Pippa Park Raises Her Game - by Erin Yun (Paperback)

About the Book

In this modern reimagining of Great Expectations, Korean American Pippa Park struggles to manage her grades, basketball, friendship and cyberbullying.

Book Synopsis

"Pippa is a magnetic heroine, funny and good-hearted."--Booklist

Readers will cheer on Korean American Pippa Park in this wonderful middle school book about friendships, bullying, crushes, and family. In this relatable story, Pippa reinvents herself and discovers who she really is on and off the basketball court.

Life is full of great expectations for Pippa Park. It seems like everyone, from her family to the other kids at school, has a plan for how her life should look.

When Pippa gets a mysterious basketball scholarship to Lakeview Private, she jumps at the chance to reinvent herself. At school, Pippa juggles old and new friends, a crush, and the pressure to get As and score points while keeping her past and family's laundromat a secret from her elite new classmates.

But when Pippa begins to receive a string of hateful, anonymous messages via social media, her carefully built persona is threatened. As things spiral out of control, Pippa wonders if she can keep her old and new lives separate, or if she should even try.

GREAT SUMMER READING FOR AGES 9-12!
A Contemporary Reimagining of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Now an AR Quiz!

Bonus Content in the Book includes:
Discussion Questions, Author Q&A, and Korean Language Glossary with Pronunciation Guide

Download the complimentary Tween Book Club printable activities at pippapark.com: word games, make-your-own-book playlist, discussion questions, and the Common Core Language Arts Guide for educators!

Review Quotes

"This charming and fast-paced middle-grade novel highlights family, friendship, and identity... Readers will relate to Pippa's struggles adjusting to life at her new school...Tweens will appreciate how Pippa learns to embrace her roots and her family's unconditional love."--Common Sense Media

"Pippa is a magnetic heroine, funny and good-hearted, and young readers will relate as she makes one honest mistake after another in an effort to fit in. A nice balancing act between sports action, middle-school drama, and the struggles of an underprivileged immigrant family that will appeal to a wide audience."--Booklist

"An empowering celebration of identity, friendship, and embracing one's roots... Yun writes of Korean-American family life with heartwarming, authentic detail... Tall, athletic, and brash, she is an unforced subversion of female Asian-American stereotypes even as she confronts challenges unique to Asian-American teens."--Publishers Weekly

"In this reimagining of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, familiar themes and predictability are offset by the depiction of Korean culture and language, which add texture and depth to the narrative. Readers will sympathize with this likable heroine as she struggles to succeed. VERDICT An enjoyable read with a buoyant contemporary twist on an old classic."--School Library Journal

"This is a highly engaging and relevant title for schools that takes up issues of social class, ethnic identity, and the venture of staying true to oneself which will lend itself well to educators and parents looking to support growth in today's tweens. Highly Recommended."--School Library Connection

"In Erin Yun's enchanting Pippa Park Raises Her Game, a girl starts a new school and tries to reinvent her image... an exciting middle grade novel about middle school struggles and feeling out of place."--Foreword Reviews

About the Author

Erin Yun grew up in Frisco, Texas. She received her BFA in English from New York University and is currently pursuing her Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge. Erin is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and has written reviews and articles for BookBrowse. She developed the Pippa Park Author Program, an interactive writing workshop, which she has conducted in person and virtually at schools, libraries, and bookstores. Yes, she used to play basketball as a middle grader!