Front Desk by Kelly Yang, 304 pages. Arthur A. Levine (Scholastic), 2018. $17.
Language: PG (12 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G (some bullying)
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Mia and her family take a job as the managers of a motel, desperate to find some way to make ends meet in their new country. Mia helps out at the front desk after fifth grade every day to relieve a little of the pressure on her parents. The motel owner seems to have stacked the cards against them, though and every time they try to get ahead, they slip behind. They may have to do something desperate in order to find the money to fulfill their dreams.
I know my summary sounds a little dramatic, and while there is some drama, this really is mostly a book with heart. Mia and those around her give a glimpse into the life of thousands of immigrants to America. Yang paints a vivid picture of these lives that would make a great read aloud for an upper elementary classroom.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian
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