Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business (Mindy Kim #1)

by Lyla Lee (Author) Dung Ho (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Series: Mindy Kim

Fresh Off the Boat meets Junie B. Jones in this first novel in an adorable new chapter book series about Mindy Kim, a young Asian American girl who is starting a snack business!

Mindy Kim just wants three things: 1. A puppy! 2. To fit in at her new school 3. For her dad to be happy again But, getting all three of the things on her list is a lot trickier than she thought it would be. On her first day of school, Mindy's school snack of dried seaweed isn't exactly popular at the lunch table. Luckily, her new friend, Sally, makes the snacks seem totally delicious to Mindy's new classmates, so they decide to start the Yummy Seaweed Business to try and raise money for that puppy! When another student decides to try and sabotage their business, Mindy loses more than she bargained for--and wonders if she'll ever fit in. Will Mindy be able to overcome her uncertainty and find the courage to be herself?


Find books about:

More books in the series - See All

Other series you might like

School Library Journal

Gr 1-3--Seven-and-a-half-year-old Mindy Kim and her dad have moved from California to Florida in the wake of her mother's death. Mindy is not excited about starting at a new school. All her friends are back in California, but Mindy is determined to form a new social circle. When she shares her yummy seaweed snacks, she discovers lots of kids suddenly want to talk to her. Her excitement only builds as she and her newest friend develop plans for a snack business. But when things do not go as planned and Mindy lands in the principal's office, will she be able to find any new friends? Reminiscent of Barbara Park's "Junie B. Jones" series but with more emotional depth and life lessons effortlessly woven throughout, this first installment of a new series deals with grief, loss, and how to right a wrong. The slightly smaller type and higher-level vocabulary will appeal to young readers seeking a little more of a challenge than the typical early chapter book. The discussion of Mindy's experiences as a young Asian American student, including bringing 'different' food to lunch and how she looks different from her classmates, is a welcome and necessary perspective. VERDICT A solid choice for incorporating advanced vocabulary into early chapter book collections.--Emily Beasley, Omaha Public Schools

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Lyla Lee
Lyla Lee is an author of books for children and young adults. In addition to the Mindy Kim series, she is the author of I'll Be the One and the upcoming Flip the Script for teens. Born in South Korea, she's since then lived in various parts of the United States, including California, Florida, and Texas. Inspired by her English teacher, she started writing her own stories in fourth grade and finished her first novel at the age of fourteen. After working in Hollywood and studying psychology and cinematic arts at the University of Southern California, she now lives in Dallas, Texas. When she is not writing, she is teaching kids or playing with her dog, Eiva the Siberian Husky.

Dung Ho was born and raised in Hue, Vietnam, where she studied graphic design at the Hue University College of Arts. After graduating, she worked in the design and advertising industries before discovering a great passion for illustration and picture books and becoming a freelance illustrator. Currently, she lives and works in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. She is the illustrator of the New York Times bestselling picture book Eyes That Kiss in the Corners. When not drawing, she enjoys cooking and watching movies.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781534440098
Lexile Measure
640L
Guided Reading Level
N/A
Publisher
Aladdin Paperbacks
Publication date
January 20, 2020
Series
Mindy Kim
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV002190 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Pets
JUV002070 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dogs
JUV011020 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Asian American
JUV045000 - Juvenile Fiction | Readers | Chapter Books
JUV006000 - Juvenile Fiction | Business, Careers, Occupations
Library of Congress categories
Schools
Moving, Household
Single-parent families
Grief
Korean Americans
Snack foods
Cooking (Marine algae)

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!