York Student Co-Authors Korean E-book Bestseller

John Lim, a junior at York School, worked in collaboration with his sister Minju Lim, a student at UC-Berkeley and York School alumna, to co-author a Korean e-book entitled "How to Survive in America as a Teenager". Although John was born in the states, his family is native to Korea with Korean being their first language.

"When my sister got up to Berkeley, she made friends with several Koreans who didn't speak English very well...It inspired her to write a book on contemporary English, specifically on how modern Americans phrase things. And she asked for my help," John said.

The goal of their e-book is to serve as a practical guide for international students studying in the U.S. Some chapters include: "Interesting Episodes of Foreign Students in the U.S.", "How to Survive in High Schools and Colleges", and "Communication Guide including Basics of Emoticons and Texting". It is available for purchase online through several Korean online bookstores. The book was on the Korean e-book bestseller list for a month and continues to sell pretty well, York officials said.

The tone of the e-book is light-hearted and fun, John said. The book not only provides useful tips on how to decipher text message abbreviations and emoticons, but also includes common misused phrases their Korean-speaking friends would endure that were "comical and sometimes awkward," John stated.

Story provided by Shanna Kesler, York communications manager.