Front Desk

by Kelly Yang

Hardcover, 2018

Status

Available

Publication

Arthur A. Levine Books (2018), 304 pages

Library's review

"Through the story of fifth-grader Mia Tang, readers experience the courage, hard work, and dreams of a young Chinese immigrant.

A small room behind the office of the Calivista Motel is home for Mia and her parents. Hired by the rich, coal-hearted Mr. Yao, the family works bone-numbing hours
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cleaning rooms, fixing problems, and managing the front desk. Troubles check in from every direction: at home, where her mom belittles her love of writing; at school, where bullies and lies surround her; and especially at the motel, where the family battles financial ruin. Yet along the seemingly endless roller coaster of poverty, hope appears in small places. Debut author Yang weaves in autobiographical content while creating a feisty and empowered heroine. The supporting characters are rich in voice and context, with multiple villains and friends that achingly reveal life in America in the 1990s for persons of color and those living in poverty. Heavy themes, including extortion, fraud, and racism, are balanced with the naïve dreams and determination of a 10-year-old. The power of Mia’s newfound skill in English pushes her to fight for her community, which has lovingly become her adopted family in this new land. With bittersweet information on Chinese immigration to America added in an author’s note, this book captures many important themes to explore individually or in the classroom.

Many readers will recognize themselves or their neighbors in these pages. (Historical fiction. 8-12)" A Kirkus Starred Review. www.kirkusreviews.com
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Awards

Sequoyah Book Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2020)
Georgia Children's Book Award (Finalist — 2020)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2020)
Sasquatch Book Award (Nominee — 2021)
Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2020)
William Allen White Children's Book Award (Nominee — Grades 3-5 — 2021)
Nutmeg Book Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2021)
Mark Twain Readers Award (Nominee — 2021)
Nēnē Award (Nominee — Fiction — 2021)
Oregon Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — 2021)
Blue Hen Book Award (Nominee — Middle Readers — 2021)
Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (Winner — Children's — 2019)
Iowa Children's Choice Award (Nominee — 2021)
NCSLMA Battle of the Books (Elementary — 2020)
Virginia Readers' Choice (Nominee — Elementary — 2020)
Golden Archer Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2021)
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Nominee — Grades 4-6 — 2020)
UKLA Book Award (Shortlist — 2022)
Flicker Tale Award (Nominee — Middle Readers — 2020)
Waterstones Children's Book Prize (Shortlist — Younger Readers — 2022)
Volunteer State Book Award (Nominee — Middle School — 2021)
Maud Hart Lovelace Award (Honor — 2021)
YouPer Award (Top Ten — 2019)
Three Stars Book Award (Nominee — Middle Grades — 2020)
E.B. White Read-Aloud Award (Honor Book — 2019)
Notable Children's Book (Middle Readers — 2019)
Nerdy Book Award (Middle Grade Fiction — 2018)
Idaho Battle of the Books (Elementary — 2021)
Reading Olympics (Elementary — 2024)
Project LIT Book Selection (Middle Grade — 2020)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Kids (Fiction for Older Readers — 2018)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2018-05-29

ISBN

1338157795 / 9781338157796

Barcode

617
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