UNIDENTIFIED SUBURBAN OBJECT
By Mike Jung
Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic
ISBN: 0545782260 (ISBN13: 9780545782265)
April 26, 2016
Order it at Bookshop.org, Indiebound, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s. or (preferably) your own favorite indie store.
The next person who compares Chloe Cho with famous violinist Abigail Yang is going to HEAR it. Chloe has just about had it with people not knowing the difference between someone who’s Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. She’s had it with people thinking that everything she does well — getting good grades, winning first chair in the orchestra, et CETera — are because she’s ASIAN. Of course, her own parents don’t want to have anything to DO with their Korean background. Any time Chloe asks them a question they change the subject. They seem perfectly happy to be the only Asian family in town. It’s only when Chloe’s with her best friend, Shelly, that she doesn’t feel like a total alien. Then a new teacher comes to town: Ms. Lee. She’s Korean American, and for the first time Chloe has a person to talk to who seems to understand completely. For Ms. Lee’s class, Chloe finally gets to explore her family history. But what she unearths is light years away from what she expected.
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Download the Guide: Discussing Identity, Difference & Cross-Group Friendship with UNIDENTIFIED SUBURBAN OBJECT
“It’s easy to imagine Chloe’s story starting conversations about how seemingly innocent remarks can make a minority student feel like an alien in the only home she’s ever known.” —Publisher’s Weekly
“The similarities between being different and being alien make for a powerful message. And the strongest protection against both is still your very best friend.” – —Kirkus Reviews
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