I loved the concept of this book. The author's decision to draw from her personal experience to tell a heartwarming story was well done. I believe that young readers will easily connect with the main character and her story. It's definitely worth a read.

This is the story of Yuna, who immigrated to the U.S. from Korea when she was little. But even after years of being in America, she still feels like she doesn't belong. Her mother packs her lunches and they're never like what the other kids eat. She's not allowed to have a cell phone or to go on sleepovers. All she wants is to be like everyone else, but that's not going to happen.

Yuna remembers a story from her grandmother about folding 1000 stars and getting your wish, so that's just what she does. 1000 stars all folded and she wishes for her family to go back to Korea. Then the family gets a call that the grandmother has died and they have to go to Korea for the services. Yuna's guilt over her wish is overwhelming.

Spending time with the larger family in Korea should have been everything Yuna wanted, but now the kids think she's too American and not Korean enough any more. And even worse, she seems to be turning to paper. She has to unwish and fast, before she blows away in the wind.

This looks at the discomfort a lot of kids feel when they're not fully one thing or another. They feel like they don't fit in any world. And the guilt and grief around Halmoni's death feels very much like it's coming from a middle-grader. It will be very relatable for a lot of people.

My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This lovely heartfelt story is a great read for anyone struggling to belong. Highlights Asian immigrant families and the struggle to merge cultures and memory.

This was such a beautiful story of family and grief and belonging and identity. It’s a sad reminder that sometimes, timing is bizarre and we can take on a burden that we don’t need to take on because our emotions got the better of us. It was just so, so beautiful.

And that author’s note! It was just perfect.

<i>Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

A heartfelt, tender story with simple but effective illustrations. I really enjoyed the magical realism aspect; I think magical realism always pairs so beautifully with themes of grief, identity, and belonging.

A Sky of Paper Stars is a moving graphic novel that explores grief, identity, and family. Yuna’s family immigrated to the United States from Korea when she was younger, and she struggles to feel like she belongs. She recalls a legend her grandmother shared about folding 1,000 paper stars, then making a wish. She diligently folds star after star, then makes her wish for her family to return to Korea. After making her wish, Yuna is horrified to learn her grandmother has passed away in Korea and that her family will be returning to Korea for her funeral. Torn with guilt, Yuna sets out to fold another 1,000 stars to undo her wish. The book’s universal themes and beautiful artwork along with the magical realism and Korean traditions woven into the story will draw readers into Yuna’s story as she navigates life after her grandmother’s passing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of the book to read and review.

Yuna's grandmother, her halmoni, taught her how to fold paper stars. 1 wish for 1000 stars if you make it to that number. It seems that her latest wish will be a cinch: to move back to Korea and belong with her family. Kids make fun of her for having "weird" lunches and the cool Korean kid who looks out for her has already assimilated, fitting into every social circle. Yuna wants that, especially since her mother won't give her storebought lunches or let her go to sleepovers.

The wish seems to go wrong after Yuna fights with her mother; the family gets a call that Halmoni has died. Yuna is horrified, more so that her body starts turning into paper. She realizes, during the trip to the funeral, that she actually didn't know what it would mean to move back to Korea, and what Halmoni's life was like. It may take another 1000 stars to undo the wish, but time is of the essence.

Grief is a funny thing. We want to blame ourselves when someone dies, to have an outlet for that anger and disbelief. Yuna believes that it's her fault that Halmoni died, and she does everything that she can to undo that wish. The paper stars give her hope, as she goes through the motions of the funeral and hearing her extended family talk about Halmoni.

Yuna's also very sympathetic even as she fights with her parents and struggles in school. When you are an immigrant kid, you realize you don't fit in, even if you were born and raised in the US. Her parents have no regrets about their struggles for a better life.

Gorgeous art creates a sense of the fantastique. We don't know if Yuna is actually changing into paper, but we can feel her fear and sadness. It is wonderful.

This is a lovely and heartfelt middle grade graphic novel that explores grief and disconnect through the lens of a tween girl named Yuna. Yuna is Korean American, but her Korean heritage always makes her feel weird and like an outcast, so she tries to hide it. Following an old folktale her halmoni taught her, Yuna folds 1,000 paper stars to make a wish that she can return to Korean where she'll fit in. The next day, Yuna learns that Halmoni has passed away and the family is going back to Korea for the funeral. Worried that she's ruined everything, Yuna sets out to fold 1,000 more paper stars to undo her wish before her halmoni is gone forever. The illustrations are really lovely and the metaphors are effective. Elements of magical realism round out this memorable read.

It's tough being first generation American. All Yuna wants is to fit in with her friends at school but her mom makes her Korean lunches; she can't go to sleepovers; and she doesn't have a phone. When Yuna folds 1,000 paper stars she wishes on them that she could go back to Korea. When she wakes to find her halmoni has dies and the family is flying to Korea. Guilt for having wished to return to Korea and falsely connecting it to her halmoni's death, Yuna vows to reverse her wish. When she lands in Korea, she soon finds she's not Korean enough to fit in there either, AND it appears she is turning into paper! Can Yuna reverse the wish and bring her halmoni back or will she turn to paper and be blown away in the wind? Wonderful perspective and a realistic expression of grief in tweens.

A moving graphic novel about family, grief, and the immigrant experience. Will definitely appeal to many young readers!

When the climax hits and Yuna's mom catches her at the last second, I bawled my eyes out. A Sky of Paper Stars is incredibly touching, seamlessly weaving a personal story of grief and belonging with a folk superstition. Yi's drawings are cute and colorful, matching the style popular with kids right now. This is perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and other slice of life graphic novels. The included author's note and instructions for folding a paper star are a lovely bonus.

We'll read this in our kids' level book club next fall. It's marked a middle-grade book, but I think 3rd- 5th grade is about the right fit for readers.

I'm a big fan of Susie Yi's Cat & Cat Adventures series, and this is a sharp turn from that in terms of vibes, but keeps her same charming art style. This book was quite emotional--about being a child of immigrants, feeling like you never quite fit in and never quite know where "home" resides. It's about coming to terms with a death and processing grief, not just of the person, but the fact that you wish to have known that person better. This is a wonderful graphic novel perfect for middle grade readers, and I'm happy to see that Susie Yi can successfully handle both the goofy, adventurous and emotional, reflective vibe. This definitely solidified her as an auto-to-read author for me.

This is a great book for kids struggling with a family death or having issues with fitting in. I didn’t like the artwork, and it took me a while to get used to viewing different fonts as an indicator of the language being spoken. But it was a clever way to show how Yuna switched languages. Overall, I enjoyed the story.

A Sky of Paper Stars is such a touching middle grade story! Yuna feels torn between being American and Korean. She feels like she doesn't belong in either place. Feeling alone she makes a wish on 1,000 paper stars for her family to go back to Korea. But once in Korea she doesn't feel like she fits in either. This is a fantastic tale about learning where you are from and who you are.

“There’s an old legend. If someone gathers 1,000 paper stars in a jar, that person can make a wish on the stars and it will come true.”

Yuna doesn’t fit in. She brings different food to school, she’s not allowed to have a cellphone or go to sleepovers, and she doesn’t look like most of the kids either. When her Umma refuses to change her mind on her strict rules yet again, Yuna decides to take matters into her own hands. Remembering a legend her grandmother, Halmoni, told her, she folds 1,000 paper stars and wishes for her family to go back to Korea so she can just be normal. Except, her wish goes sideways and Yuna finds out only seconds later that Halmoni has died and they need to head to Korea for the funeral. Full of guilt, Yuna starts to turn into paper herself. With the clock ticking, Yuna has to figure out a way to undo her wish and bring Halmoni back—or turn into paper forever.

Susie Yi’s A SKY OF PAPER STARS is a sweet and compelling book about grief that packages it in such a digestible way for children. I absolutely loved the illustrations, especially Yi’s use of color for portraying memories and emotions. I literally could not put the book down and just wanted to keep turning page after page until I reached the end. It’s such a heart-warming story that even though it deals with a heavy topic, you’ll find yourself smiling most of the way through. Pick up a copy of this book ASAP, and I promise your heart will thank you.

Content Warnings: Death of a loved one, racism

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

Really enjoyed this heartfelt and moving graphic novel. The illustrations were wonderful and the storyline was very special. I related a lot to the main character and understood all the emotions she was going through with the loss of her grandmother.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this graphic novel. I think it would resonate with a lot of kids in my neighborhood who are second and third generation Asian Americans.

A Sky of Paper Stars is a heartwarming story about a girl named Yuna who feels torn between her American and Korean cultures. When her grandmother dies suddenly she and her family return to Korea, where Yuna struggles to deal with her grief. A great option for kids who like graphic novels.

This book was a heartfelt, thoughtful portrayal of a young girl’s struggle with grief, identity and immigration. Yuna feels like she’s too Korean at school and wishes she could return to Korea, where her family immigrated from. Her wish comes true when her halmoni passes away. Feeling like it’s her fault her grandmother died, she desperately folds more paper stars to get another wish to bring her back. Susie Yi has created a tender and emotional book that middle readers will enjoy with sweet, expressive characters and emotional depth.

I really enjoyed this story and how it was infused with aspects of Korean culture, tidbits from the author's childhood, and general life experiences. The illustrations were beautiful, particularly with the differing backgrounds between the flashback scenes and the present-day scenes. The instructions for how to fold a paper star was a nice touch as well. This is definitely a book that my students will love.