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“Twelve-year old Melony Yoshimura is tired of being limited by her strict, overprotective Japanese parents…For her 12th birthday, Melony wishes for freedom, and says she’d sacrifice anything to get it. Then, the arrival of a mysterious package brings an Amanjaku (a shape-shifting, malevolent spirit) into her home…Brown builds uneasy tension as Melony is the last to understand the cost of her newfound freedom and selfishness…An engaging tale of morality, friendship, and identity that blends relatable tween angst with deliciously creepy Japanese folklore.”

– School Library Journal, Starred Review

The Very Unfortunate Wish of Melony Yoshimura

Written by Waka T. Brown
Published by Quill Tree Books

In this magical and chilling…retelling of the Japanese folktale “The Melon Princess and the Amanjaku,” one girl must save herself—and her loved ones—from a deceitful demon she befriended.

Melony Yoshimura’s parents have always been overprotective. They say it’s because a demonic spirit called the Amanjaku once preyed upon kids back in Japan, but Melony suspects it’s just a cautionary tale to keep her in line. So on her twelfth birthday, Melony takes a chance and wishes for the freedom and adventure her parents seem determined to keep her from.

As if conjured by her wish, the Amanjaku appears. At first, Melony is wary. If this creature is real, are the stories about its destructive ways also real? In no time, however, the Amanjaku woos Melony with its ability to shape-shift, grant wishes, and understand her desire for independence. But what Melony doesn’t realize is that the Amanjaku’s friendship has sinister consequences, and she quickly finds every aspect of her life controlled by the demon’s trickery—including herself.

Melony is determined to set things right, but will she be able to before the Amanjaku turns her life, her family, and her community upside down?

Primary ISBN: 9780063230767
Publication Date: July 2023
Available As: Hardcover, Audiobook, eBook
Middle Grade, Age 08 or older

Community Represented:

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Setting: United States (Oregon)

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 1st Generation

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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