Gigi Shin Is Not a Nerd

December 11, 2023
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.

January 1, 2024
Seventh grader Gigi Shin and her friends come up with an idea to raise money for art camp. Gigi loves art, but her traditional Korean parents would rather she pursue science or engineering. One day, Gigi and her best friends spot a poster advertising the Starscape Young Artists' Program, a prestigious summer camp in New York City. It's a perfect opportunity, but it's expensive, and none of the girls can afford it. That's when Gigi comes up with an idea: an after-school tutoring service. Gigi keeps the idea secret from her parents, and though the friends pull it off, Gigi learns a few lessons along the way, including the importance of collaboration, time management, and honesty. While the prose is breezy and readable, reminiscent of Ann M. Martin's Baby-Sitters Club books, there's a lot for younger tweens to chew on as Gigi navigates multiple identities: daughter, sister, friend, artist, and entrepreneur. Those who relish stories about older, more independent kids will be pleased. Lee leaves some loose ends unresolved, keeping the focus on Gigi's journey; future books in the series may shed light on what happens next. There's racial and economic diversity among the cast. Move over, Baby-Sitters! There's a new club in town. (Fiction. 8-11)

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January 1, 2024

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

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March 1, 2024
Grades 3-7 In the first book in a new series, seventh-grader Gigi Shin hopes to attend Starscape, a prestigious art camp, over the summer. Her parents run a Korean grocery store and can't afford the tuition cost, but they also don't think that being an artist is a practical career. They encourage Gigi's younger brother, though, in his interests in planes and trains. When Gigi and her best friends come up with a way to pay for the camp's tuition by starting a tutoring service called the Ace Squad, Gigi hides it from her parents, afraid they won't approve. The tutoring sessions get off the ground and help her raise money for Starscape, but a cute boy causes some snags and tension among the tutors. Similar to the Baby-sitter's Club series, with a strong representation of Asian American characters, Lee's story focuses on themes of friendship and teamwork and the academic pressures that immigrant parents can place on their children to excel in math and science versus art. A promising start to a new series.

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