Summary:(This is the true story of the authors' mother escaping from North Korea when she was a little girl, right before the Korean War started.) Soo notices that all of her friends are disappearing from school because they are all leaving North Korea. Soo's father is guided across the river to South Korea, and then the guide comes back for Soo. At the river, Soo and her guide are stopped, but the soldier lets Soo cross over the river to her father. Soo's mother is never able to escape, and Soo...

A short tender book about the author's mother and her escape from North Korea to South Korea shortly before the Korean War broke out. It is beautifully written for children to understand.

Gorgeous. Powerful. Heartbreaking. This book, based on the authors' mother's experiences in Korea, is such an important book. I'm honored to include this story on the shelves of my library and love to share this book with my students because I believe in the importance of learning from our past. In this gorgeously-illustrated picture book, Korea has been invaded and divided into North and South Korea. Soo and her family are trapped in North Korea, but are ready to leave their home. Young Soo's f...

Having lived in Korea for 5 years, I really enjoyed this story from a child's perspective and the Korean words and characters to enhance the reader's experience into the setting and background. As a teacher, I used it as a mentor text for historical fiction. The students loved learning new words and characters in Korean throughout the book, as well as increasing their schema about this historical event, of which, they new little.

"My Freedom Trip" is a great book about the Korean War. It follows a young girl named Soo. Soo leaves North Korea without her mother. Before her mom can join her the Korean War begins. The illustrations are dark but beautiful and the story is very interesting. Age Level:6-9Reading Level: Independent Reader

Gut-wrenching true story of one child's escape from North Korea to South Korea.

“My Freedom Trip: A child’s escape from North Korea” is a book of historical fiction written by Frances Park and Ginger Park. This is a story of a child escaping the war in North Korea. She must travel with a man she does not know so that she does not draw attention by traveling with her mother. He mother went first and her father was supposed to follow after her. The girl must leave her family to travel and hide from soldiers. They get caught by soldiers but the girl is set free. She never find...

Written in first person and based upon the stories of the authors' mother's childhood, this book shares the account of a girl growing up in Korea at the time the country was split into two. The narration clearly captures the fear and uncertainty of her nighttime journey from the north to the south, and the theme of freedom is juxtaposed with the reality that the country's split also separated her family, so the tone is certainly bittersweet. The authors use beautiful, descriptive language to des...

An enjoyable book for a 6-8 year old on escaping from North Korea just before the beginning of the Korean War. A good introduction to the discussion of the problem of war, tyranny, and how we should respond. It is not simply about politics but affects real people who must live with the consequences including the separation of families.

Sad but true story. Really brings the whole North and South Korea dispute into a new light. Simple text and with a pretty easy connection available between this and Underground Railroad books.

Deeply moving story of one family attempting to reach freedom. The tone struck me from the start and the illustrations agreed. I read this aloud and couldn't stop the quaver in my voice.

This was so unbelievably sad :( but also still so true for so many people. I wouldn't recommend it for littles since it is a little long and definitely does not end on a note of hope, but it would be a great piece for upper elementary or even older. It is so sad that there are so many families that were divided that never really got good closure. This little girl, for example, thought she would see her mother shortly, then shortly never came. Her story isn't unique, unfortunately.

This is a solemn tale of a family's attempt to escape from North to South Korea just prior to the war in 1950. The father escapes first, followed soon thereafter by the daughter. This story is about the daughter's journey, her sadness about being separated from her mother and father, and the danger of being intercepted by North Korean soldiers. It is a wonderful, sad and hopeful tale all wrapped up in one.

I would have liked more historical info at the end. Overall a good, simple book. It's so sad, though.

First person narrative of a harrowing escape. Unfortunately, the author gives minimal context about why the main character needs to escape. However, the narrative is gripping and stirs empathy for a story relevant to so many refugees and immigrants.

After reading Chocolate, Chocolate I was curious about this children's book by the same authors. This story chronicles their mother's escape from North Korea when she was a young girl. The story might be a little scary or sad for some children, but it emphasizes the risks people take and sacrifices they make to gain freedom.

Story a girl's escape from North Korea during the Korean War. This is told in relatively simplistic terms for younger students, such as 2nd through 3rd grade. It can also be used to give 4th graders a glimpse at a personal experience in Korea as well as loss of a parent.

What would you risk to be free? This is a gentle account of the authors' mother's escape from North Korea. The child's father goes on before, leaving the child and mother behind. Then, one night, the guide comes for the child. Unfortunately, the mother never makes it to reunite the family.There is a poignancy to the ending. The joy of being free to live a new life in South Korea and the pain of losing her mother flow through the river that separates the two countries. The authors have captured w...

This story describes a little girl's escape from North Korea into South Korea to be with her father, a mixture of happiness and sadness that I found rather haunting.