Transatlantic is thrilled to see ALMOST AMERICAN GIRL: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha selected as a Top Ten Pick on the “2019-2020 Kid’s Winter Indie Next List” by American Booksellers Association/Bookweb!
About the Indie Next List:
“The four-page, full-color flier features the top 10 children’s titles for the winter publishing season and an additional 42 titles organized by age group. All Indie Next List picks are based on recommendations from booksellers at independent bookstores across the country and include a bookseller quote and full bibliographic information.”
Nomination blurb for ALMOST AMERICAN GIRL:
“Chuna lives with her mother in Korea; it’s just the two of them and always has been. Suddenly, her life is turned upside down when what she thinks is a vacation to Alabama turns out to be a permanent stay. Her mother is getting married, and her family of two has just quadrupled in size. Now, at 14, Chuna must learn how to navigate this new American life. Robin Ha shares her story with readers in this touching memoir told in graphic novel form, and I enjoyed every moment of it. You will laugh and cry!” —Jen Steele, Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, WI
About ALMOST AMERICAN GIRL:
A powerful and moving teen graphic novel memoir about immigration, belonging, and how arts can save a life—perfect for fans of American Born Chinese and Hey, Kiddo.
For as long as she can remember, it’s been Robin and her mom against the world. Growing up as the only child of a single mother in Seoul, Korea, wasn’t always easy, but it has bonded them fiercely together. So when a vacation to visit friends in Huntsville, Alabama, unexpectedly becomes a permanent relocation—following her mother’s announcement that she’s getting married—Robin is devastated. Overnight, her life changes. She is dropped into a new school where she doesn’t understand the language and struggles to keep up. She is completely cut off from her friends in Seoul and has no access to her beloved comics. At home, she doesn’t fit in with her new stepfamily, and worst of all, she is furious with the one person she is closest to—her mother. Then one day Robin’s mother enrolls her in a local comic drawing class, which opens the window to a future Robin could never have imagined.
ALMOST AMERICAN GIRL comes out in January 2020 with Balzar & Bray in North America.
Born in Seoul, Korea, Robin Ha grew up reading and drawing comics. At fourteen she moved to the United States. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in illustration, she moved to New York City and started a career in the fashion industry. Her work has been published in independent comics anthologies including Secret Identities and The Strumpet, as well as in the pages of Marvel Comics and Heavy Metal Magazine. Her blog Banchan in 2 Pages features Korean recipe comics. She currently resides in Falls Church, Virginia.
For the complete Winter 2019-2020 Kids’ Indie Next List Preview, please visit: http://bit.ly/34oAqdW
Robin Ha is represented by Samantha Haywood.