Middle grade is a genre I wish I read more of in general. When I was asked to join this blog tour for this Korean American middle grade I was thrilled! Today, author Erin Yun is sharing a playlist for Pippa Park Raises Her Game and giving you all a chance to win a great prize.
Pippa Park Raises Her Game
Life is full of great expectations for Korean American Pippa Park. It seems like everyone, from her family to the other kids at school, has a plan for how her life should look. So when Pippa gets a mysterious basketball scholarship to Lakeview Private, she jumps at the chance to reinvent herself by following the “Rules of Cool.”
At Lakeview, Pippa juggles old and new friends, an unrequited crush, and the pressure to perform academically and athletically while keeping her past and her family’s laundromat a secret from her elite new classmates. But when Pippa begins to receive a string of hateful, anonymous messages via social media, her carefully built persona is threatened.
As things begin to spiral out of control, Pippa discovers the real reason she was admitted to Lakeview and wonders if she can keep her old and new lives separate, or if she should even try.
Buy: Amazon | Indiebound
To celebrate the release of Pippa Park Raises Her Game by Erin Yun on February 4th, blogs across the web are featuring exclusive original content from Erin, as well as 5 chances to win a finished copy of Pippa, bookmark, sticker, and basketball stress ball!
My Pippa Park Raises Her Game Playlist by Erin Yun
I’m wishy-washy when it comes to listening to music while I write. Sometimes, music helps me find my groove, and entire albums will go by without me realizing. Other times, the lyrics distract me, and I crave complete silence. However, one thing remains constant—and that is my love for creating playlists. Especially book-themed playlists. I created a playlist for my debut novel, Pippa Park Raises Her Game, right after I finished the outline. Here are the top ten songs that made the cut.
1. “My Shot” from Hamilton—When Pippa gets a mysterious scholarship to an elite private school, she is determined to use the opportunity as a chance to reinvent herself—and you can bet that she’s not throwing away her shot.
2. “Cool Kids” by Echosmith—Because who hasn’t found themselves wishing they could be like the cool kids?
3. “The Tide Is High” by Atomic Kitten—While the Paragons’ member John Holt originally wrote the song, and while many people may recognize the Blondie remake, I first heard the Atomic Kitten version of the song in The Lizzie McGuire Movie. This optimistic bop reminds me of the way Pippa initially reacts to her unattainable crush.
4. “Because I’m Stupid” from the OST of Boys Over Flowers—Since “The Tide Is High” was the happy unrequited crush song, I needed a sad unrequited crush song to balance it out. I used to listen to “Because I’m Stupid” on repeat whenever I felt in the mood to cry. Although Pippa is a pretty positive person, this song reminds me about the hopelessness of having a crush who you know isn’t interested.
5. “Royals” by Lorde—The most popular clique at Pippa’s new school is called The Royals, so basically this song was a given.
6. “Bet on It” from High School Musical 2—When I think of Pippa’s realization that she needs to fix the mistakes she made, I think of Troy dancing on a golf course to this song. Is it the best HSM has to offer? No. Do I start belting out the lyrics anytime it comes on? You can . . . bet on it.
7. “The Show” by Lenka—People are usually performing in some way or the other, and, for me at least, this was especially true in middle and high school. Both Pippa and I can really identify with the sentiments and stresses captured by this song.
8. “Hot Issue” by 4Minute—This used to be my go-to K-pop song for karaoke back in the day, and I could totally see it blasting in a movie version where Pippa first sees the gorgeous, confident Royals strutting down the hall.
9. “Under Pressure” by Queen—Family responsibilities, academics, basketball, and fitting in: Pippa feels the pressure mounting at her new school. I bet she would be belting this song by the second half.
10. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds—Pippa doesn’t just want to blend in at her new school. She wants to stand out. Basically, “don’t you, forget about her. Don’t, don’t, don’t . . .”
Buy: Amazon | Indiebound
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Giveaway
- One winner will receive a finished copy of Pippa Park Raises Her Game, bookmark, sticker, and basketball stress ball
- US/Canada only
- Ends 11:59pm ET on 2/14
About the Author
Debut author Erin Yun grew up in Frisco, Texas. She received her BFA in English from New York University and served as president of its policy debate team. This experience came in handy for her job as the debate consultant for the Tony-nominated Best Play on Broadway—What the Constitution Means to Me. Erin is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and has written reviews and articles for BookBrowse. She currently lives in New York City, and yes—she used to play basketball as a middle grader!
Follow Erin: Website | Twitter
Blog Tour Schedule
February 3rd – Sprinkles of Dreams
February 4th – BookHoundsYA
February 5th – Utopia State of Mind
February 6th – A Dream Within a Dream
February 7th – Word Spelunking
The classic novel I’d like to see a modern version of is 21 Leagues Under the Sea.
That would be SO COOL! Why has no one done this??
This sounds like it will be such an entertaining take on Great Expectations, as for a classic I’d like to see modernized, I love Jane Austen’s Persuasion and I don’t remember ever reading a contemporary re-telling of it before.
The Stars We Steal is a YA SF one of Persuasion!
My favorite character is Heidi
So cute!
I’d like to see Robin McKinley’s The Hero and the Crown reimagined in a modern way.
Oooh that would be SO GOOD!
Good post! Thanks!
Thanks for commenting!