Hurray!!! It’s time to take a peek at an upcoming book written by one of my Storm Literary Agency sisters, Korena Di Roma Howley and illustrated by Joowon Oh and published by Candlewick. It’s quite a special book…with an engaging cover that you are going to see in 3…2…1…

Congratulations, Korena and Joowan!!
And we are so lucky because Korena stopped by to share a bit of the story behind the story – and we also have pre-order links…yippee!

ME: Welcome, Korena!! Thank you so much for stopping by! Can you tell us where the idea for the story came from?

KORENA: Thank you so much, Vivian. It’s wonderful to be here and to see the cover and know that the book will be arriving in bookstores on July 8th!
Here’s why I wrote this story:
In 2019, I read a news article about South Korean grandmothers who had enrolled in school for the first time. I was incredibly moved by their story, and when I began to write picture books the following year, it quickly came back to mind. My fictionalized telling went through many iterations, but the bond at its heart—between a granddaughter and grandmother who each discover that change can be made at any age—remained the same. The name Sarang means “love” in Korean, and I chose it for my young character because, when all is said and done, love is indeed what saves her schooI.

ME: Oh, I love that, Korena! So many children are going to relate to this story.

And, dear friends, we all have a part in helping new books get into the hands of the children who need to hear these stories.
We can:
Buy the book
Review the book
Put it on your Goodreads WANT TO READ SHELF
Tell friends about the book (please share this post on your social media)
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection

And here’s a little bit about Korena and some links to follow so you can connect with her:
Korena Di Roma Howley grew up in Asia and the U.S. and always had plenty of books in tow while traveling around the Pacific. A freelance journalist and editor, Korena primarily reports on science news and education for multiple outlets. Her second picture book, A Hanbok for Hana, also with Candlewick and illustrated by Jaime Kim, will be published in 2026. She lives in Virginia with her husband and son.
Website
www.korenahowley.com
Instagram and Twitter
@korenahowley
BlueSky
@korena.bsky.social

Preferred sales pre-order links:
The Fallen Acorn Bookshop
Bookshop.org
Barnes & Noble
Amazon

And here’s a little bit about the book from the Amazon sales page:
Inspired by true events in South Korea, this tender and tenacious tale of female empowerment—at any age—proves that it’s never too late to fulfill a dream.

At a seaside school in a sunny fishing village, Sarang and her classmates are surrounded by empty desks. More and more families have been moving away, and, with so few students, their rural school may be forced to close. Their village may be getting smaller, but it’s still home—a place filled with love and memories. So Sarang hatches a plan. If the school needs more students to keep its doors open, why not offer local grandmothers, including her own beloved Halmeoni, the education they were denied as girls? Can Sarang and the other students and villagers convince the reluctant grandmothers to join forces and embark on their educational journey together? Set in contemporary South Korea and inspired by real events, Sarang Saves the School is a fresh and timely take on the power of intergenerational bonds and a charming testament to taking action for causes you believe in.

I hope you all have a wonderful week, dear friends! Our next post will be on Saturday, February 1st…and it will the HEADS-UP-THE-#50PreciousWords International Writing Contest-IS-COMING-SOON post! Yes, it’s almost time for #50PreciousWords!!! Are you ready? There are over 60 amazing prizes! And 8 amazing judges ready to read your stories! If you don’t already follow my blog, please click on the ‘follow my blog’ icon on the right sidebar. I’m actually updating my website a little, so if things look a bit strange or different, please don’t worry. It’s business as usual with #50PreciousWords!