Recommendations from the Youth Book Review Group
Author's Note

One unmotivated autumn afternoon
Mental illness is cured?
Bad day
Another Park Chang-sik
check
Denial and anger
Useless art activities
Wonjok
Preparation for the poetry exhibition
Jungang Girls' High School students
Jungseop's cow drawing
joint event
The happiness that comes from pride
Father's story
Chang-sik being dragged away
Release them, release them!
Manse mock
Stained Cultural Festival
Arirang
art festival
A miracle created by another Changsik
Changsik's tears
After becoming a high school student

The life of a fifteen-year-old boy with no money, no dreams, and no motivation
The time travel of a lifetime that will change you completely begins!

A true representative author of children's and young adult literature,
Go Jeong-wook's new time-slip historical novel

Since being selected for the Munhwa Ilbo New Year’s Literary Contest in 1992, author Jeong-uk Ko has been loved by many readers for his consistent works such as “The Grumpy Jae-seok” and “The Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Jeong-uk Ko.”
With cumulative sales reaching 2 million copies, he presents a new genre of novel this time.
The sixteenth work in the Think School literature series 'Click Click Library', Go Jeong-wook's 'Jumper' is a so-called 'time slip history X coming-of-age novel' that begins when the main character Park Chang-sik travels through time and falls into the colonial era.

Park Chang-sik, a third-year middle school student attending Osan Middle School in 2024.
One day, something unbelievable happens to this unfortunate boy who loves to draw but has no intention of becoming an art club member or a webtoon artist, and just wants to get a job quickly so that his life can improve just a little.
Jumping back in time, I became a student at Osan School in 1928, during the Japanese colonial period.
Will Chang-sik be able to adapt safely to the stifling life where the environment and language are different and, above all, he is constantly under surveillance by the Japanese police?
And will he be able to safely return to the present with his family?

This book fully embodies the strengths of author Ko Jeong-wook, who is famous for his fast-paced writing, witty dialogue, and moving messages. Through Chang-sik's eyes and voice, readers will be able to discover the dark reality of the Japanese colonial period and the reason why our people were able to protect their country despite it all.
Moreover, as Chang-sik, who had felt alienated from the world, gradually opens up to the world and the people around him and changes while going through various events such as meeting with girls at a girls' school at the time, being imprisoned after being misunderstood by a Japanese police officer, and preparing for a cultural festival with new friends, this will be a gentle comfort to all readers who have been tired and struggling with life.

“The seed rises by its own power!”
A time traveler who fell into Osan School, the pride of our nation!

“I have never seen a seed go into the ground and lift up the heavy soil by its own strength, but by the strength of someone else.” This is what Namgang Lee Seung-hoon said.
The place where Chang-sik, who has transcended time and space, opens his eyes is none other than 'Osan School'.
Osan School is a national school established in Jeongju, North Pyongan Province in 1907 by Namgang Lee Seung-hun, and is a representative space that shared in the history of our people's independence movement.
It is also a meaningful school where renowned Korean artists such as Kim So-wol, Baek Seok, and Lee Jung-seop studied.

The main character, Chang-sik, is also a graduate of Osan School.
Strictly speaking, he is a student of Osan Middle School, which was rebuilt in Seoul to continue the legacy of Osan School in the North.
However, as a boy going through the pains of growing up in puberty, he had eccentric thoughts that were a bit different from the school's ideology or educational content.
In history class, when a teacher was explaining the artistic activities of the Japanese colonial period that brought about the blossoming of the spirit and culture of the nation, like the movie “Arirang,” he would not hesitate to say, “Japan and our country were similar, so why did they take over?” and “It’s not like the United States or Russia, which are large countries, and we didn’t have the power to fight back after being taken over by Japan, so we wrote and made movies and resisted through art.”

“If we all jump into armed struggle instead of doing things like art now, wouldn’t we be able to achieve independence through our own strength?
“And there is no division.”
“Division? Changsik, what are you talking about again?” _From the text

Chang-sik's view of history does not immediately change just because he goes to Osan School across time.
Rather than pursuing art in a situation where the country has been taken away, he raises his voice, saying, “All citizens should jump into armed struggle.”
Even though he interacts with the boys Kim So-wol, Baek Seok, and Lee Jung-seop, Chang-sik is still accustomed to viewing the world through the principles of power and money, and does not know the value or meaning of culture and art.
The main point of interest in this book is to examine the events and conflicts that Chang-sik experiences at a national school during the Japanese colonial period and how his thoughts gradually change.
The absurd conversations between Chang-sik and his friends, who are time travelers and cannot fully express the future of Korea, such as the division of the country, the K-pop craze, and the Korean Wave, add to the fun of the book.
This will be a fun and useful book for parents and teachers who want to teach their children the correct view of history, as well as for students who only think of armed struggles like the Battle of Cheongsanri and Bongodong when they think of the 'independence movement.'
It will also be helpful to gain a richer understanding of their works through the anecdotes about Kim So-wol and Baek Seok that appear here and there.

“If I had the ability to travel through time, where would I go?”
Support for young people who feel lost on their journey to find their dreams!

“I hope this book will be the first step toward remembering history, understanding the true power of culture, and embarking on your own journey to find your own dreams.” _ From the author’s note

Time travel didn't just change Changsik's view of history.
It also brought about a great change in Chang-sik's attitude and thoughts towards life, which had been helpless due to family discord and poverty.
An incompetent father who can't even take care of himself, and a grandmother who drags her tired body out to collect waste paper.
Chang-sik was frustrated because he was young and couldn't earn money or help his grandmother.
Naturally, my dreams took a back seat, so I often turned down friends who reached out to me and suggested that I join the art club instead of wasting my talent.
But in 1928, Chang-sik witnesses a strange sight.
Even during the Japanese colonial period, when people could not enjoy economic freedom or even freedom, I met friends who lived passionately, pursuing their dreams and doing what they loved.
And with the encouragement and support of such friends, Chang-sik also gradually reaffirms his love for painting.

“I think you’ve changed a bit.
“It’s full of energy.”_From the text

If you have someone who supports and cheers you on in any difficult situation, you won't fall.
Modern Changsik was trapped in feelings of inferiority and disadvantage, and did not realize that there were people who looked after him and reached out to him.
And I didn't believe that I could hold their hands and move forward.
But after learning about the power of friendship and solidarity and his own dream, Chang-sik changed.
There are students like Chang-sik among us who are so overwhelmed by misfortune that they cannot see the happiness and opportunities around them.
The author reaches out to such readers, telling them that change is possible, that they can dream no matter what the situation, and that they can take a step forward with hope.
“Just as Chang-sik grew while working with the Osan School youth, who acted for their country and people even in difficult situations where their country’s sovereignty was taken away, and who went on to pursue their dreams, I hope that you too will grow with this book,” the author says.
Even if this book doesn't have the grand turning point of "time slip" that changed Chang-sik, it will serve as a small opportunity for readers to reflect on their dreams and attitudes toward life.

“I read it all in an instant, devouring the immersive writing style!”
A book that the Youth Review Group read first and strongly recommended!

“I read it with a fascinating storyline and vivid descriptions, imagining each setting in my head.”_Hwagye Middle School student Park Yun-sang

“I was especially intrigued by this book because I had never read a work that dealt with the subject of time slip.
“I read it all in an instant, devouring the immersive writing.” _Kang Ryeo-eun, breastfeeding

Although it deals with the somewhat heavy subject of the national movement during the Japanese colonial period, it is a book that captures both fun and emotion with its 'time slip' theme that fits the current youth reading trend, writer Go Jeong-wook's characteristically witty dialogue, and the rapid development of events.
In addition, the thrilling and interesting plot and development of the story, which alternates between hot and cold, is a unique strength of this book that makes it even more difficult for readers to leave the story.
The main character, Chang-sik, is misunderstood by a Japanese police officer, imprisoned, and tortured. He also meets with students from a girls' school, has a crush on a girl and goes on dates with her, and even goes on a picnic with his friends to the mountains behind the house.
As recommended by a youth reviewer who said, “I devoured the immersive writing in an instant,” this is a book you can’t put down once you pick it up.

"This is a captivating book that fully displays the author's imagination, with its time-slip theme, tense chase scenes, and even a surprising twist." - Kim Dong-hu, 2nd year of Solsem Middle School

"A fantasy coming-of-age novel in which the protagonist, Chang-sik, matures internally, as if by leaps and bounds! Chang-sik's leaps and growth, achieved entirely on his own, rather than through the intervention of others, were fascinating." - Noh Jae-rim

“A realization of the importance and power of art, and a warm comfort for those in difficult times.
"A book filled with all the beauty, a book you can't help but love!" - Seok Ju-hee, 1st year, Samgaksan High School

“I think this book is one that turns on the switch to want to do something for those of us who cannot dream or challenge ourselves because of worries or fears.
While reading, I felt like Kim So-wol, Lee Jung-seop, and Baek Seok, who appear in the Korean language textbook, were my friends.” - Lee Do-kyung, 1st year, Gunja Middle School

Author's Note

“Young people who grow up knowing history and learning culture are the ones who will create a bright future for our country.
I hope this book will be the first step toward remembering history, understanding the true power of culture, and embarking on your own journey to find your own dreams.”