Haemi Balgassi facts for kids

Haemi Balgassi (born in 1967) is a talented Korean American writer. She is famous for her amazing children's books. Some of her most well-known books are Peacebound Trains and Tae's Sonata. Both books have won special awards.

Haemi Balgassi was born in Seoul, South Korea. She later grew up in Western Massachusetts in the United States. Her stories, articles, and poems have appeared in many different magazines and journals. She was even featured in a special book called Children's Authors and Illustrators Too Good to Miss. This book highlights great writers and artists for young readers.

Exploring Haemi Balgassi's Books

Haemi Balgassi has written several popular books for young people. Her stories often share unique experiences and important lessons. Let's learn more about two of her most famous works.

Discovering Peacebound Trains

Peacebound Trains is a chapter book written by Haemi Balgassi. It was published in 1997 and features beautiful illustrations by Chris Soentpiet. The story takes place in Seoul during the Korean War.

The book tells the story through the eyes of a grandmother. She shares her real-life experiences with her granddaughter, Sumi. Peacebound Trains is actually based on the true stories of Balgassi's own mother.

This book has received many honors, including:

• A Smithsonian (magazine) Notable Children's Book
• An International Reading Association Notable Book for a Global Society
• A San Francisco Chronicle Best Children's Book
• A Society of Illustrators Gold Medalist
• A National Council for the Social Studies/Children's Book Council Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies
• An American Booksellers Association Pick of the Lists

Peacebound Trains was even featured on the United States of America Korean War Commemoration website. It was the only book to receive this special honor.

Understanding Tae's Sonata

Tae's Sonata is another great book by Haemi Balgassi. This novel, published in 1997, is for middle-grade readers. It tells the story of Tae, a Korean-American eighth-grader.

Tae is a first-generation immigrant in the United States. This means she is the first in her family to be born in America. The book explores how Tae deals with her identity and new experiences. It also shows how she faces prejudice and discrimination against her family. At the same time, Tae is growing up and even experiences her first crush.

Tae's Sonata also won many awards, such as:

• A National Council for the Social Studies/Children's Book Council Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies
• An American Booksellers Association Pick of the Lists
• Nominated for the Maine Student Book Award
• Winner of the 2000 Lamplighter Classic Award
• Honored as a Best Children's Book by Bank Street College

In 2006, Hampton-Brown, a part of National Geographic School Publishing, chose Tae's Sonata for its inZone Books collection.

Interviews with Haemi Balgassi

If you want to learn more about Haemi Balgassi and her writing, you can find interviews with her online:

• DebbiMichikoFlorence.com: "An Interview with Children's Writer Haemi Balgassi"
• CynthiaLeitichSmith.com: "Interview with Children's and YA Author Haemi Balgassi"
• papertigers.org: "Interview with Korean American Author, Haemi Balgassi"