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Mindy Kim #11
Mindy Kim, Big Sister
Fresh Off the Boat meets Junie B. Jones in this adorable chapter book series following Mindy Kim, a young Asian American girl.
Mindy is so excited to be a big sister—but also nervous, because she’s never been one before! When her baby brother, Charlie, arrives, Mindy wants to be as helpful as she can. But as cute as he is, Charlie is a lot louder—and more stinky—than she could have imagined! Mindy tries her best but feels like she isn’t going anything right. Still, if she can find her own special way to pitch in, she can still prove Charlie is lucky to have a big sister just like her!
Mindy is so excited to be a big sister—but also nervous, because she’s never been one before! When her baby brother, Charlie, arrives, Mindy wants to be as helpful as she can. But as cute as he is, Charlie is a lot louder—and more stinky—than she could have imagined! Mindy tries her best but feels like she isn’t going anything right. Still, if she can find her own special way to pitch in, she can still prove Charlie is lucky to have a big sister just like her!
- GenresChildrens
80 pages, Paperback
Published August 6, 2024
7 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Lyla Lee
22 books838 followersLyla Lee is the bestselling author of books for all ages. Inspired by her Korean heritage and love of pop culture, she writes cute and sometimes swoony stories that have been translated into multiple languages around the world. Originally from South Korea, she’s lived in various cities throughout the United States, worked in Hollywood, and studied Psychology and Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. She now lives in Dallas, Texas. Visit Lyla at lylaleebooks.com or on social media (Kid lit: @literarylyla and adult romance: @authorlylalee).
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 8, 2025
Mindy’s new little brother is here. She’s worried about being a good big sister, and finding a way to help out her parents who seem so exhausted. Charlie is too little to play with, and Mindy isn’t big enough to do much. How can she help?
Mindy has a good heart and desire to help out. I remember worrying a little about being a good big sister again when I think my youngest sister was born. (Reading this story triggered a memory about running away and hiding after my parents told me I was going to be a big sister again because I needed to sort out my feelings and worries. I think my Dad found me and talked me through them. The memory is a little hazy; it was a couple decades ago. 😅 But it definitely lent believability to this story.) I like the idea she and her friend come up with to help, and how they get the help of one of her friend’s parents too. It’s a realistic plan readers who have parents going through something similar could also employ.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: None
Ethnic diversity: Mindy and her Dad are Korean American. Her stepmom is Chinese American. Her baby brother is Korean/Chinese American. Her friend is white American.
LGBTQ+ content: Mindy imagines dressing up a brother or sister and thinks she could dress either one up in a dress.
Other: Extreme exhaustion from a crying baby interrupting sleep may be a traumatic memory for some kids/parents.
Mindy has a good heart and desire to help out. I remember worrying a little about being a good big sister again when I think my youngest sister was born. (Reading this story triggered a memory about running away and hiding after my parents told me I was going to be a big sister again because I needed to sort out my feelings and worries. I think my Dad found me and talked me through them. The memory is a little hazy; it was a couple decades ago. 😅 But it definitely lent believability to this story.) I like the idea she and her friend come up with to help, and how they get the help of one of her friend’s parents too. It’s a realistic plan readers who have parents going through something similar could also employ.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: None
Ethnic diversity: Mindy and her Dad are Korean American. Her stepmom is Chinese American. Her baby brother is Korean/Chinese American. Her friend is white American.
LGBTQ+ content: Mindy imagines dressing up a brother or sister and thinks she could dress either one up in a dress.
Other: Extreme exhaustion from a crying baby interrupting sleep may be a traumatic memory for some kids/parents.
September 25, 2024
Another masterpiece to the Mindy Kim series! I enjoyed reading this book a lot and seeing how much Mindy cares for her little brother by not only being so understanding of the new situation she and her parents are, but also how much she tries to care for her parents in her own way.
This book is realistic, illustrating the stress, lack of sleep, and tiredness of her parents as they care for a newborn baby. I love how the author doesn’t try to sugarcoat anything and kept the reality of having a fussy baby around or how babies act that seems like they don’t like a particular person when in reality they’re just being babies.
I also love that Mindy still remains thoughtful with her parents by creating her own massage session idea right at home. Not only does Mindy not feel any kind of jealousy that her parents are paying more or most of their attention to her little brother, but instead she wants to take care of her parents by trying to relieve their stress. I also love that there were friends in the book that helped care for the newborn baby while Mindy’s parents rested. It really is like the famous saying, “it takes a village to raise children.”
This book is realistic, illustrating the stress, lack of sleep, and tiredness of her parents as they care for a newborn baby. I love how the author doesn’t try to sugarcoat anything and kept the reality of having a fussy baby around or how babies act that seems like they don’t like a particular person when in reality they’re just being babies.
I also love that Mindy still remains thoughtful with her parents by creating her own massage session idea right at home. Not only does Mindy not feel any kind of jealousy that her parents are paying more or most of their attention to her little brother, but instead she wants to take care of her parents by trying to relieve their stress. I also love that there were friends in the book that helped care for the newborn baby while Mindy’s parents rested. It really is like the famous saying, “it takes a village to raise children.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2025
Adorable as always.
I loved that we see so much support from family and friends--I find that a lot of new families don't always realize how much support they can have from friends and families. It's nice to show this to younger readers so they know that if they ever having kids (or have baby siblings), they might be able to reach out for support.
I also liked how despite the stressful situations and the funny moments the resulted from sleepless nights, Mindy is reminded that she is loved.
I find these books so great because of the message they could give to the little ones reading this. They are loved, they are smart, they are creative, being kind goes a long way, sharing is definitely caring, and being a supportive friend is a great thing to be.
Happy reading!
I loved that we see so much support from family and friends--I find that a lot of new families don't always realize how much support they can have from friends and families. It's nice to show this to younger readers so they know that if they ever having kids (or have baby siblings), they might be able to reach out for support.
I also liked how despite the stressful situations and the funny moments the resulted from sleepless nights, Mindy is reminded that she is loved.
I find these books so great because of the message they could give to the little ones reading this. They are loved, they are smart, they are creative, being kind goes a long way, sharing is definitely caring, and being a supportive friend is a great thing to be.
Happy reading!
August 10, 2024
The latest installment in Lyla Lee’s Mindy Kim series, MINDY KIM, BIG SISTER, is just as charming as the rest! Mindy is excited about becoming a big sister, but nervous about taking on the big job. When Charlie arrives, Mindy tries to be a big help, but things don’t seem to be going well. Charlie cries a lot and everyone in the family is exhausted. With the help of her friends, Mindy comes up with a creative way to pitch in. With sweet illustrations by Dung Ho and its storyline about a big life change that so many readers can relate to, this will be a favorite of primary grade readers.
September 24, 2024
The title says it all. Mindy Kim becomes a big sister!
She does her due diligence about becoming a first time big sister, but things still come up which surprise her.
Mindy's friends, teacher and family come together to support Mindy in her new role and sweet Mindy herself lends her support to her Dad and step-mom, Julie.
She does her due diligence about becoming a first time big sister, but things still come up which surprise her.
Mindy's friends, teacher and family come together to support Mindy in her new role and sweet Mindy herself lends her support to her Dad and step-mom, Julie.
October 16, 2024
Mindy’s new sibling is about to arrive; she solicits advice from her classmates for pointers to being a good big sister. Throw in a spa day for all and welcome Charlie! Adore this series!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews