When Hee Jun's family moves from Korea to West Virginia he struggles to adjust to his new home. He can't understand anything the teacher says, and even the sky seems smaller and darker. Hee Jun begins to learn English words and make friends on the playground. One day at a classmate's house he sees a flower he knows from his garden in Korea: mugunghwa, or rose of Sharon. Hee Jun is happy to bring a shoot to his grandmother to plant a "piece of home" in their new garden. A child-friendly story about the trials and triumphs of starting over in a new place while keeping family and traditions close
Themes
Genres: Fiction
Categories: Beautiful Life, Cross Group, Race/Culture Concepts
Settings: Eastern Asia, Northern America, Republic of Korea/South Korea, United States of America, West Virginia
Ethnicity: Korean
Immigration: Immigrant/Migrant
Gender: Boy/Man, Girl/Woman
Race/Culture: Asian/Pacific Islander/Asian American, White/European American/Caucasian
Cross Group Sub: Central, Direct, Positive
Character Prominence: Dominant Main, Secondary