GIGI SHIN IS NOT A NERD, by Lyla Lee, Aladdin, March 5, 2024, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 8-12)
A Korean American girl starts a business with her best friends to pay for art camp in Gigi Shin is Not a Nerd, the first book in a new series by Lyla Lee.
Jiyoung “Gigi” Shin loves to create, from her zany outfits to self-executed haircuts. She dreams of becoming an artist and doodles every chance she gets—at school instead of taking notes, in choir instead of singing, and at home instead of homework. Art is her way of escaping her boring life in suburban Middle of Nowhere, Texas. Unfortunately, her working class, immigrant parents want her to focus on her studies and pursue something more “practical.” Gigi only really feels like herself in art class and at lunch with her best friends, Carolina and Zeina.
When Gigi learns about an elite art camp on the east coast, she’s determined to go. But she knows her parents won’t let her, much less pay for it. After overhearing her little brother Tommy complain about how hard math is and how his teacher goes too fast for him, Gigi has a brilliant idea: forming a tutoring club with her friends to make enough money for the art camp.
With Carolina, Zeina, and Carolina’s friend, Emma, the girls go all in, each with a reason for wanting the business to succeed. But the first few sessions with their classmates are a little chaotic, and Gigi wonders. —Synopsis provided by Aladdin
Gigi Shin is Not a Nerd is being billed as a fresh take on The Baby-Sitters Club, and that’s a fair comparison. Both focus on a group of girls that use their unique skills to solve problems. They’re the kind of books I binge read as a middle grader.
Lyla Lee is the author of the popular Mindy Kim chapter book series, and Gigi Shin is Not a Nerd reads like a natural progression. At just over 150 pages, the book is accessible to readers who are growing in confidence. And with language that is more difficult than chapter books but still fairly basic, it’s a great stepping stone.
Lee’s text is friendly and inviting. Her characters are bright and engaging and the storyline entertaining. I expect that Gigi Shin is Not a Nerd will be a book that’s read on repeat in many homes.
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