"Conversational and accessible. An emotional, contemplative tale of risking and growing." -- Kirkus Reviews "[An] engaging memoir." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "Brown's debut explores having one foot in two cultures in an age-appropriate memoir. This personal story offers readers a glimpse at Japanese and American cultural differences while stressing that what makes things different is also what makes them unique." -- Publishers Weekly "Fans of Erin Entrada Kelly and Jasmine Warga will enjoy Brown's honest exploration of differences between American and Japanese culture and her sometimes bumpy journey to fit in. This memoir artfully depicts Brown's experience as a child who feels pulled between two cultures. A welcome addition to any middle grade collection.

" -- School Library Journal "Poignant and realistic. Today's tweens will see many similarities between [Waka's] experiences and their own. Immigrants from any culture will identify with the difficulties of negotiating a new country and school. " -- Booklist (starred review) "Brown's story is very compelling, reads like a novel, and is extremely well written. Don't miss this wonderful book." -- Portland Book Review "Waka fills her book with all the pathos, yearning, frustrations, and humor you might find in a middle grade novel. The important difference? It's all true. It's all real.

It's all enthralling. A thorough delight." -- Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production (SLJ blog).