Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea
Publisher
Amulet Books
Publication Year
2016
ISBN
9781419721328
Pages
314 pages
Genre
memoir
Format
full length
Item Type
Nonfiction
Annotation
The memoir of a boy named Sungju who grew up in North Korea and, at the age of twelve, was forced to live on the streets and fend for himself after his parents disappeared. Finally, after years of being homeless and living with a gang, Sungju is reunited with his maternal grandparents and, eventually, his father.
Grade Level
6-8, 9-12
Lexile Measure
880L
Diversity Topics
Family Relationships; Homelessness; Poverty; homeless child; homeless family; impoverished community
Main Character
male child
Race/Ethnicities
Asian (North Korean)
Family Formation
orphan
Awards
Bologna Ragazzi Award, 2017, Nominee, Fiction
Cybils Awards, 2016, Winner, Non-fiction (Middle Grade and Young Adult)
Parents' Choice Award, 2016, Silver, Non Fiction
Best Bets: Recommended Canadian Books for Teens, 2016 Young Adult Non-Fiction
Choices, 2017 Biography And Autobiography
Notable Books for a Global Society, 2017
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2017 Grades 9-12
Keywords
gang; thieving; fighting; begging; North Korea; exile; drugs; alcohol; survival; Kim Il-sung
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
Lee, Sungju and McClelland, Susan, "Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea" (2016). Diverse Families. 461.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/461