Lily has a super power – invisibility. At least that’s how she’s always felt. Her big sister Sam teases her calling her a QAD – Quiet Asian Girl, seeming to forget they used to be close. After losing their dad in a car accident, Sam drifted away from Lily, now in her teens and angry at everything.

Now they and their mum are leaving their home to go and live with their grandmother (their Halmoni). Sam is grumpier than ever. They love their Halmoni though with her beautiful clothes and hair, wonderful cooking and amazing stories she told them when they were young.

Suddenly, something from her stories appears on the road as they travel there. A huge tiger stands defiant, staring through the windscreen, right at Lily. But Sam and Mum don’t see it, or Lily’s reaction.

When Lily sees the tiger in Halmoni’s home, she knows trouble is coming. First they learn that Halmoni is very sick, and then Lily learns the tiger isn’t a figment of her imagination. It’s real and it wants something Halmoni stole from it decades before.

Lily knows she cannot tell anyone about the tiger. Mum is busy trying to find a job and worrying about her ill mother. Sam never listens anymore and is sneaking out at night on her own.

With a new friend’s help, and courage Lily never knew she had, she begins to stand up for herself and her Halmoni. She is prepared to make a deal with the big cat for Halmoni’s life.

But first, stories must be shared and understood before any changes can be made. Lily soon realises the biggest changes will be within herself.

This is a beautiful story grounded in Korean culture and the power of women through myth, legend and stories, shared through generations.

Winner of the prestigious US Newbery Medal 2021, this not only explores Korean cultural identity, its main character is trying to cope with many challenges, one being the loss of a close bond with her older sister Sam. After losing their father in an accident many years before, Sam has drifted away from her remaining family of Lily, Mum and her Halmoni (grandmother).

Lily is now trying to find where she fits not only within her family, but outside of it, and suddenly another anchor (Halmoni) is shifting due to illness. Lily is shy, quiet and troubled with a lot to deal with and understand, but the love for her Halmoni gives her the strength to fight back and aim to take control of her life.

Beautifully written after much research into Korean storytelling and myth, this author has given not only bi-racial readers a treasure of a story, but anyone who is lucky enough to read it.

Author – Tae Keller

Age – 9+

(2020, Korean, Bi-racial, Winner of Newbery Medal 2021, Award Winner, Asian/Pacific/American Awards for Children’s Literature, Story, Stories, Myths, Legends, Generations, Family, Grandmother, Halmoni, Korean Culture, New friend, Grief, Loss, Fear, Dying, Illness, Sick, Library, Animals, Tigers, Bargains, Deal, Siblings, Deal, Stolen, Thief, Tales, Secret, Growing up, Magic)