Pippa Park: Crush at First Sight Blog Tour: Guest Post + Giveaway

Welcome to the Pippa Park Crush at First Sight Blog Tour!

Follow along all week for exclusive guest posts from author Erin Yun, plus 5 chances to win a special, limited edition Pippa Park Scavenger Hunt Gift Box!

10 Terrible Titles for Pippa Park Crush at First Sight 
by Erin Yun

The rules of the game: “Scroll through your book and stop on a random place. Whatever you land on becomes one of ten terrible titles.”

The terrible titles below are lines from my new book, Pippa Park Crush at First Sight, which is out now! Learn about the book from the Goodreads summary below, and start reading today to see where the 10 terrible titles came from:

Book Summary: Join Korean American Pippa Park in the sequel to Pippa Park Raises Her Game. Pippa picks up right where she left off...trying to balance basketball, school, friends, working at the struggling family laundromat, and fitting in at her new school. 

Drumroll please...here are the terrible titles Pippa Park Crush at First Sight could’ve had if I picked a title by flipping through my advance copy of the book and randomly stopping on a page. While there are some serious contenders, I wouldn’t change the title of book two for all the walnut cakes in the world!

1.    It’s Not Necessarily as Bad as It Looks 

2.    This Whole Babysitting Thing 

3.    A Natural Cat Wrangler 

4.    Dreams Come True 

5.    He Laughed at My Jokes 

6.    I’m in Love, I’m in Love 

7.    The Disgruntled Pageant Group 

8.    Perfect Party Space: Check (Almost) 

9.    Tarot Is All About Possibility 

10.    Not Going to Lie, Park. That Was a Lot. 
 

Buy | Goodreads | Excerpt

Out September 13th!

"Pippa explores the highs and lows of friendships and first crushes in this well-crafted sequel to Pippa Park Raises Her Game. ..VERDICT This warm-hearted, feel-good series continues to realistically explore one Korean American girl’s middle school experience in a relatable way."
—School Library Journal

"This is solid, classic middle-school drama fare that benefits from the interesting ways Pippa's family background is developed. An engaging variation on a familiar theme."
—Kirkus Reviews

Join Pippa Park as she juggles friendships, bullying, crushes, and family in the sequel to the compelling drama-filled middle school book Pippa Park Raises Her Game.

Korean American Pippa Park picks up right where she left off...trying to balance basketball, school, friends, working at the struggling family laundromat, and fitting in. Eliot, her math tutor—and the cutest boy at school—is finally paying attention to her. And Marvel—her childhood friend—is making her required volunteering much more interesting. But things with the Royals, her new friends and teammates who rule the school, still feel a bit rocky. Especially because Caroline, a head Royal, would like nothing more than to see Pippa fail.

So when Pippa is faced with hosting the annual Christmas Eve party that could make or break her social life, how can she say no? Will Pippa make enough money to cover the costs while juggling crushes and everything else? With courage and determination, Pippa sets out to host the party, find the perfect dress, pick the right boy, and stay true to her real self.

 

Erin Yun grew up in Frisco, Texas, and used to play basketball as a middle grader. She received her BA in English from New York University and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Creative Writing at Cambridge. She developed the Pippa Park Author Program, an interactive writing workshop, which she has conducted in person and virtually at schools, libraries, and bookstores.

Website | Twitter

 

About the Publisher:

Fabled Films Press LLC is creating original content for young readers and middle-grade audiences that combines strong literary properties with high-quality production values to connect books with generations of parents and their children. Each property is supported by websites, educator guides, and activities for bookstores, educators, and librarians, as well as videos, social media content, and supplemental entertainment for additional platforms.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Win an Exclusive Pippa Park Scavenger Hunt Box! 

 

Uncover the hidden meaning behind the clues in the box which include:

• A Tarot Card, Holiday Snow Globe, Kimchi-jjigae Family Recipe from the Author with a jar of Gochugaru, Mini Basketball Stress Ball, Golden Scrunchie, Signed Editions of Pippa Park Raises Her Game in paperback and Pippa Park Crush at First Sight in hardcover and a Pippa Park Bookmark.

• US only
• Ends 9/25 at 11:59pm ET
• Enter via the Rafflecopter below
• Visit the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!

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Blog Tour Schedule:

September 12th — Mama Likes This
September 13th — Bookhounds
September 14th — A Dream Within A Dream
September 15th — Good Choice Reading
September 16th —YA Books Central

 

 

Book Blast + Giveaway: Pippa Park Raises Her Game by Erin Yun

Pippa Park Raises Her Game
Author: Erin Yun
Release Date: February 4, 2020
Publisher: Fabled Films Press
Hardcover: 288 pages


Description:

A Contemporary Reimagining of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens for Middle Graders

Life is full of great expectations for Korean American Pippa Park. It seems like everyone, from her family to the other kids at school, has a plan for how her life should look. So when Pippa gets a surprising basketball scholarship to Lakeview Private, she jumps at the chance to reinvent herself.

At Lakeview, Pippa struggles with popularity and the pressure to perform academically and athletically while keeping her past and family’s laundromat a secret from her elite new classmates. Juggling jealous Queen Bees, old and new friends, her own place at Lakeview, and an unrequited crush on the school's most handsome— and most haughty— 8th grader is hard enough. But when Pippa begins to receive a string of hateful, anonymous messages via social media that threaten to unmask her carefully built persona, things begin to spiral out of control. 

With pressure mounting, Pippa discovers the real reason she was admitted to Lakeview Private, and wonders if she can keep her old and new lives separate, or if she should even try.

BONUS CONTENT
Author Q&A and Discussion Questions included in book

Praise for PIPPA PARK RAISES HER GAME:

"An empowering celebration of identity, friendship, and embracing one’s roots, Yun’s loose reimagining of Great Expectations follows a first-generation Korean-American girl learning to navigate her new life at an elite private school.... author Yun writes of Korean-American family life with heart- warming, authentic detail..." —Publishers Weekly December 1st issue

“Pippa is a magnetic heroine, funny and good-hearted, and young readers will relate as she makes one honest mistake after another in an effort to fit in. A nice balancing act between sports action, middle-school drama, and the struggles of an underprivileged immigrant family that will appeal to a wide audience.” —Booklist November 1st issue

“In this reimagining of Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations, familiar themes and predictability are offset by the depiction of Korean culture and language, which add texture and depth to the narrative. Readers will sympathize with this likable heroine as she struggles to succeed. VERDICT An enjoyable read with a buoyant contemporary twist on an old classic.” —School Library Journal November 1st issue

“This is a highly engaging and relevant title for schools that takes up issues of social class, ethnic identity, and the venture of staying true to oneself which will lend itself well to educators and parents looking to support growth in today's tweens. Highly Recommended.” —School Library Connection March 2020 issue

“In Erin Yun’s enchanting Pippa Park Raises Her Game, a girl starts a new school and tries to reinvent her image... an exciting middle grade novel about middle school struggles and feeling out of place.” —Foreword Reviews March 2020 issue

You can purchase Pippa Park Raises Her Game at the following Retailers:

 

Photo Content from Erin Yun

Debut author Erin Yun grew up in Frisco, Texas. She received her BFA in English from New York University and served as president of its policy debate team. This experience came in handy for her job as the debate consultant for the Tony-nominated Best Play on Broadway—What the Constitution Means to Me. Erin is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and has written reviews and articles for BookBrowse. She currently lives in New York City, and yes—she used to play basketball as a middle grader!

        

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

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Pippa Park Raises Her Game Blog Tour: Author Guest Post + Giveaway

Welcome to the Pippa Park Raises Her Game Blog Tour!

To celebrate the release of Pippa Park Raises Her Game by Erin Yun on February 4th, blogs across the web are featuring exclusive original content from Erin, as well as 5 chances to win a finished copy of Pippa, bookmark, sticker, and basketball stress ball!

K-Pop and K-Dramas in Pippa Park Raises Her Game 
by Erin Yun

More than once, people have asked me if I’m similar to Pippa, the main character of my novel, Pippa Park Raises Her Game. The answer? Yes and no. Pippa is extroverted and determined, while I’m more of a slow-paced daydreamer. But while our personalities might differ, one thing we share is our taste in both Korean dramas and K-pop. There’s far too many compelling dramas and catchy songs to mention all of our favorites, but here’s a look at the ones that made it into Pippa Park Raises Her Game. 

K-Dramas 

“I should have started [my homework] the day before, but instead Jung-Hwa and I had binge-watched a bunch of episodes of some old Korean drama about a nun who has to pretend to be her twin brother and take his place in a band.” 

Back in high school, I used to stay up horribly late on school nights, watching shows like Boys Over Flowers and Sungkyunkwan Scandal, agonizing over who the lead girl would end up with, and fawning over their swoon-worthy love interests. There’s something incredibly addicting about K-dramas—which Pippa definitely understands. More than once in the book, she finds herself putting off homework in favor of finishing just . . . one . . . more . . . episode. The quote above about the nun who takes her twin’s place in a band (where all the other members begin to fall for her) is a reference to the fabulous You’re Beautiful. I binged this drama in my sophomore year of high school, and to this day, whenever I need a song to cry to I can count on Park Shin-Hye’s passionate rendition of “Without Words.” 

Later in the book, Pippa procrastinates again by watching a few episodes of the massively popular Boys Over Flowers. My friend Cindy recommended this one to me, and I don’t know what I adore more—the amazing soundtrack, Gu Jun-Pyo’s flawless hair, or Jan-Di’s ability to land a roundhouse kick. While this drama is only explicitly mentioned once in Pippa Park Raises Her Game, it inspired other details, like my decision to have Pippa’s family own a laundry business. 

 K-Pop  

“Back then, I’d been obsessed with the bands that were huge in Korea—SHINee, Girl’s Generation, Big Bang . . . [but] once I started middle school, it didn’t take me long to realize that nobody even knew who G-Dragon was. I still sometimes blasted songs like “Hot Issue” and “I Am the Best”—but only when nobody was listening.” 

Growing up, I got a lot of my K-pop recommendations from asking my cousins or visiting family in Korea. I remember bobbing my shoulders to f(x)’s “Electric Shock” in supermarkets when it first came out and poorly belting out 4Minute’s “Hot Issue” in the privacy of a noraebang. I’m a sucker for angsty songs like Beast’s “Fiction” or Big Bang’s “Haru Haru,” but neither Pippa nor I can resist a catchy beat, which is why, in addition to the songs and groups mentioned in the book, you would definitely find more iconic hits, like “Tell Me” by the Wonder Girls and “Bo Peep Bo Peep” by T-ara, on Pippa’s playlists. 

It’s hard not to keep listing bops, but the number of K-pop songs with captivating beats and sensational flair stretches out infinitely (not to mention K-pop’s influence in America continues to skyrocket, with BTS topping the charts and NCT 127 performing at the 2019 Macy’s Parade). I know if I could actually have a conversation with Pippa—and not just in my head—we’d have many more songs to swap. Later, we’d probably binge-watch a new Korean drama together. And sure, she would definitely be procrastinating instead of doing her algebra homework, and I might sleep through all my alarms the next morning, but what can I say? Some things are worth it.    

*****

Readers will cheer on Korean American Pippa Park in this compelling middle grade reimagining of Great Expectations. Navigating friendships and cyberbullying at a new school, Pippa reinvents herself and discovers who she really is.

Life is full of great expectations for Korean American Pippa Park. It seems like everyone, from her family to the other kids at school, has a plan for how her life should look. So when Pippa gets a mysterious basketball scholarship to Lakeview Private, she jumps at the chance to reinvent herself by following the “Rules of Cool.”

At Lakeview, Pippa juggles old and new friends, an unrequited crush, and the pressure to perform academically and athletically while keeping her past and her family’s laundromat a secret from her elite new classmates. But when Pippa begins to receive a string of hateful, anonymous messages via social media, her carefully built persona is threatened.

As things begin to spiral out of control, Pippa discovers the real reason she was admitted to Lakeview and wonders if she can keep her old and new lives separate, or if she should even try.

 Add on Goodreads

Buy: Amazon | Indiebound

Debut author Erin Yun grew up in Frisco, Texas. She received her BFA in English from New York University and served as president of its policy debate team. This experience came in handy for her job as the debate consultant for the Tony-nominated Best Play on Broadway—What the Constitution Means to Me. Erin is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and has written reviews and articles for BookBrowse. She currently lives in New York City, and yes—she used to play basketball as a middle grader!

Follow Erin: Website | Twitter

About Fabled Films and Fabled Films Press:
Fabled Films is a publishing and entertainment company creating original content for young readers and middle-grade audiences. Fabled Films Press combines strong literary properties with high-quality production values to connect books with generations of parents and their children. Each property is supported by websites, educator guides, and activities for bookstores, educators, and librarians, as well as videos, social media content, and supplemental entertainment for additional platforms.

Follow Fabled Films Press: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

(1) winner will receive a finished copy of Pippa Park Raises Her Game, bookmark, sticker, and basketball stress ball

 
US/Canada only
Ends 11:59pm ET on 2/14

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Blog Tour Schedule:

February 3rd - Sprinkles of Dreams

February 4th - BookHoundsYA

February 5th - Utopia State of Mind

February 6th - A Dream Within a Dream

February 7th - Word Spelunking