(2) 4-6 In this page-turning sequel to The Last Rhee Witch (rev. 7/24), it's been six months since Seattle tween Ronnie Miller discovered she was a witch during summer camp and helped free her deceased mother's ghost from a wrathful witch hunter. Now Ronnie and her friends return to Rhee Manor for winter break camp. Danger still lurks in the forest-covered estate, this time in the form of a ravenous gumiho (Korean fox spirit) who promises that Ronnie's mother can be reanimated if the girl feeds it enough gi (life force). Soon, campers fall ill, one by one, with a strange freezing disease, and Ronnie and her friends must solve the problem before things turn lethal. Horror elements mix with fraught emotions when Ronnie has to decide whether she values her friendships more than her mother's potential reanimation. A sudden spirit possession provides yet another twist and opportunity for our protagonist to develop additional empathy and compassion for others. A gripping read, with occasional lighter moments (a snowball fight; making ice sculptures) amidst the suspenseful supernatural drama.

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2025

(2) 4-6 In this middle-grade fantasy with a Korean folkloric twist, Korean American Ronnie Miller, twelve, works to solve the mystery behind the specter haunting her during summer camp at Rhee Manor in gloomy, woodsy Washington State. Although her best friend is also attending the two-week session, Ronnie worries about fitting in and misses her widowed father. Eerie encounters with Min-Young, a murdered Rhee family heiress, initially scare Ronnie, but the tween befriends the gwisin (ghost) and helps Min-Young figure out what her unfinished tasks are while she evades a witch-hunting dokkaebi (goblin). Over the course of the book, Ronnie makes new friends and allies, uncovers family secrets, and outmaneuvers the enemy while adapting to her newfound magical abilities. Suspenseful scenes are tempered with regular summer camp activities such as scavenger hunts. What elevates this supernatural tale is the protagonist's emotional journey; Ronnie's initial imposter syndrome, fears of not being "Korean enough," and unexplored grief over the death of her mother and grandfather are all sensitively drawn. Ultimately, she learns that love, friendship, and sharing memories prevail.

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(3) K-3 Translated by Jieun Kiaer. One "very, very hot night," the moon--shown in the textured and creative three-dimensional collage illustrations as a glowing ball in the dark sky--begins to melt. Granny (a bespectacled wolf) scurries from her apartment to catch the droplets in a bucket, then prepares them into frozen treats enjoyed by her neighbors. Everyone goes back to bed, newly cool and contented ("their dreams were icy and sweet"); and then two rabbits knock on Granny's door. Explaining that their home has "melted away," the creatures seek refuge and counsel. Not to worry: clever Granny comes up with a solution, one that recalls the Korean folklore upon which this well-paced, accessibly written and translated, and visually sumptuous picture book is based.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(2) 4-6 Thirteen-year-old Min has a powerful secret: she's a fox spirit disguised as a human; she can shape-shift and use magic to alter others' perceptions. Min enthusiastically wields these powers when she ditches her "dismal life" on the barren planet Jinju to track down her brother Jun, a Space Forces cadet who's gone AWOL. Lee's richly detailed, cohesive, original vision is a lively mash-up of outer-space sci-fi and Korean culture and folklore.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2019

(2) 1-3 This gentle and humorous graphic novel for younger readers is told exclusively through dialogue, sound effects, and visual narrative. Siblings Noona and Joon follow clues in search of their missing grandmother and are transported to a magical world featuring Korean-speaking characters and imagery from Korean folklore. Adventures ensue, some fraught with danger. Additional information about the folktale characters is provided in the back matter. Glos.

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(3) 4-6 Based on a seventeenth-century novel, this story of Hong Kil Dong, a boy born to a noble father and commoner mother, is full of intrigue, as he fights for the rights of the poor in fifteenth-century Korea. The graphic-novel format showcases a large cast of characters and detailed landscapes. Extensive author notes--also presented in graphic-novel design--give contextual information.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Richard Wehrman. In this lengthy but well-told pourquoi tale about the rabbit's stubby tail, an overheard comment makes a tiger think that a dried persimmon is a creature that is fiercer than he. A rabbit finds himself in trouble after laughing at the tiger's foolishness. Crucial details in the often garishly colored artwork are sometimes lost in the gutter. An informative source note is included.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Eujin Kim Neilan. When a poor woodcutter saves an enchanted deer, he is granted his wish for a wife and children. The deer teaches him how to capture a heavenly maiden who bathes in a moonlit lake, but he loses her a year later when she flies off to heaven, their baby in her arms. In a happily-ever-after ending, he is reunited with his family in the heavenly kingdom. The acrylic paintings extend the well-told text and add cultural details.

Reviewer: