Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee

 

Joseph Gomez

Plot Summary
This book is the first to show North Korea to a young audience. It's about a boy named Sungju who at age 12 is forced to live on the streets and fend for himself after his parents are killed.  He and his friends kill chipmunks and eat them in order to survive. They come up with several strategies to steal food from shops.

Critical Evaluation 
I would give this book a 10 out of 10 it is suspenseful and explores the issue of survival and politics. After Kim Jong Il died, the North Koreans became poor and paranoid that the U.S. was going to invade them. The main character is very courageous for doing everything he can do to survive out in the street by stealing food and clothes. In this book, I would love to explore why the author doesn't try to relocate somewhere else in North Korea and live with another family member.