Gigi Shin Is Not a Nerd (Gigi Shin #1)

Korean American seventh grader Jiyoung "Gigi" Shin, who lives in Bluebonnet, Tex., has big dreams of following in her aunt's footsteps to become a renowned artist--even if her working-class parents would prefer that she take her math and science assignments more seriously ("Art is just an elective, so make sure to focus on your other, more important classes first"). When she learns about the Starscape Young Artists' Program--a prestigious but expensive art camp on the East Coast where her idol, Korean American graphic novelist Christiana Moon, will be an instructor--Gigi schemes to raise money for the application fee and tuition. With her best friends Carolina Garcia, a Latinx video game enthusiast; hijabi Zeina Hassan, an aspiring picture book author; and book-smart Taiwanese American Emma Chen, Gigi forms tutoring club Ace Squad. But even though the girls initially work well together, Gigi struggles to balance running a new club, keeping her grades up, and emergent friendship troubles with Carolina. Via emphatically depicted character interactions, Lee (the Mindy Kim series) skillfully handles topics surrounding cooperation, financial anxiety, first crushes, and pursuing one's goals in this sweet and wholesome new series. Ages 8-12. Agent: Penny Moore, Aevitas Creative Management. (Mar.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 3-7--A seventh grader sets her sights on a prestigious art program in New York, but needs to raise money, navigate sticky friendship situations, and convince her parents that being an artist is a worthwhile pursuit along the way. Korean American Jiyoung "Gigi" Shin loves art, but her immigrant parents, who run a grocery store in Texas, want her to have a more stable and lucrative career, like a scientist or engineer. Gigi and friends Zeina Hassan, Carolina Garcia, and Emma Chen start a tutoring club to raise money to attend the young artists' program that receives tens of thousands of applications from all around the world. Running a small business comes with unforeseen issues: difficult tutees, scheduling challenges, and hurt feelings among the friends. The tension caused by bad communication, disagreements, and changing allegiances resolves quickly as they work through their issues by taking responsibility and talking things through. When Gigi's parents find out about the tutoring club, she lands in hot water but uses the opportunity to show her parents the art she has kept secret from them to prove that the club is making a positive impact. Serviceable, unadorned writing tells the relatively low-stakes small plot, but Gigi's authentic voice and feelings and the strong, nuanced secondary characters shine. Hand this to readers who enjoy the simple camaraderie and entrepreneurship of "The Baby-Sitters Club" series. VERDICT A solid realistic fiction series opener about pursuing passions and working toward a goal.--Amanda MacGregor

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Move over, Baby-Sitters! There's a new club in town.

A promising start to a new series.