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Recommended by Lizzie (@Ello_Miss)
Form and genre: YA, coming of age, diversity
Length: 373 pages
Summary: 1st person narrative. It’s 1984. Jo Kwan’s family have just moved to a new town to live in a cramped flat above their Chinese takeaway. Things are seriously awkward, whether Jo’s dealing with annoying siblings, school bullies, friendship dramas, fashion disasters or some very unlucky pets. Life is often hilarious, frequently confusing and sometimes just makes Jo want to stick drawing pins in her eyes.
As her home life with her erratic parents gets ever tougher, she dreams of breaking free to become an artist. Can Jo get through her crazy teenage years?
Age recommendation and challenging content: Year 7/8 Bullying
Notable reasons for recommending this book: Diversity of authors, new and fresh YA content.