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When you are different from everyone else, how much difference is too much? Julia Song is a second-generation Korean-American. Her parents were born in Korea and came to America for all the wonderful things that America offers to immigrants. Julia and her little brother, Kenny, live in a small town, attend public school, have a stay-at-home mom, and are a lot like all of the other kids in their town. Yet somehow, the students in Julia’s class always seem to see the differences, not the similarities.
On the second day of her sojourn in Plainfield, Julia meets Patrick. Patrick lives next door and has an older sister and three younger brothers. When Patrick and Julia team up to create a project for their after-school club, Julia is more than a little mortified that Patrick wants to do something that will relate to her Korean family. Obstacles present themselves that will possibly allow Julia out of the project without hurting Patrick’s feelings. But as each obstacle is presented, the “thinking man” finds a way around it. In the process, Julia learns to trust Patrick and to like herself. She also learns to see her younger brother and her parents in a new light.
The author introduces herself throughout the book by having a conversation with the main character after every chapter. It is a bit disconcerting at first, and the reader can skip over these pages without missing the flow of the story. However, there is a great deal of insight to be gained about how a story becomes a book. Readers who have an interest in publishing or writing as a career will not want to skip this part.
In this age of immigration policy reform, this story will help readers to appreciate how this country has embraced all cultures. It presents information about Korean history, race relations, and even cultural habits in an honest way. Middle readers will enjoy Project Mulberry.
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Project Mulberry