Check out the cover and first chapter of Troublemaker, Cho’s forthcoming middle-grade book.
Looters and rioters set the city on fire.
Get an exclusive first look at the cover ofTroublemaker, as well as the first chapter, below.
Actor-turned-author John Cho.Credit: Benjo Arwas
The book will publish in March 2022 and isavailable for pre-order.
It’s not that they’re anything out of the ordinary.
What’s weird is the fact that they’re here at all.
The cover of ‘Troublemaker,’ by John Cho.
I thought I’d have more time before I’d have to face them today.
Their voices are quiet, muffled, coming from the direction of the kitchen.
Don’t see me.
Just as I’m about to pass the kitchen, Umma looks right up at me.
“Oh Jordan, you’re home?”
she says in Korean.
“Yeah,” I say back in English.
A nervous feeling starts to spread through my stomach.
My prayer changes.Don’t ask me how school was.
Don’t make me lie to you.
By some miracle, she doesn’t.
Umma always asks how school was.
It’s pretty much her favorite question.
Not to mention, I still don’t know what they’re both doing home so early.
I linger by the door, wondering whether I should ask or not.
But the more questions I ask them, the more questions they might ask me.
And I want to avoid that for as long as possible.
Not that Appa would ask me anything though.
This whole time, he hasn’t even looked at me once.
I don’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed.
It’s been this way between us for weeks, ever since our Big Fight.
Things haven’t been the same since then.
It’s like time split into a Before and After.
After: when we’re not just Jordan and Appa anymore.
He’s been so cold to me lately.
Colder than a brain freeze.
Maybe this means we’ll never talk again until the end of time.
Maybe not even then.
I stare at the back of his head for a second longer and then I walk away.
Harabeoji’s in the living room, watching TV and eating ojingeo off a plate.
At least grandparents are dependable.
At least, that’s my grandpa.
I don’t really know about anyone else’s grandparents.
He grunts, not looking up from the TV.
I don’t even know if he knows what’s going on.
He didn’t want to come with us at first.
To America, that is.
At least he’s found some joy in these American shows.
I think he finds them funny.
I glance towards the kitchen and then back at Harabeoji, lowering my voice.
“Can I tell you something?”
He grunts again without turning down the volume.
Here’s the thing about my grandpa.
Maybe that’s the reason why I feel okay.
“I got suspended from school today.”
At this, his eyebrows lift.
“I got sent to the principal’s office again.
For cheating on a Spanish quiz.
Or I guess, getting caught cheating.
Mr. Martins was so mad.”
I make a face, hearing his voice in my head.
He always talks real slow like he’s speaking through a mouth full of chewing gum.
And then you know what he says?
He says I should make a run at be more like Sarah.
Says that whenshewas in middle school, she was a model student.
How could the Park siblings be this different?
She probably makes your parents so proud.
Well, they’ll be so disappointed in you, won’t they?"
I scoff, but I can feel my shoulders slumping.
Mr. Martins doesn’t need to tell me what a disappointment I am to my parents.
I already know that.
Appa told me so himself.
Harabeoji turns off the TV, startling me.
He leans forward in his seat, his left hand on his knee.
He’s only got three fingers on that hand.
He lost the pinky and ring finger during the Korean War.
I look at his face instead.
He locks his eyes on mine, his mouth set in a grim line.
Did I underestimate how safe my secrets are with him?
Is he going to rat me out to Umma and Appa after all?
He holds out his empty plate with his right hand.
“Get me more ojingeo,” he says in Korean.
“I ate it all.”
“Yes, Harabeoji.”
I take the empty plate and head for the kitchen.
They’re louder now, almost yelling.
I stay in the hallway, listening.
“I think you’re worrying too much about nothing,” Appa says.
“you’re free to never be too careful,” Umma says back.
She sounds exasperated, angry.
“People are mad about what happened with Rodney King.
“Of course they’re mad.
Who wouldn’t be mad?”
Now Appa’s the one who sounds annoyed.
“Doesn’t mean that bad things are going to happen.
There’s no reason to think so.
It will be fine.”
“You heard what they said on Radio Korea.
We closed the shop early and came home.
You’re always thinking farther ahead than it’s crucial that you.”
“How do you think I’ve carried us this far?
I won’t let this store fail like our last one.
Someone has to think about this family!”
It’s like she’s sucker punched him with her words.
Umma is the thunder.
Maybe she’s the lightning too.
“Fine,” she finally says.
“I’ll go.”
“Go where?”
“To board up the store.”
Before Appa can reply or I can even take a step, Umma storms out of the kitchen.
She doesn’t see me.
She grabs the handle of the sliding mirrored door and pulls hard.
What happens next is everything shatters.
It wasn’t me that broke.
The whole mirrored door goes down and explodes into shards on the floor.
She yells, jumps back, and then stands there, breathing heavy.
“What was that?”
Harabeoji shouts from the living room.
“Everything’s fine!”
Umma shouts back, even though I think what she means is really the opposite.
Then he notices me.
It’s the first time we’ve really made eye contact since the Big Fight.
I’m bracing myself all over.
I think maybe he’s going to say something.
But not to me.
He walks over to Umma and puts his hands on her shoulders.
“I’ll go board up the store,” he says.
“I’ll call you when I’m there.”
He doesn’t look back once.
Excerpted fromTroublemaker, by John Cho.
Copyright 2022 by John Cho.
Reprinted with permission of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
