"Goodbye, Columbus meets the novels of Amy Tan in this American story of class, society and identity that marks the debut of a new voice in fiction"--Provided by the publisher.

On the last day of second grade, Song Lee's party at the local amusement park forces Harry to face his fear of elevators when he is expected to ride the Drop of Doom.

"A long-married couple is forced to confront their friend's painful past when a church revival comes to a nearby town... A woman in an arranged marriage struggles to connect with the son she hid from her husband for years... A well-meaning sister unwittingly reunites an abuser with his victims... Through the lives of an indelible array of individuals--musicians, housewives and pastors, children and grandparents, the men and women who own the dry cleaners...

After Unhei moves from Korea to the United States, her new classmates help her decide what her name should be.

Discusses the history, culture, and religion of the Koreans; factors encouraging their emigration, and their acceptance as an ethnic group in North America.

Song Lee is upset when she receives hateful notes in class, but she finds an appropriate and positive way to deal with them.

"When another student tries to sabotage Mindy and Sally's Yummy Seaweed Business, Mindy loses more than she bargained for and wonders whether she'll ever fit in at her new school."

Yoon, a Korean American, is excited to hear about Santa Claus and Christmas at her school, but her family tells her that such things are not part of their Korean tradition.

When Song Lee's hamster escapes from its cage in Room 2B, the class members and other students in South School become involved in the search for him.

"Kyung Cho's home is worth less money than he owes. A tenure-track professor, he and his wife, Gillian, have always lived beyond their means. Now their decisions have caught up with them, and Kyung is anxious for his family's future: all he wants is to provide the home that was denied him to their son. Not that he ever wanted for pleasing things -- his father moved the family from Korea, and made good money engineering patents for the university that...