Don't Cause Trouble is about Ming, a Chinese American who is about to start middle school. His parents are immigrants from China and have brought their beliefs and ethics with them, influencing how Ming grows up. As he battles through his bowl cut, his thrifted clothing and other assumptions based on his looks he learns he doesn't have to sacrifice his culture to be popular at school.

I loved that the author put Chinese into this book with the english translations below to give it a more realistic feel. His artwork was great and the story moved along nicely, showing Ming as he grew as a person. The author took a lot of the story from his childhood and it shows in the realism and flow.

What a fun story with a perfect look into the perspective of a child with immigrant parents.

"Don't cause trouble!"
How many times have I heard that or said that myself?!? Ming Lee hopes to make some changes now that he's in middle school. What he doesn't count on is how quickly things can go wrong, especially in middle school. As a veteran middle school teacher and librarian, I loved this graphic novel, and I'm excited to add it to our collection. Students will love it, too!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book.

This book was a quick read, and plays upon many stereotypes of growing up Asian/Chinese American - the bowl haircut, setting Stanford as the goal for college even when you’re only in middle school, getting misplaced in ESL. While many of the situations brought up in the story were relatable, and even things I’ve personally experienced, I couldn’t find myself really connecting with the book.

'Don't Cause Trouble' is a heartfelt and relatable coming-of-age story that beautifully captures the struggles of growing up between two cultures. The book follows Ming Lee, a 12-year-old non-Chinese-speaking Chinese-American, who feels stuck between his immigrant parents’ old-school values and the desire to fit in with his middle school peers. His mother’s deep devotion to church, his father’s love for books, and their extreme frugality make Ming feel even more out of place—whether it’s his bowl-cut hairstyle or thrift store clothes bought only from the 50% off rack.

Ming’s love for drawing becomes his escape and, at times, his saving grace. His talent helps him navigate tricky situations—whether it's getting a pass out of ESL class or rebuilding trust after a misstep. But the book isn’t just about Ming’s journey. It takes the time to explore the complexities of every major character, showing their flaws and strengths without making anyone the "bad guy."

At its core, Don't Cause Trouble delivers powerful life lessons:
- Even the most sincere and hardworking person can make mistakes, but what defines them is how they take responsibility and make things right.
- Never judge a book by its cover. Just as Ming feels hurt by being treated differently for his Chinese heritage, he later realizes he, too, misjudged others.
- Owning your identity, working hard, and choosing to give can go a long way.

With engaging illustrations and an easy-to-read style, this book makes serious themes feel approachable and deeply meaningful. It’s a story about family, identity, and self-acceptance—one that lingers with you long after you turn the last page.

Twelve-year old Ming Lee dreams of being popular, playing basketball, and owning a new pair of “Air Elevates.” His Chinese dad and Thai mom (who met and married in Thailand before emigrating to the United States) dream of their only child graduating at the top of his class from Stanford. Ming’s at-home bowl cut and secondhand clothes don’t help his odds of popularity, so he tries to stay off the radar at school and follow his parents’ admonition: don’t cause trouble. He doesn’t even speak up when he’s misplaced in an E.S.L. class! With the help of two new friends - and a new haircut - Ming gains newfound confidence, but his ongoing desire to fit in leads to a serious error in judgment. How Ming handles the repercussions really reflects his character’s emerging maturity as he finds his own voice. Short chapters depict slices-of-life alongside more pivotal moments for Ming, his friends, and his family. Author and illustrator Arree Chung employs a retro color palette and clothing styles, situating this graphic novel in an unspecified time in the near past. Many readers will identify with Ming’s sense of alienation, as well as a through-line of faith in God. They will also respect his entrepreneurial endeavors in his quest to get those Air Elevates! A note from the author reveals how Don’t Cause Trouble was inspired by Chung’s own childhood, and a bonus “How to Make a Graphic Novel” section is a fun behind-the-scenes look at his creative process. Among all of the many wonderful middle grade graphic novels published in the past few years, Don’t Cause Trouble is a standout!

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.