Another of our favorite middle grade books this year!
Mia Tang doesn’t lead a typical life. She lives in a motel with her immigrant parents and manages the front desk. Her hard-working parents have to deal with the cruel, heartless owner Mr. Yao and his unjust ways. They take compassion on struggling immigrants by hiding them in the empty rooms of the motel, which they desperately need to keep secret from him. Meanwhile, Mia is pressing on towards her dream of becoming a writer despite the fact that she’s still working on mastering English in school. Her story is one of determination, taking risks, forming meaningful friendships and taking care of one’s community. We’ve loved getting to know Mia—her tremendous heart, unwavering courage, selflessness and diligence were so inspiring and left a huge impression on us.
“I hope when children step into this story, that it opens their eyes and fills their hearts. I hope it gives them empathy for people from all different backgrounds and walks of life. I hope it gives them the courage to stand up to injustice when they see it. Most of all, I hope it gives them the hope that we can get through anything, if we don’t give in to fear.” — from author Kelly Yang
Front Desk was written by Kelly Yang and published by Scholastic. It’ll be out on May 29 and is available for pre-order now. And, we’re giving away an ARC of Front Desk. This giveaway is open to US residents and ends Sunday, May 6, at 11:00 PM PDT. Head over to this Instagram post to enter.