Read it per Meehae's request

This is a sweet story for kids who have just gotten the hang of full chapter books. There are pictures, perhaps one per chapter, but it's primarily text.

Mindy Kim's mother died, her father's company moved them from CA to FL, and now she's starting school someplace far beyond her comfort zone. None of these are uncommon themes in juvenile fiction. Mindy's story adds a bit of a twist, though: Making friends through food, specifically food not known to the kids in her class.

I appreciated Mindy's experiences with her classmates, from their reactions to the new girl who doesn't look like they to their thoughts on the contents of the new girl's lunchbox. Mindy meets a potential new friend, Sally, thanks to dried seaweed and Sally's mother encouraging her child to always try new foods in order to form an informed opinion.

I think this will be a fun read for most kids, especially kids who love seaweed snacks!
For adults who read a lot books at this reading level, it's nice to see a fresh twist on a standard scenario. I was a little let down to find Mindy portrayed in such a simplistic fashion but this is a first book and I look forward to reading the next two in the series to watch how both the character and the author grow.

This was a very cute easy chapter book about a young girl moving across the country and trying to fit in at a new school. Mindy had to go through meeting new teachers, making friends, and being different from everyone around her. I liked that she learned from her mistakes, asked for forgiveness, and is figuring out how to be a good friend.

One thing that was unexpected was the death of Mindy's mom. It happens off page - her mom was sick for a long time and dies. Her dad relocates to a better position and they move. You see her dad struggling a lot with the death of his wife and Mindy still hasn't told anyone at her school that her mom has died. Her mom's death also isn't mentioned in the book description on the front flap. That could be triggering to a young child who has also experienced that same circumstance.

Overall, a super cute read with great illustrations.

This is a multifunctional book for teachers looking for a middle grade read aloud that can promote multiple discussion topics including diversity, death of a parent, and loads and loads of feelings.

I've always seen the Mindy Kim series around the library, but I never made time to pick them up. I'm happy that I finally did! This is a good first installment to a series for those that are working their way into reading more independently.

Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business follows main character Mindy as she moves from California to Florida with her father. Her mother has recently passed away and Mindy wants nothing more than for her to be happy and to get a new puppy. Already nervous about her first day at a brand new school, Mindy becomes even more stressed when the students who are unfamiliar with Korean culture make fun of her lunch. As a result, Mindy thinks that she's incapable of making new friends. However, when a taste test of her seaweed snacks becomes a hit with the rest of the students, she decides to explore the possibility of a business venture.

What Worked: I really enjoyed the way that Lyla Lee explored grief in this book. It is clear that Mindy is struggling with the loss of her mother, but I was glad to see that Lee didn't shy away from showcasing how it impacted Mindy's father. Mindy also makes a few mistakes in this book and those mistakes have consequences. While she doesn't initially want to accept responsibility for her actions, everything does come full circle and Mindy learns a lot about her friends and herself. The writing was charming and simplistic enough for a younger audience, but engaging enough to draw in older readers. Mindy is a fun character who is compassionate and kind. This is often noted as a great read for kids who really enjoy Junie B. Jones, but honestly I find Mindy more likeable. She makes the same mistakes as Junie B. Jones, but accepts the consequences with more grace and is willing to admit when she's wrong.

Overall, a strong first entry to the series and I'm excited to pick up more.

Mindy and her dad have just moved to Florida after her mother's passing. Mindy is not happy about starting over in a new school, and initially makes friends through a snack exchange, which turns into a for-profit situation, getting her into trouble at school, and causing trouble between her and her new friend.

Mindy is so optimistic and enterprising. She worries about her dad, who isn't coping well with his wife's death, and is working too hard and neglecting Mindy a little. Mindy figures more money coming into the family, as well as a new puppy, will solve everything.

It's a cute story, Mindy's resilient, hopeful and funny. I liked how she learned to take responsibility for her actions, and hope she can eventually convince her dad to adopt a puppy.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy.

I am 40 something and still so excited when I see myself reflected in a book. And this one is adorable. There are some complex themes (death of a parent, new school, cultural differences) but I think they’re handled well for this age group. The reading level is just right for my 7 1/2 year old. I’ve already preordered it and I’m already looking forward to the 2nd book!

Seven-and-a-half-year-old Mindy Kim and her dad have just moved to Florida (an hour outside of Orlando) from California, just a few months after Mindy's mother died after a long illness.

She is nervous about starting a new school, and wishes she could have a puppy to cheer her up. As she is just starting to deal with those issues (adjusting to a new school, without her newly-dead mom), she is also faced with unkind classmates who tease her about her Korean lunch food, an unkind teacher who has trouble with her Korean name, and then she discovers her father crying alone in his room. She draws conclusions quickly: she should make friends by selling them unusual Korean snacks, and use the money to buy a puppy to cheer up her dad & herself.

Mindy's internal voice, emotional awareness, decision-making process, & choices seem to reflect the perspective of a 7-year-old sometimes, and occasionally a 9- or 10-year-old, so there is a lack of cohesion, but it still seems believable - for the most part.

The fact that her mom died seems to only have affected the emotional state of her dad - Mindy herself does not seem to be grieving. The desire for a puppy to keep her company is so typical of 7- and 8-year-olds, that doesn't signify. She refers to missing her mother only very briefly - when classmates speak of their mothers, and when her father mentions missing her, she quickly reassures him that he is parent enough.

So, this is not an overcoming-grief novel - she's over it! This is about trying to sell snacks in elementary school & getting in trouble for it. I think most 2nd-graders will think it's realistic.

Cute story about starting a new school and fitting in. There are a lot of animal and fantasy based early chapter books, this would be a good one to hand to the 2nd & 3rd graders who tell me they want "real" stories.

Adorable!