My heart is pounding again
Taekwondo gymnastics team recruiting
Third member
Finally a team
Practice, practice, practice
At most 2 or 3 minutes
The untold story
Not father, but manager
In the same direction and speed
Absurd venting
Is this a punishment?
I treat you well because you are precious to me.
So what if I can't do it perfectly?
Separately, but together
In front of the campfire
City competition
What I can choose
Win or lose, we are one!
It's okay if it's not perfect

A book that makes your heart ripple like ripples sparkling in the sunlight
Yun Seol-bit, the author who makes us anticipate the "next" chapter of our children's literature, presents her first full-length fairy tale.

The first full-length children's story, "We Are Summer," by author Yun Seul-bit, who received critical acclaim for her work "Crossroads," which won the grand prize at the 14th Woongjin Junior Literary Award, has been published.
The author's writing skills, which were praised for "making it feel like each and every sentence was carefully polished," are not disrupted at all even in long narratives.
Rather, the vividly alive and breathing writing blends in with Nam Su-hyeon's drawings, which are filled with light and color even between the lines, and reaches out to the reader's heart and touches him.


Twelve-year-old Ina, who has been practicing Taekwondo since childhood, accidentally discovered Taekwondo gymnastics and formed a team with her friends to prepare for competitions, aligning her body and mind.
Children who struggle, decide, fight, reconcile, and face the anxiety that obscures their future together shine brightly, just like the author's name.
On a summer day when the sun is dazzling but thunder and rain may strike at any moment, children still bravely run out into the world.
After reading the book, the refreshing faces on the cover, as if taken from a youth comic, will linger in your mind for a long time, leaving a warm aftertaste.

The dazzlingly hot summer of a ragtag Taekwondo team
A book that sends encouragement to children who walk forward with confidence, believing in their choices.

Ina grew up living with her aunt, a Taekwondo instructor, and was sung to the Taekwondo spirit of 'courtesy, shame, patience, self-control, and indomitable spirit' like a lullaby.
Even now, it's hard to imagine a life without Taekwondo, but my affection for it is fading because the director is pressuring me and only focusing on results.
Whether you are an adult or a child, if something you like becomes 'work', it becomes boring.

But after encountering Taekwondo, Ina feels her heart pounding like before.
At first, he may have yelled at Sechan because he was angry at him for being sarcastic.
My best friend Seo Ha-na and the other kids who came together by chance may have been drawn to Taekwondo because they had never done it before and because it was different from what they usually did.
Whatever the reason, the six children, with their varying skills and personalities, begin practicing as if they were heading straight into the ground.
Unlike taekwondo, taekwondo gymnastics is not a sport where one person excels exceptionally, so leading a team is not easy even for Ina, who has always been ranked high.
But through repeated mistakes, frequent fights, anxiety, and disappointment, the children truly become a team.
What if it's an impulsive escape? What if it's a brief escape?
Because it is not something they are forced to do, but something they have chosen of their own accord, children put all their strength and heart into it.

The issue of 'choice', which the author dealt with importantly in his previous work, is also a theme that runs through 'We Are Summer'.
Ina, whose parents divorced when she was young and she ended up living with her aunt in a small town in the countryside, always cowered in a corner, avoiding the attention (or curiosity) of adults who gnawed at her heart like an awl.
It was her aunt and Taekwondo that helped her come out of the shadows.
Aunt tells Ina that she cannot control other people's choices, but she can control 'her own choices.'
“Joy, happiness, and many other pleasant things.” These are the things my aunt told me I could choose.
And instead of Taekwondo, which supported her during her childhood, Ina chose 'Taekwondo gymnastics', which makes her heart race.


Sechan, the son of the Taekwondo instructor, stands at the opposite end of the spectrum from Inawa in many ways.
Ina has an aunt who treats her well not because she feels sorry for her but because she is “family” and “she is precious to her,” but Sechan does not have an adult who can be a good helper.
The oppressive and self-righteous director only makes Sechan, who has nowhere to turn, go further and further astray.
Ina hates and dislikes Sechan, who has completely removed the manager, but her heart feels tight whenever she sees herself as a child in Sechan.
So, Ina tries to share the feelings she received from her aunt with Sechan.
In this way, Ina's 'choice' expands into Sechan's 'choice' as the work progresses past the middle part.


“Can I make my own choice?”
"of course.
“It’s your life.”

At Ina's firm words, Sechan's face distorted as if he was about to cry.
But Sechan didn't cry.
I just bit my lip hard and exhaled deeply.
Then he spoke, word for word, as if declaring something.


“I don’t like matches at all.
I'm sick of ranking things.
And when my dad yells, I just want to disappear.” (Page 202)

In the scene where Ina and Sechan pour out their hearts to each other and their stories become intertwined, readers will also feel their hearts ache.
I hope you read the book to find out what choices Sechan will make.

Although "We Are Summer" deals with the dynamic sport of Taekwondo, the author's sentences are infinitely delicate and lyrical.
As events unfold and conflicts intensify, the characters' emotions and psychology are meticulously depicted, doubling the tension and immersion.
The characters that the author portrays with vivid sentences are not characters 1, 2, 3, and 4 who move according to calculations in the work, but rather they come across as 5th graders or 6th graders Jin-ah, the Taekwondo gym owner, and her son Se-chan who live together outside of the text.
Whether they are the main or supporting roles, each has their own concerns and leads their own story.
Even 'Mrs. Yang', who only appears through Jin-ah's mouth, plays an indispensable role in the work.
Even though the characters' roles may be different, I'm curious about each character's backstory.


Another outstanding aspect of "We Are Summer" is that it depicts the diverse situations and environments in which children live today in a calm and realistic manner, moving away from superficial and easygoing descriptions that display misfortune.
Although there is no sense of charity or compassion, the author's gaze that flows throughout the work is always warm.
This is probably because it contains the idea that children should not be made unhappy by situations and environments they did not choose themselves.

It is a precious work that allows you to pour out your emotions completely without provocative material or so-called 'verified' clichés.
I really want to give this to readers who feel sorry that there are many books but none worth reading or recommending.

Author's Note

I think there's a difference between wanting to do well and having to do well.
I think that the mind also has weight, and as the mind becomes heavier, the body also becomes heavier.


“Courtesy, shame, patience, self-denial, and unyielding! Hey!” Let’s move a little with a powerful shout.

Just take a moment to look at yourself and ask yourself, what is it that is making you want to run away right now?
Do you like this? Do you want to do this? If you've found a sparkling piece of your heart, I'll tell you, "You can do it!"
If not, I'll tell you, "You don't have to do it."


It contains the hope that you can do whatever you want.
(Yoon Seulbit)

Curriculum linkage
Korean 4-1-1.
Share your thoughts and feelings
Korean 4-1-10.
Get to know the character's heart
Korean 4-2-9.
Read and share your emotions
Korean 5-1-2.
Appreciate the work
Korean 5-1-10.
Become the main character
Korean 6-2-1.
The characters in the work and me
Korean 6-2-8.
Experience it through work