Young-hee and the Pullocho

Format:

Book

Title:

Young-hee and the Pullocho

Author:

Russell, Mark James, 1970- author

ISBN:

9780804844970

Publication:

Tokyo ; Rutland, Vermont : Tuttle Publishing, [2015]

Physical Description:

256 pages ; 19 cm

Summary:

"Everything in Young-hee's life is wrong. Her dad is gone, her mom is overworked, and she's forced to move back to Seoul. The girls at her school are nasty, and her little brother Bum is a pain in the butt. Then Young-hee stumbles into a magical world where the fairy tales of her childhood become real and all the frustrations of her everyday life quickly fade away. But when Bum is kidnapped in that magical realm, the only way Young-hee can save him is to go on a perilous quest in search of the magical Pullocho plant. And she soon finds herself facing decisions that affect not just her little brother, but fate of an entire world."--Page [4] cover.

Subject(s):

Fairy tales -- Korea.

Imaginary places -- Juvenile fiction.

Magic -- Juvenile fiction.

Geographic Term:

Genre:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Monmouth Public Library	J Fic Russell, M. 2015	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Set in Korea, this multicultural, middle-reader novel is the riveting story of a magical realm, a little girl, her brother and a daring rescue.

So annoying... In Young-hee's life everything feels wrong. It seemed like only yesterday that her world was just as it should be. But now her dad is gone, her mom is overextended, and Young-hee is forced to move back to Seoul--and not a nice part of Seoul, either. To make matters worse, the girls at her new school are nasty, and her little brother Bum is an insufferable, attention-hogging pain.

Then Young-hee stumbles into a magical world, where the fairy stories of her childhood are real and all the frustrations of her everyday life fade away--until Bum is kidnapped, and the only way Young-hee can save him is by finding the magical pullocho plant. Soon, she is plunged into an epic quest, encountering dragons and fairies and facing decisions that affect not only Bum, but the fate of an entire world.

In Young-hee and the Pullocho , debut novelist Mark James Russell puts a Korean spin on an evergreen fantasy trope, interweaving Korean folktales with the story of a young girl who, without realizing it, is in search of herself. Readers of all ages will want to join Young-hee as she journeys from the dingiest part of Seoul to enchanted lands that prove more beautiful--and more dangerous--than she ever could have imagined.

Author Notes

Mark James Russell is a Canadian journalist and writer who has been living in Korea since 1996. He has written extensively about Korean entertainment and culture for newspapers and magazines. He is the author of K-Pop Now! (Tuttle Publishing 2014).

Reviews (2)

Kirkus Review

In this portal fantasy, a Korean teenager must complete a dangerous quest to save her annoying younger brother. For Young-hee, 13, nothing about her family's return to Seoul after five years in Canada has been pleasant. When she discovers a hidden door to a vibrant magical land, it's a welcome escape from her life's depressing realities. Young-hee's younger brother accompanies her on her second trip through the portal, and during that trip, he falls for a trap set by a crafty dokkaebi (goblin). So Young-hee makes a desperate deal with the dokkaebi: She will go on a journey to find a pullocho, a rare magical plant, and exchange it for her brother's freedom so they can both return home. Russell enriches his debut novel with many details borrowed from Korean folk tales. Fans of stories within stories will enjoy the tales included here, but young readers may find it difficult to keep track of the numerous Korean terms, as no glossary is provided. The novel's pacing suffers from Russell's decision to open with Young-hee's bargain with the dokkaebi before backtracking to her move to Seoul; it takes nearly a third of the book to get back to the first scene. It's also hard not to find it ironic that sullen Young-hee's default complaint is "So annoying." More mundane than magical. (Fantasy. 9-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

After living abroad for five years, Young-hee returns to Seoul with her mother and her brother, four-year-old Bum. She misses her friends in Toronto, dislikes their dumpy apartment complex, and resents having to look after her pesky little brother. After she discovers an alternate world, Young-hee takes Bum into Strange Land, where he is soon abducted by a malicious dokkaebi, a goblin. To rescue him, Young-hee must find a pullocho, a magical ginsenglike root. Her quest leads her through perilous lands where she finds stout companions, fearsome enemies, magic potions, and unexpected transformations. A Canadian journalist living in Korea, Russell sometimes retells a Korean folktale at the end of a chapter, and throughout the novel, elements of folklore become intertwined with the fantasy. A likable, modern heroine, Young-hee deals with challenges that, while sometimes dreamlike, bring about definite changes in her viewpoint. This quick-paced adventure story is one of the few middle-grade novels available here that reflect Korean culture and lore.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2015 Booklist