By Kelly Yang (author)
"Adorable, authentic story of a 10-year-old Chinese immigrant’s irrepressible courage, kindness and determination in the face of enormous obstacles"
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Shortlisted for the UKLA Book Award 2022 ages 7-10
Without question, Kelly Yang's Front Desk has leapt to the upper echelons of my all-time favourite novels for pre-teen readers. Narrated in lively, compelling, authentic style by the one and only Mia (who stole my heart from the very first page), this tells the soul-stirring story of a Chinese family’s struggles when they take on running a US motel.
As her family move into the Calivista Motel, Mia’s hopes and dreams run riot: “Our lives were about to change. We were going to become Disneyland-going people. As if things couldn’t get any better, the Calivista had a pool! It was right out in front. The water sparkled under the golden sun.
I closed my eyes and pictured myself doing cannonballs in the water all summer long. This was going to be amazing!” Then, little by little - and big by big - the sparkle dulls as reality’s storm clouds muster. But not one to give up, Mia takes on managing the motel’s front desk.
Though often harrowingly dampened by anti-immigration feeling and outright racism, and by the day-to-day grind of running the motel, Mia’s hope is a thing of magic. There’s pressure at school too - to be accepted, to make friends, to learn to write well, which is her big dream - but still she stays strong as her parents (understandably) worry whether it’s worth staying.
The motel’s community of long-term guests provides a lively, characterful cast of extras, one of whom in particular plays a leading, shining role in Mia’s life, and in her ingenious scheme to fix her family’s fortunes through writing. What a story - I couldn’t love it more - thank goodness there’s a second book.
Mia Tang has a lot of secrets:
1. She lives in a motel, not a big house.
2. Her parents hide immigrants.
3. She wants to be a writer.
It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, and go for her dreams?
A story of resilience, courage, and kindness, the realities of growing up in poverty and the immigrant experience, Front Desk will inspire young readers to never give up while showing them the true value of inclusion.
The first of a trilogy and perfect for fans of Boy At the Back of the Class and A Kind of Spark.
Kelly Yang is the author of Front Desk , which was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and won the 2019 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature.
Kelly’s family immigrated to the United States from China when she was a young girl, and she grew up in California, in circumstances very similar to those of her main character. She eventually left the motels and went to college at the age of 13 and is a graduate of UC Berkeley and Harvard Law School.
She is the founder of The Kelly Yang Project, a leading writing and debating program for children in Asia and the United States. Her writing has been published in the South China Morning Post, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Atlantic.
Follow her on Instagram @kellyyanghk
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the best books for 9-12 year olds
A wholesome, relatable story about immigrating from faraway places.
My favourite book of all time!
This story is about a Chinese immigrant girl named Mia, who, in the face of enormous obstacles and dislikable people, learns to fit in in her new home and be resilient.
Highly recommended for fans of ‘New From Here’, another book by Kelly Yang.
Mia Tang has a lot of secrets: 1. She lives in a motel, not a big house. 2.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Front Desk and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Front Desk features in the following genres: Stories about Family and Friends, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Recommendations, Gritty Reads, PSHE: Bullying and Discrimination, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), PSHE: Multiculturalism, Diversity and Inclusion, School Stories, Featured Books for 11+ readers
Paperback, Hardback. Not Available.
Front Desk was written by Kelly Yang and published by Knights Of Media
Front Desk has 354 pages
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