Front Desk book review

Written by Kelly Yang

Awards and Recognition:
Asian/Pacific American Award for Children's Literature
Parents' Choice Gold Medal Fiction Award Winner
NPR Best Books of the Year
Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year
Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year
Washington Post Best Books of the Year
Amazon Best Books of the Year
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year
Bookpage Best Books of the Year
New York Public Library Best Books of the Year
Chicago Public Library Best Books of the Year
Top Ten Debut Novels 2018 - ALA Booklist  

Interest Level: Grades 3-7
AR Level: 4.5 (worth 9 pts.)
Lexile Level: 640

Summary: Ten year old Mia Tang is a Chinese immigrant living at the Calivista Motel with her parents who are the motel's new managers. Promised a $150 a night paycheck, Mia and her family think their American dream, to live in a house, have a dog, and eat unlimited hamburgers, is about to come true. Unfortunately, the unscrupulous motel owner, Mr Yao, changes the agreement, paying her parents half as much and making them work around the clock to keep the motel going. While her parents clean rooms all day, Mia manages the front desk where she meets a wide range of characters including a businessman, a drunk, the weeklies, and a few thugs. Life at the Calivista is difficult, and Mia desperately wants to change her family's circumstances. She has a plan to make it happen, but with so many obstacles in her way, it seems like an awfully long shot.



Review: Front Desk is a relevant, realistic fiction story about the harsh reality of the immigrant experience in America. Based on author Kelly Yang's childhood, the book features a large and lively group of diverse characters. Though not a dark story, it does highlight the mistreatment of immigrants, racism, and has some minor violence. Readers will be inspired by the ever-persistent Mia who never gives up and always keeps a positive attitude. Parents, teachers, and librarians may find it hard to recommend to younger readers because, although the reading level is 4th grade and the main character is 10, the subject matter is more suitable for grades 6-8.


Profanity:
Hell
Damn

Things to be concerned about:

Mia steals her dad's coin collection and sells it (for a noble reason).
Uncle Zhang is treated like a slave.
Mr. Yao cheats the Tangs.
Mia goes to a stranger's house.
Mia's mom is assaulted by thugs.
Mr. Yao is racist.
Mia is grabbed by a drunk man.

Troubling references:
Racist remarks about Hank, a black man.


Parental Concern: 3 out of 5