Reviews

Key Player by Kelly Yang

samkerley's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

3.0

bookreader_2377's review against another edition

emotional inspiring relaxing sad 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? Yes

5.0

tessaf's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.5

I love Mia and the Calivista crew and honestly this series has been great for me. I think getting Mr. Yao's back story was interesting, but it also meant we had to see more of Mr. Yao and obviously he's intentionally frustrating.

mbrandmaier's review against another edition

4.0

Mia Tang proves once again that you should never give up on your dreams. In this case, Mia longs to attend journalism camp in San Francisco, but she cannot afford it without a scholarship. She cannot get the scholarship without straight A's, but her PE teacher gives her a C! Mia is determined to change her grade and make it into the camp. Also, her parents are trying to buy a house in a hot seller's market, and her friend Hank is too trusting of an evil corporate restaurant group.

smalltownbookmom's review against another edition

5.0

Kelly Yang is the queen of middle grade novels that focus on the experience of Chinese American immigrant families. This book was another excellent addition to her Front Desk series and features Mia, an aspiring journalist and reluctant athlete who can't wait for her family to purchase their first home and is obsessed with the USA vs China World Cup soccer event happening in LA. Great on audio and full of heart, I can't recommend this series enough!!

tiffn729's review against another edition

5.0

kelly yang’s life is a literal dream- every child needs to read this whole series

reading_giraffe's review against another edition

4.0

Kelly Yang does it again! A brilliant story about dreaming even when you're told you can't. I love how positive Mia's story is and how things work out for her and her friends. Mr. Yao's words about chasing your dreams genuinely made me tear up.

ngreader's review against another edition

4.0

3.5 rounded up
I love this series, I love the exploration that Yang puts into Mia's bi-cultural life and how she inserts her own lived experience into each book. It gives each story so much life and it's why I love this series so much.

Spoiler

contains a queer side character (Mia's best friend), *very* slight romance

thenextgenlibrarian's review against another edition

5.0

Mia’s back and going for the goal in the 4th Front Desk book.
⚽️
Everyone’s talking about the World Cup coming to LA and it’s Team USA vs. Team China! Meanwhile at Mia’s school she’s earning a C in PE, still afraid to play sports, even though her family has health insurance now. Mia is dying to attend a writer’s workshop, but must have the grades for it so she makes a deal with her coach: if she can get an interview with either Team USA or Team China, she’ll get a better grade in PE. Mia’s unsure who to root for in this match, as she’s from China, but lives and has a home in America now. As Mia tries to track down each team, she realizes both her identities matter—not just one.

roots_and_reads's review against another edition

4.0

Like all of Kelly Yang's books in this series, the story was engaging and I loved learning alongside Mia! Perfect for grades 4 and up.