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4.46 AVERAGE
4.46 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-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
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
In this sequel to Front Desk, Mia and her parents are successfully handling the transition to motel owners...but Mia has a lot more on her plate to deal with: her best friend Lupe and her parents are undocumented immigrants, there are bullies at school, her teacher doesn't think Mia's writing is good enough, and there's tension between Jason and Lupe. Mia must make tough decisions, but she does it confidently and with grace.
A lot of topics were introduced in this story: illegal immigration, racism, poverty, elections, trying to fit in, and finding a voice. While it could have been a lot, they tied together nicely.
A lot of topics were introduced in this story: illegal immigration, racism, poverty, elections, trying to fit in, and finding a voice. While it could have been a lot, they tied together nicely.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-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:
No
I love Kelly Yang
Content Warnings
Minor: Hate crime, Racism, Deportation
Very much still feels weird to mark books set in the 1990s as historical fiction, but here we are. Three Keys deals with the election with Gov. Wilson and Prop 187 (as a non-Californian, I wondered if those were fictional or real, and then the author's note in the end confirmed that was the case). Immigration and politicians fueled by xenophobia are unfortunately evergreen topics, and the Front Desk books dovetail well with my reread of Dragonwings (and though both are historical, they still ring relevant in the 2020s.)
Three Keys lets us get into the lives of Mia's friends more: Lupe and the status of her parents are the main plot of this novel, while Jason and the Yaos are more fleshed out. Mia's sixth grade teacher who could've been a villain in another author's hands even has reasons for being frustrated (though I do wish younger southerners would also be persuaded by their immigrant students to think more nuanced!) and paralleled well with Mia's mother struggling as an educated woman in a job that doesn't use her skills.
Generally, I like to skim other reviews as I write mine to see what other readers think, and continuing the comparison to Dragonwings, I still find it immensely frustrating that a particular subsection of readers/parents think that "politics" have no place in middle graded. The message they're really sending is "I don't like this and my children aren't affected by it so they should not learn it" which places the burden of educating their peers on marginalized folks. Lupe is fictional, but she represents many children in similar situations. Once again: it is a privilege when your history is core curriculum but others' goes into extracurriculars. "It's inappropriate for my kids to learn about how racist people were" ok, so like, when will it ever be appropriate? Middle grade is a good age to trust your young audience.
I hadn't realized there were more so now I need to find [b:Room to Dream|55977848|Room to Dream (Front Desk #3)|Kelly Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1612316656l/55977848._SX50_.jpg|87199953] before Key Player comes out this fall!
Three Keys lets us get into the lives of Mia's friends more: Lupe and the status of her parents are the main plot of this novel, while Jason and the Yaos are more fleshed out. Mia's sixth grade teacher who could've been a villain in another author's hands even has reasons for being frustrated (though I do wish younger southerners would also be persuaded by their immigrant students to think more nuanced!) and paralleled well with Mia's mother struggling as an educated woman in a job that doesn't use her skills.
Generally, I like to skim other reviews as I write mine to see what other readers think, and continuing the comparison to Dragonwings, I still find it immensely frustrating that a particular subsection of readers/parents think that "politics" have no place in middle graded. The message they're really sending is "I don't like this and my children aren't affected by it so they should not learn it" which places the burden of educating their peers on marginalized folks. Lupe is fictional, but she represents many children in similar situations. Once again: it is a privilege when your history is core curriculum but others' goes into extracurriculars. "It's inappropriate for my kids to learn about how racist people were" ok, so like, when will it ever be appropriate? Middle grade is a good age to trust your young audience.
I hadn't realized there were more so now I need to find [b:Room to Dream|55977848|Room to Dream (Front Desk #3)|Kelly Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1612316656l/55977848._SX50_.jpg|87199953] before Key Player comes out this fall!
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
4.5 stars. Very well-written, like the first in the series. This book deals with some serious issues of racism so I will think carefully about what age is best for my kids to read. 5th or 6th?
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-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:
Complicated