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daumari's review against another edition
5.0
A really cute story that one of my local bookstores (Book Bin of Corvallis) recommended on their facebook page. Mia Tang is a tenacious ten year old, an immigrant with moxie who knows she faces long odds but will do anything to right the wrongs against her friends and family. Based on the experiences of the author, Front Desk is set in the mid-90s, when the Chinese immigration waves were educated people leaving what they thought was a sinking ship for opportunity, but America isn't necessarily the Golden Mountain who takes in huddled masses as believed.
It's absolutely frustrating to see other immigrants want to pull the ladder up after them, taking advantage of others like Mr. Yao, the owner of the motel, does as he hires Mia's parents to run the place. Minority solidarity is also discussed as he and other antagonists automatically classify all black people as 'bad guys', much to Mia's fury. Luckily, our heroine discovers she's got a gift for words, and tackles problems through letter writing.
Even though this is middle grade, I absolutely loved it and would also rec it to all ages.
reread notes, 2/23/22- I read this following a reread of [b:Dragonwings|876034|Dragonwings (Golden Mountain Chronicles, #5)|Laurence Yep|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388278003l/876034._SX50_.jpg|2831204], and it's striking how parallel the struggles of Chinese immigrants are, even separated by 90 years. Would make for good companions in a unit, I think (I'm not an educator, though).
It's absolutely frustrating to see other immigrants want to pull the ladder up after them, taking advantage of others like Mr. Yao, the owner of the motel, does as he hires Mia's parents to run the place. Minority solidarity is also discussed as he and other antagonists automatically classify all black people as 'bad guys', much to Mia's fury. Luckily, our heroine discovers she's got a gift for words, and tackles problems through letter writing.
Even though this is middle grade, I absolutely loved it and would also rec it to all ages.
reread notes, 2/23/22- I read this following a reread of [b:Dragonwings|876034|Dragonwings (Golden Mountain Chronicles, #5)|Laurence Yep|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388278003l/876034._SX50_.jpg|2831204], and it's striking how parallel the struggles of Chinese immigrants are, even separated by 90 years. Would make for good companions in a unit, I think (I'm not an educator, though).
thefantasticalworldofsara's review against another edition
5.0
This book was absolutely delightful! Mia was always full of hope, creativity and kindness and I can imagine she would give a voice to a lot of kids who were also immigrants and who grew up poor. Highly recommend, especially for teachers! I think this book would be amazing for students to read so they can learn more about lives different from their own.
ps. The views expressed in this review are my own and do not reflect the views of Indigo Books & Music Inc. or any of its subsidiaries. #IndigoEmployee
ps. The views expressed in this review are my own and do not reflect the views of Indigo Books & Music Inc. or any of its subsidiaries. #IndigoEmployee
allicatca's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book while at jury duty. I was impressed with the great writing and how well the author brought me into the world of her main character.
Although the book is based on true life events of the writer, the idea of a young girl taking over the front desk of a motel is so original.
I appreciate how the author speaks about immigration and racism, subjects about which I think all children should learn.
I look forward to reading the rest of the series!
Although the book is based on true life events of the writer, the idea of a young girl taking over the front desk of a motel is so original.
I appreciate how the author speaks about immigration and racism, subjects about which I think all children should learn.
I look forward to reading the rest of the series!
the_child_of_iris's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Enjoy reading it while resting in summer and between the big and great books you read;)
And get good information about living in other countries
And get good information about living in other countries
aliviasbookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Bullying
Moderate: Police brutality
itsmimiduong's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. It was charming. It was sweet. It was painfully realistic. It managed to balance the overwhelming injustice of Mia's situation with the perseverance of her family dexterously. I felt beaten down just reading about their experiences, yet I pushed on - like Mia - hopeful that it would turn out well in the end as long as I kept moving forward.
This book covers a situation that is all too familiar in this country. Mia and her parents emigrated from China in the early 90s. Now in 1993, after a couple years spent bouncing around, taking whatever job will accept her parents, the family feels as if they've finally struck gold when an offer is put in the Chinese newspaper to manage the Calivista Motel - room included for free. After moving in the family learns that, unfortunately, if it sounds too good to be true it, it is.
This book dealt with adult themes communicated perfectly for its audience. Personally, I feel like there are very few topics that do not belong in kids' literature. If kids are experiencing this situation then why shouldn't it be in a book? It's the execution and intent that matters.
Mia is a wonderful protagonist. She’s honest and hardworking, but she’s also impulsive which gets her into trouble. She makes her mistakes, but she is always trying her best to do what she thinks is right. Her determination was inspiring. I really appreciated that she was allowed to be negative sometimes. In the author’s note at the end Kelly Yang talks about how she hopes this book is a comfort to kids who might be going through similar hardships. I felt that Mia was the perfect main character with this in mind. She was an optimist without exuding toxic positivity. I think it’s extremely validating to have a character who isn’t unrealistically steadfast in the face of adversity.
Mia faces a lot of obstacles in this book. She wants to be a writer except her mother is sure she can’t ever be as good as the kids who were born in America. She loves working at the front desk except for the danger that comes from being the sole barrier to dangerous people getting into the motel. She wants to ‘get off the rollercoaster’ (a euphemism for the cycle of poverty) except she’s scared that doing so will mean leaving the people she cares about behind.
Her parents are clearly struggling yet there’s never any doubt that they love her. I liked that despite their difficulties her parents always seemed to genuinely enjoy her presence. It would have been understandable if they got a little short with her; though not excusable. Instead they took pains to not make Mia feel as if she was a burden or a bother. It was a nice counterbalance to the strain already on Mia’s young shoulders; she always had her parents there to support her even if it didn’t seem that way to Mia.
I loved Mia’s friendship with Lupe. I was glad that she had someone who understood her circumstances. I loved how her relationship with Jason unfolded. Watching the individual growth that was inspired by their conflicting backgrounds was so engaging. I couldn’t tell which way the chips would fall though I had high hopes for Jason to eventually see the light. It was frustrating to see him grapple with the obvious injustice inflicted by his racist, miserly father. Then I would remind myself these kids are only 10 and I’d calm down.
However, I did feel that Jason and Lupe could have used more fleshing out. They would often disappear only to pop up for a pointed scene to make a certain point or move a plot point along. There’s enough personality I would avoid calling them plot devices, but there were definitely times where they felt purely functional. This goes for the ‘weeklies’ (tenants who stayed permanently at the hotel) outside of Hank too.
Anyways, this was a delightful read. I thought it’d be pretty good, I didn’t expect it to be this good. I definitely think Kelly Yang accomplished her goal. I cannot wait to read the sequel and anything else she puts out.
This book covers a situation that is all too familiar in this country. Mia and her parents emigrated from China in the early 90s. Now in 1993, after a couple years spent bouncing around, taking whatever job will accept her parents, the family feels as if they've finally struck gold when an offer is put in the Chinese newspaper to manage the Calivista Motel - room included for free. After moving in the family learns that, unfortunately, if it sounds too good to be true it, it is.
This book dealt with adult themes communicated perfectly for its audience. Personally, I feel like there are very few topics that do not belong in kids' literature. If kids are experiencing this situation then why shouldn't it be in a book? It's the execution and intent that matters.
Mia is a wonderful protagonist. She’s honest and hardworking, but she’s also impulsive which gets her into trouble. She makes her mistakes, but she is always trying her best to do what she thinks is right. Her determination was inspiring. I really appreciated that she was allowed to be negative sometimes. In the author’s note at the end Kelly Yang talks about how she hopes this book is a comfort to kids who might be going through similar hardships. I felt that Mia was the perfect main character with this in mind. She was an optimist without exuding toxic positivity. I think it’s extremely validating to have a character who isn’t unrealistically steadfast in the face of adversity.
Mia faces a lot of obstacles in this book. She wants to be a writer except her mother is sure she can’t ever be as good as the kids who were born in America. She loves working at the front desk except for the danger that comes from being the sole barrier to dangerous people getting into the motel. She wants to ‘get off the rollercoaster’ (a euphemism for the cycle of poverty) except she’s scared that doing so will mean leaving the people she cares about behind.
Her parents are clearly struggling yet there’s never any doubt that they love her. I liked that despite their difficulties her parents always seemed to genuinely enjoy her presence. It would have been understandable if they got a little short with her; though not excusable. Instead they took pains to not make Mia feel as if she was a burden or a bother. It was a nice counterbalance to the strain already on Mia’s young shoulders; she always had her parents there to support her even if it didn’t seem that way to Mia.
I loved Mia’s friendship with Lupe. I was glad that she had someone who understood her circumstances. I loved how her relationship with Jason unfolded. Watching the individual growth that was inspired by their conflicting backgrounds was so engaging. I couldn’t tell which way the chips would fall though I had high hopes for Jason to eventually see the light. It was frustrating to see him grapple with the obvious injustice inflicted by his racist, miserly father. Then I would remind myself these kids are only 10 and I’d calm down.
However, I did feel that Jason and Lupe could have used more fleshing out. They would often disappear only to pop up for a pointed scene to make a certain point or move a plot point along. There’s enough personality I would avoid calling them plot devices, but there were definitely times where they felt purely functional. This goes for the ‘weeklies’ (tenants who stayed permanently at the hotel) outside of Hank too.
Anyways, this was a delightful read. I thought it’d be pretty good, I didn’t expect it to be this good. I definitely think Kelly Yang accomplished her goal. I cannot wait to read the sequel and anything else she puts out.
reader4evr's review against another edition
5.0
I really really liked this book! Am looking forward to the sequel!
lindseyrinehart's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Read with my kids Bookclub. This is a great book that handles many difficult topics with a light touch.