Review | Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business (Mindy Kim #1)

Summary: Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business

Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business is the first book in the Mindy Kim series. Mindy and her father have recently moved from the city to a suburb in Florida where she is the only Asian girl in her school. On top of that, Mindy’s mom died shortly before their move and her dad is adjusting to being a single parent. Like any normal child, Mindy wants to be liked at her new school. She’s fortunate to meet a new friend on her first day, even though the kids complain about the way her Korean lunch smells.

Things start to look up for Mindy when the kids try and love her seaweed snacks. At first, she starts a snack trade-off, but later decides to start selling the snacks so she can save up money to buy a puppy. However, Mindy’s new business and friendship run into some problems along the way.

The Good

I adored this book! Mindy is a sweetheart. But she’s also sassy, smart, sensitive, and clever. I savored all the yummy meals and snacks mentioned in this book. The author does a wonderful job of keeping real life in the picture with Mindy’s father coping with the grief while learning to be a single father. Yet, this book is not soppy sad at all. Mindy is a fun protagonist and her narration is as lively as her observations are insightful.

While I didn’t love the illustrations in this book, the storytelling was excellent and I’m eager to read about Mindy’s future adventures. I’ve already bought the next book in the series!

Overall: Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business

Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business is an exciting new addition to the world of chapter books. This series provides much needed Asian-American representation, much like the Jasmine Toguchi books. If you’re looking for a chapter book with a sweet protagonist dealing with grief, moving, and fitting in with a new school crowd, this is your pick. Plus, there are puppies!

Buy This Book

Have you read any of the Mindy Kim books? Do you read chapter books? Which ones are your favorites? I’d love to know. Even though they’re aimed at a younger crowd, I’m a big chapter book fan. You can find 25 of my favorite chapter books for beginning readers here.