Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea

This award-winning memoir relates the story of Sungju Lee, who grew up in North Korea during the 1900s and early 2000s. His father was exiled from the capital to Gyeong-seong, and Lee, who at the age of 12 had to leave school and live on the streets, became involved with a local gang who survived by stealing and fighting. About five years later his father found him and smuggled him out of North Korea to the safer South Korea. Told from the perspective of a teenager, this powerful book will resonate with students in grades 10-12. Useful as a class or lit circle choice, it can launch discussion of loyalty, resilience, family attachment, survival, gangs, and Korean culture. Teacher preview recommended.