8.31.22 Officially working on my second book. It’s been a while since I have been able to sit down and finish up the stories that I’ve been writing in my spare time during the past year but it’s finally coming along! I am also thrilled to be working with an amazing illustrator from Israel who … More Working On Book No. 2!
1.7.22 Happy New Year to all! Hope everyone is well and healthy. It is 2022, and we have been in this pandemic for almost two years now. Wow. So much has changed in my life, but most significantly, I welcomed baby number two last May, and she’s now 8 months old! Introducing Madeline Elys Kwak … More Baby Number Two
5.9.21 This year’s Mother’s Day was extra special. Hyunee from Hyunee Eats agreed to read Please Love Umma and talk about the book on her incredibly successful YouTube channel! I am such a huge fan of her mukbang (먹방) videos, and with both of my pregnancies, I would lie in bed at night before going … More Please Love Umma on YouTube’s Hyunee Eats Mukbang Channel
3.11.21 Today I got to meet the most adorable little students at Decker Elementary School for Reading Week. Thank you to the amazing teacher, Mrs. Cindy Kim, and her class, for having me. Despite the remote learning situation and this pandemic having impacted all of our communities, how joyful it was to see these resilient … More Reading Week at Decker Elementary School!
5.1.20 Hi everyone. It’s been a long time! Had a baby and the past two years have just flown by! Hope you are all doing well and staying healthy. Prayers for anyone who has lost a loved one during this time and all of the front line workers out there who are helping the communities … More It’s Been A Long Time!
3.21.19 It’s been 2 years since Please Love Umma was first published, and it’s been quite a ride. Thank you so much to everyone who has supported and who continue to support to this day. A lot has changed since then as I gave birth to our first child, Matthew, in May of 2018, and … More Happy 2 Year Anniversary to Please Love Umma!
11.30.17 We are so proud and happy to announce this year’s 5 winners of the 2017 SoCal Youth Writing Contest for PLEASE LOVE UMMA. CONGRATULATIONS! 1st place: Katherine Verrando, 10 2nd place: Jamie Kim, 9 3rd place: Sara Gonzalez, 11 4th place: Kylie Parker, 10 5th place: Christopher Wu, 10 Thank you to everyone who submitted. … More Congratulations to the 5 winners of the 2017 SoCal Youth Writing Contest for Please Love Umma!
5.4.17 Jenna, the protagonist of Please Love Umma, notices a street that is lined with palm trees as she and Abba drive to the bookstore. She feels as if they are cruising atop a gigantic California postcard. Ironically, most of the palm trees in California are not native to the state. They were brought for … More Cali Palms
1/27/17 “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” Toni Morrison Thank you, Toni Morrison. No one could have said it better. When I was teaching in a foreign school outside of the US, I realized the shortage of children’s novels on the … More Write It
By Gracie Kim 