Don't Cause Trouble takes serious issues with stereotyping and searching for a feeling of belonging and acceptance, and adds a touch of humor for the situations that Ming is put it while still passing on the lesson. I enjoyed that simple graphics given that showed culture and focused on the words and relationships being shared. As a middle school teacher, I immediately thought how beneficial this book would be for my students. I know several will relate to Ming and feel the connection to the struggles he has. This would also be good for intermediate/elementary schoolers. I will say that I felt a bit of a let down from finding out about the brother and the emergency he needed money for; it seemed to just be unresolved in the plot but it had my curiosity.

Loved this book! Not my demographic at all, but it gave me a real look into his world. More people should read stuff like this—it’s eye-opening in the best way.

A fun middle school graphic novel. The art is eye-catching and the story will resonate with many (fitting in, embarrassing parents, sports). Also a great "window" book. It felt true to life, both in home and school settings.

Don't Cause Trouble: This graphic novel gives a look at the first generation American experience, especially for young Asian Americans. I really liked that there's use of both English and Chinese! This is great representation for those who speak both languages. The main character, Ming Lee, is shown experiencing the first generation experience in school, public, and at home. This character also experiences universal middle school circumstances like wanting to be cool/liked. A quote from this book that I really enjoyed was "you are an American, but you never forget your roots" which is a great way to describe the immigrant experience in this country. Books like this are important for all readers, as there's something relatable to find in all parts of this book.

An entertaining coming-of-age story. All Ming wants to do is fit in at his new middle school. Unfortunately, he feels like his thrift store threads and mom-styled haircut make him the odd man out. As he begins to make friends, he starts to learn that fitting in isn't always the way to be yourself.

The story is a fast-paced read. Ming is a dynamic character who grows and evolves as he learns some tough life lessons. I enjoyed the read and will be recommending it to my students.

“Get good grades! Don’t cause trouble!”
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Ming Lee is headed to middle school, but he wants new clothes, new shoes to play basketball in and a cool new haircut. Too bad his parents never spend money frivolously. Every penny must be pinched, but Ming’s mother always make sure to give tithing st her church. This confuses Ming and he searches for ways to make money on his own so he can buy the newest kicks, but a bad decision lands him in trouble with his two best friends.
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I adored this upper MG graphic novel! It was funny, heartwarming, relatable and the artwork is in my favorite style for graphic novels Don’t Cause Trouble is a work of fiction, but the author pulled from childhood experiences similar to what Ming goes through. This book releases April 22. Add it to your TBR immediately!

CW: bullying, racism, racial slurs, poverty, xenophobia, heart attack/illness (discussed), theft, arrest

4.5 ⭐️

Ming Lee is a 12-year-old non-Chinese speaking Chinese-American but his immigrant parents seem very Old China-ish, often embarrassing him. His mother is devoted to her church and God. His father likes to read a lot and constantly tells him not to get in trouble. His parents are extremely frugal where his mom cuts his hair, giving him the stereotypical bowl cut, and buying mismatched clothing at thrift shops only at the red dot 50% racks. Ming feels he will never fit in with his middle school peers especially because being Asian, he looks so different from anyone else.

Ming’s story is so interesting as he manages to gain friends and deal with his classmates who have the potential to taunt him. Ming has such tenacity as he finds ways to earn money to buy the coveted red Air Elevates sports shoes.

I was able to relate so much to Ming’s story, being a non-Chinese speaking Chinese-American and the only one of maybe two or three other Chinese-Americans in junior high. The stares, the teasing, the taunts, the admiration, the curiosity – been there, done that. Luckily, I did not have to deal with a God-fearing mom like Ming’s but my parents often spoke in Chinese when they did not want me to know something, just like Ming’s. I was so happy to see how Ming was ther strong one and manages to deal with his circumstances rather than caving in and cowering away.

The illustrations were perfect, colors were perfect and the story was adorable. I absolutely loved it! Hope to see more from this author.

A fun graphic novel about the daily life and challenges of a middle grader growing up in a Chinese-American family. Ming shares his difficulties during his adaptation to a new culture, the search for new friends and the small differences between his current country of residence and his original country. A must read for those who needs to grow empathy and understanding of other cultures. I enjoyed meeting Ming and his family so much, I wanted more. Perfect for all ages!

I received an electronic ARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Ming struggles with starting middle school. His family are immigrants from China through Thailand though he is American. He does not speak Chinese but ends up placed in ESL anyway. He finds a couple friends and readers see how this friendship grows and changes as they do also. Ming feels frustrations at home as his parents don't always listen to what he needs and place strong expectations on him. We see growth in this relationship as well after Ming makes a huge mistake. By the end of the book, the family has found a way to earn more income and have found ways to communicate and listen. Readers will connect to the family and friend dynamics as well as the yearning to feel "normal."

Quick entertaining children’s book with morals and lessons throughout it. I am a mom of four young children and they all loved learning about and reading this book. This will be added to our shelves upon release day. So we come continue to enjoy it in physical form.

Ming Lee is about to start middle school and he would like to start new. He wants a new haircut (his mom always cuts in a style he no longer wants) and new clothes that are not from the thrift store.

When he starts school he is placed in an ESL class —a class he doesn’t belong in because English his is first language. He was born in the United States although his parents were not

This graphic novel can connect with children who are starting a new school, who do not feel like they fit in and who are learning a lot as they are growing up.


Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book gives us a look at how not having the same things you think everyone else has can affect a young person. The main character knows why they don't have the same things, the cool things, but still wants them. Still wants to feel like one of the group. Luckily this is also a story about friendship and how sometimes the things we do affect that friendship in good ways and bad ways. I was cheering for our character from the beginning and I think my students will too.

I just finished Don’t Cause Trouble by Arree Chung, and I have to say, I absolutely loved it. The story follows Ming Lee, a twelve-year-old hoping middle school will be his big chance to start fresh. But right away, things don’t go as planned—his bowl haircut, thrift shop clothes, and an accidental placement in an ESL class (even though English is his only language!) make for one awkward, cringe-worthy moment after another. Ming’s dad always tells him, “Get good grades! Don’t cause trouble!” but with two new friends and a rebellious streak, Ming decides maybe a little trouble isn’t so bad after all.

What really stood out to me was how relatable this story felt. Middle school is tough, and the way Ming deals with fitting in, family expectations, and finding his place was both funny and heartfelt. The graphic novel format is perfect for the story—Arree Chung’s art is vibrant and expressive, bringing so much life to the characters and their experiences. If you’re a fan of Raina Telgemeier or Jerry Craft, you’ll love this one. It’s warm, witty, and a reminder that sometimes breaking the rules is how we grow. Ming is definitely a character I’ll be rooting for long after the last page.

The title is a bit misleading-- while Ming's parents (especially toward the end of the graphic novel loosely based on Arree's real life) tend to say "don't cause trouble" it's more about his fitting in as a child of Chinese immigrants. Mom is a talker and a faithful servant of God who says often that "God will provide". Dad is quieter and wants Ming to be successful. They speak Chinese when they don't want Ming to know what they're talking about. Ming's inner life is about striving to fit in. His clothes usually don't look like others so he devises a scheme to get some Air Elevate sneakers however his plan goes awry several times and then results in a poor decision (that he pulls his two friends- an Indian boy and Black boy) into by trying to steal shirts from a store for which they get caught.

What I love about the graphic novel is that it shows consequences of actions in all shapes but about not being labeled just by one decision- growth is always a part of growing up. It's an endearing look at the annoyances of middle school and while it doesn't specify a time period, it feels as contemporary as it could be years ago. And I appreciated the ingenuity that he uses toward the end to help his family and also show how even his own mom can stick up for herself against discrimination. Plenty of life lessons tucked within these pages.

... and I love Ming's haircut done by Vik!

Twelve-year-old Ming Lee hopes middle school will be the fresh start he needs. Will he get a new fresh? Don't wait to just read it, really good.

We are always on the hunt for more graphic novels with male main characters, and this is an excellent addition to the genre. Not entirely a memoir, but based on the author's experiences growing up in an immigrant family dealing with financial struggles.

Really enjoyed the art style, and the cover will definitely be enticing for middle grade readers.

Middle school is a difficult time for anyone. But if you are from an ethnic minority, it can be even more difficult. Arree Chung has created a story about the child of educated immigrants who must take on menial labor in the U.S. Struggling finances translate to thrift stores and bowl cuts, making the only Chinese kid in school feel even more different. He does a fantastic job showing the development of Ming's friendships and the supportive parents who still make mistakes. When this American child of immigrants sees his Dad's visa that says alien, he begins to feel alien and is constantly drawing himself as an extraterrestrial. Any kid of a minority will be able to see themself in this book. But all kids of that age feel like a stranger in the world at times, and should be able to enjoy this graphic novel.

Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. This is a fictional graphic memoir based on the author’s life as a child of Chinese American immigrants. It’s a great, highly relatable coming of age story with authentic middle school feel and themes of self discovery, friendship, and acceptance. Definitely recommend.

Ming Lee is the child of immigrants from China, and has trouble navigating school because of the differences in his upbringing, including the fact that his parents are so competitive about saving money that his mother cuts his hair at home. He has to deal with a lot of negative comments at school, but when middle school starts, does make two good friends, Vikrum and Marcus. While Ming's concerns center around things like saving up for Air Elevate shoes. His parents, however, are dealing with bigger issues, like the father's long lost brother contacting the family and needing money. The mother, who trained as a nurse but can only find work cleaning, is a devout church goer, and insists it is better to give money to the church, believing that "God will provide". Even though his parents are insistent that he concentrate on his school work, Ming manages to talk them in to letter him have a sleepover with his friends, and to go trick or treating on Halloween. He gets a lot of candy, and tries to sell some of it to classmates in order to earn money for the shoes he wants. Motivated by a shirt that he sees advertised that all of his classmates are wearing, Ming comes up with a plan to steal three of them from the mall. This lands him, as well as Vikrum and Marcus, in very big trouble, and his friendships are in jeopardy. He and his mother start a small business selling egg rolls that is surprisingly successful, and he also helps her clean as a way to apologize for his brief foray into criminal activities. His friends are eventually allowed to hang out with him again, and Ming starts to feel confident enough that he plans to try out for the school basketball team.
Strengths: Visually, this was a bit different from other graphic novels I've read, which was a nice change. Raina Telgemaier is great, but this doesn't mean that every graphic novel has to look like her work. It was interesting to see typical tween activity through the lens of Ming's parents, who weren't entirely sold on activities like Halloween or sleepovers. The brief discussion of shoplifting was interesting, and is a topic rarely discussed in middle grade literature, although I'm sure occurs more often than we realize. Ming's positive attitude and efforts to try to better his own situation were good to see.
Weaknesses: I couldn't quite tell when this was set; Ming's plaid pants and striped t shirt made me think it was set in the 1970s, when this was a frequent, if questionable, sartorial choice, but it seemed more like the 1990s. I'm still not understanding the hatred for thrift stores; I haven't really shopped anywhere else for thirty years.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like graphic novel style memoirs (although this is a fictionalized account) about the immigrant experience like LaMotte and Ann Xu's Measuring Up, Ray Xu's Alterations or Martin's MexiKid.

An interesting graphic novel inspired by the author’s life and experiences. Don’t Cause Trouble tackles the good, bad, and awkward parts of middle school. Throughout the story, Ming navigates family/cultural expectations as well as those of his peers. I think kids will relate to Ming’s desire to belong while staying true to oneself.