American Girl is a deeply moving memoir about immigration, belonging, and how art can save a life.

 

 

Reviews of Almost American Girl

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“This heartfelt memoir from an author who shares her honest, personal experiences …

An insightful, moving coming-of-age tale.” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

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"A poignant and unvarnished depiction of immigration—both the heartache and the rewards."- School Library Journal (starred review)

 

“With unblinking honesty and raw vulnerability… [and] presented in full-color splendor, her energetic style mirrors the constant motion of her adolescent self, navigating the peripatetic turbulence toward adulthood.”- ALA Booklist (starred review)

 

“Touching and subtly humorous, this emotive memoir is as much about the steadfast bond between a mother and daughter as it is about the challenges of being an immigrant in America.”- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

 

“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.” - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

 

“A powerful memoir that not only shows what it’s like to be in a new town or a new school, but what it’s like to move to an entirely new country! It’s an amazing journey that is sure to promote empathy with readers.”- Jerry Craft, author of New Kid

 

“Incredibly honest, poignant, and ultimately triumphant, Almost American Girl is a treasure.”- Michael Cho, author of Shoplifter

 

“Robin’s story is both utterly her own and deeply resonant for anyone who’s felt lost in the world and fought to carve out a place for themselves.”- Hazel Newlevant, author of No Ivy League

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Almost American Girl is available wherever books are sold.

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