Christina Matula grew up in Ottawa, Canada, and she still holds Canadian citizenship. Being a child of immigrant parents, she has always been curious about other cultures and far-off places. Dumplings are her favorite food, especially her mother’s savory Taiwanese jiaozi and her father’s sweet Hungarian gomboc. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Hong Kong and now lives in Finland with her husband, two children, and puppy.

Red Dot Book Award (Winner)"I can't wait for readers to explore Hong Kong with Holly-Mei. I have no doubt they will love both as much as I did." —Erin Entrada Kelly, 2018 Newbery Medalist and 2021 Newbery Honoree"Unique and universal all at once, Holly-Mei’s story of moving to a high-pressure world of glitz and wealth will have readers turning pages—and thinking about their own friendships that might need mending." —Kate Messner, author of Breakout and Chirp"In The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei, Christina Matula shines a light on the challenges and triumphs of middle school life for diaspora children. Readers will root for the lovable Holly-Mei as she navigates a new life in Hong Kong, forging friendships and exploring all the wonders of Chinese culture. A charming, truthful, and heartfelt middle grade debut—I can’t wait for readers to meet Holly-Mei!" —Katie Zhao, author of The Dragon Warrior series and Last Gamer Standing"From the very first line I felt as if Holly-Mei was taking me by the hand and pulling me into her story." —Lauren Child, author and illustrator of the Charlie and Lola and Clarice Bean series"Absolutely enchanting." —Buzzfeed"Life upheaval offers a tween lessons on socialization in this story of personal growth." —Kirkus Reviews"A whirlwind of new experiences... The fusion of Mean Girls and a kid's version of Crazy Rich Asians will have readers returning." —Booklist"A sweet coming-of-age novel that explores culture and friendship with an authentic character sure to engage middle grade readers." —SLJ

Christina Matula grew up in Ottawa, Canada, and she still holds Canadian citizenship. Being a child of immigrant parents, she has always been curious about other cultures and far-off places. Dumplings are her favorite food, especially her mother’s savory Taiwanese jiaozi and her father’s sweet Hungarian gomboc. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Hong Kong and now lives in Finland with her husband, two children, and puppy.

Red Dot Book Award (Winner)"I can't wait for readers to explore Hong Kong with Holly-Mei. I have no doubt they will love both as much as I did." —Erin Entrada Kelly, 2018 Newbery Medalist and 2021 Newbery Honoree"Unique and universal all at once, Holly-Mei’s story of moving to a high-pressure world of glitz and wealth will have readers turning pages—and thinking about their own friendships that might need mending." —Kate Messner, author of Breakout and Chirp"In The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei, Christina Matula shines a light on the challenges and triumphs of middle school life for diaspora children. Readers will root for the lovable Holly-Mei as she navigates a new life in Hong Kong, forging friendships and exploring all the wonders of Chinese culture. A charming, truthful, and heartfelt middle grade debut—I can’t wait for readers to meet Holly-Mei!" —Katie Zhao, author of The Dragon Warrior series and Last Gamer Standing"From the very first line I felt as if Holly-Mei was taking me by the hand and pulling me into her story." —Lauren Child, author and illustrator of the Charlie and Lola and Clarice Bean series"Absolutely enchanting." —Buzzfeed"Life upheaval offers a tween lessons on socialization in this story of personal growth." —Kirkus Reviews"A whirlwind of new experiences... The fusion of Mean Girls and a kid's version of Crazy Rich Asians will have readers returning." —Booklist"A sweet coming-of-age novel that explores culture and friendship with an authentic character sure to engage middle grade readers." —SLJ

Christina Matula grew up in Ottawa, Canada, and she still holds Canadian citizenship. Being a child of immigrant parents, she has always been curious about other cultures and far-off places. Dumplings are her favorite food, especially her mother’s savory Taiwanese jiaozi and her father’s sweet Hungarian gomboc. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Hong Kong and now lives in Finland with her husband, two children, and puppy.

Red Dot Book Award (Winner)"I can't wait for readers to explore Hong Kong with Holly-Mei. I have no doubt they will love both as much as I did." —Erin Entrada Kelly, 2018 Newbery Medalist and 2021 Newbery Honoree"Unique and universal all at once, Holly-Mei’s story of moving to a high-pressure world of glitz and wealth will have readers turning pages—and thinking about their own friendships that might need mending." —Kate Messner, author of Breakout and Chirp"In The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei, Christina Matula shines a light on the challenges and triumphs of middle school life for diaspora children. Readers will root for the lovable Holly-Mei as she navigates a new life in Hong Kong, forging friendships and exploring all the wonders of Chinese culture. A charming, truthful, and heartfelt middle grade debut—I can’t wait for readers to meet Holly-Mei!" —Katie Zhao, author of The Dragon Warrior series and Last Gamer Standing"From the very first line I felt as if Holly-Mei was taking me by the hand and pulling me into her story." —Lauren Child, author and illustrator of the Charlie and Lola and Clarice Bean series"Absolutely enchanting." —Buzzfeed"Life upheaval offers a tween lessons on socialization in this story of personal growth." —Kirkus Reviews"A whirlwind of new experiences... The fusion of Mean Girls and a kid's version of Crazy Rich Asians will have readers returning." —Booklist"A sweet coming-of-age novel that explores culture and friendship with an authentic character sure to engage middle grade readers." —SLJ