Sora's Seashells

By Helena Ku Rhee, Stella Lim (Illustrator), Ji-Hyuk Kim (Illustrator)

A young girl finds strength in her name's meaning to overcome teasing and loss.

4.3/5 Goodreads · 166 ratings

40 pages

$17.99Save 6%

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Bookroo's summary

Sora cherishes summers with her grandmother, collecting seashells by the beach. But when her grandmother returns to Korea and Sora faces teasing at school, she feels lost. A sad call deepens her confusion, but learning the meaning behind her name inspires Sora to embrace her identity. Sharing her treasured shells, she discovers the power of kindness and confidence, transforming her classmates' perceptions. Can Sora's newfound pride help her navigate the challenges of fitting in?

From the publisher

A lyrical narration and luminous illustrations tell an uplifting intergenerational story of kindness and confidence, loss and remembrance, with resonance for any child who feels other-than. “Sora means ‘seashell’ in Korean,” her mother said. “Halmoni always said finding a perfect shell is like receiving a wonderful gift. That’s why she suggested we name you Sora.” Every summer, when Sora’s Halmoni, or grandmother, visits from South Korea, the two of them take the bus to the beach to search for seashells. While Sora likes to take all of them back with her, Halmoni always leaves the prettiest shell for someone else to find and treasure. As summer turns to fall, Halmoni returns home and Sora starts kindergarten, where some of the kids tease her about her “weird” name. One day, Sora’s parents receive a sad call about her grandmother, and Sora feels more lost than ever about who she is and how she fits in. But when her parents reveal the origin of her name, Sora channels a newfound pride and, inspired by Halmoni, combats her peers’ hurtful comments by sharing her shells with everyone in her class. This story, told by Helena Ku Rhee and illustrated by Stella Lim, based on art by Ji-Hyuk Kim, speaks to the prevailing power of kindness and will resonate with anyone who’s been made to feel different.