Rutabaga's Reads 2022: Part 22

This was meant to be a compilation post, but I never got around to reading enough chapter books to compile a second compilation post. The year has almost gotten away from me, so I’m posting this solo chapter book.

Mindy Kim and the Fairy-Tale Wedding (Apr. 5, 2022) by Lyla Lee.

   Dung Ho, illustrator.

*This is the seventh book in a series.*

Talk about the event of the year! Mindy Kim (Korean name: Min-jung) is about to attend her first wedding, and not only is she in it as the flower girl, it’s her dad and Julie that are getting married. Her dad’s relatives have flown into Florida from South Korea, including her school-age cousins, Sung-jin and Sora, while Julie’s family has flown in from New York and China. Mindy wants the day to be perfect, but a perfect day might not be in the picture. There’s rain in the forecast, and the wedding is planned to be outdoors with the ocean as the backdrop. Meanwhile, Theodore the Mutt, whom Mindy is determined will be the ring-bearer, completely misbehaves at the rehearsal. This fairy tale looks like it might be a fairy-FAIL.

            As long as this series continues, I will be one of its readers, because I love that this series features a Korean American character. I don’t care that this is a chapter book; what I care about is that there is representation of a young girl who looks like me, and I know I would’ve loved seeing a series like this when I was young. This is another sweet and fast-reading addition to the Mindy Kim series. It resonates with youthful vibrancy and blends cultures, as Mindy and her dad’s Korean American side joins Julie's Chinese American side. The wedding includes a Chinese tea ceremony, a western ceremony (in which Julie wears a white gown), and a Korean ceremony or paebaek (where they don their hanboks).

            Mindy Kim Books 1-5: A compilation post

            Mindy Kim Book 6: Mindy Kim and the Big Pizza Challenge