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A thrilling middle-grade fantasy inspired by Korean folklore, where one girl's journey into a magical world becomes a quest to save her family.
Everything in Young-hee's life seems to be falling apart. Her father is gone, her overworked mother has moved the family back to Seoul, and adjusting to a new school is harder than she ever imagined. Even her younger brother Bum seems determined to make every day more difficult.
Then Young-hee discovers a hidden world where the folktales she grew up hearing are real. But when Bum is kidnapped, she must embark on a dangerous quest to find the legendary pullocho plant. Along the way she encounters dragons, fairies and other magical beings while facing choices that will determine not only her brother's fate, but that of an entire enchanted realm.
Inspired by Korean folklore, Young-hee and the Pullocho blends adventure, fantasy and coming-of-age themes into an unforgettable story that celebrates courage, family and self-discovery.
Everything in Young-hee's life seems to be falling apart. Her father is gone, her overworked mother has moved the family back to Seoul, and adjusting to a new school is harder than she ever imagined. Even her younger brother Bum seems determined to make every day more difficult.
Then Young-hee discovers a hidden world where the folktales she grew up hearing are real. But when Bum is kidnapped, she must embark on a dangerous quest to find the legendary pullocho plant. Along the way she encounters dragons, fairies and other magical beings while facing choices that will determine not only her brother's fate, but that of an entire enchanted realm.
Inspired by Korean folklore, Young-hee and the Pullocho blends adventure, fantasy and coming-of-age themes into an unforgettable story that celebrates courage, family and self-discovery.
Price: $18.99
Pages: 256
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Imprint: Tuttle Publishing
Publication Date:
12 May 2015
Trim Size: 7.50 X 5.00 in
ISBN: 9780804844970
Format: Paperback
"Her journey is fantastic and full of rich mythological creatures that come to vivid life under Russell's pen…each chapter ends with a little story, a folktale that is often elaborated upon or retold or alluded to in some way in the narrative itself. This technique gives texture to the narrative and adds a richness to the detail. It also connects Young-Hee's story to the stories that are already in existence. A very neat way to make readers interested in folklore." —The Book Wars blog
"A likable, modern heroine, Young-hee deals with challenges that, while sometimes dreamlike, bring about definite changes in her viewpoint. This quick-paced adventure story is one of the few middle-grade novels available here that reflect Korean culture and lore." —Booklist
"For Young-hee, 13, nothing about her family's return to Seoul after five years in Canada has been pleasant. When she discovers a hidden door to a vibrant magical land, it's a welcome escape from her life's depressing realities. Young-hee's younger brother accompanies her on her second trip through the portal, and during that trip, he falls for a trap set by a crafty dokkaebi (goblin). So Young-hee makes a desperate deal with the dokkaebi: She will go on a journey to find a pullocho, a rare magical plant, and exchange it for her brother's freedom so they can both return home. Russell enriches his debut novel with many details borrowed from Korean folk tales. Fans of stories within stories will enjoy the tales included here(…)" —Kirkus
"Author Mark James Russell does an incredible job with descriptive language; readers will want to reread the descriptions of the landscape, characters and events simply so they can enjoy the sentences a second time." —KidsReads blog
"I definitely recommend this book for young adult readers (middle school and above I would think) and adults, especially those who like fantasy and/or fairy tales. It's entertaining, full of fun fairy/folk tales, colourful characters --both good and bad (and some who are neither or both) -- and a story that comes alive because of the author's fabulously descriptive writing. I giggled, I got annoyed, and I cried…but more importantly, I was engaged in and with the story…" —ATK Magazine
"We all need to escape from our grey existence every now and then, and this book is a very enjoyable way of doing it." --Philip Gowman, London Korean Links
"…the ending of this book was extremely well written. There is a plot twist, that is both surprising and easily explained; small clues for it are scattered throughout the book. […] Overall, Young-hee and the Pullocho could be best described as a Korean cross between The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and the Percy Jackson series." --Kids' BookBuzz blog
"The book cleverly intersperses the main plot with classically presented Korean folktales, emphasizing the mythical nature of the characters and introducing them without TOO much clunky explanation." --The Korea Herald
"A likable, modern heroine, Young-hee deals with challenges that, while sometimes dreamlike, bring about definite changes in her viewpoint. This quick-paced adventure story is one of the few middle-grade novels available here that reflect Korean culture and lore." —Booklist
"For Young-hee, 13, nothing about her family's return to Seoul after five years in Canada has been pleasant. When she discovers a hidden door to a vibrant magical land, it's a welcome escape from her life's depressing realities. Young-hee's younger brother accompanies her on her second trip through the portal, and during that trip, he falls for a trap set by a crafty dokkaebi (goblin). So Young-hee makes a desperate deal with the dokkaebi: She will go on a journey to find a pullocho, a rare magical plant, and exchange it for her brother's freedom so they can both return home. Russell enriches his debut novel with many details borrowed from Korean folk tales. Fans of stories within stories will enjoy the tales included here(…)" —Kirkus
"Author Mark James Russell does an incredible job with descriptive language; readers will want to reread the descriptions of the landscape, characters and events simply so they can enjoy the sentences a second time." —KidsReads blog
"I definitely recommend this book for young adult readers (middle school and above I would think) and adults, especially those who like fantasy and/or fairy tales. It's entertaining, full of fun fairy/folk tales, colourful characters --both good and bad (and some who are neither or both) -- and a story that comes alive because of the author's fabulously descriptive writing. I giggled, I got annoyed, and I cried…but more importantly, I was engaged in and with the story…" —ATK Magazine
"We all need to escape from our grey existence every now and then, and this book is a very enjoyable way of doing it." --Philip Gowman, London Korean Links
"…the ending of this book was extremely well written. There is a plot twist, that is both surprising and easily explained; small clues for it are scattered throughout the book. […] Overall, Young-hee and the Pullocho could be best described as a Korean cross between The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and the Percy Jackson series." --Kids' BookBuzz blog
"The book cleverly intersperses the main plot with classically presented Korean folktales, emphasizing the mythical nature of the characters and introducing them without TOO much clunky explanation." --The Korea Herald
Mark James Russell is a Canadian journalist and writer who has been living in Korea since 1996. He has written extensively about Korean entertainment and culture for newspapers and magazines. He is the author of K-Pop Now! (Tuttle Publishing 2014).