Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (racist language).
BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
12yo Maizy is visiting her grandparents in Last Chance, Minnesota for the first time. They own a Chinese restaurant called the Golden Palace, and it's a town favorite. She and her mom just planned to stay for a bit - Opa is sick, and maybe Mom being there can help him get better, but a couple of weeks turns into the whole summer as he is worse off than they thought. The Golden Palace is over 100 years old and is full of history. So is Opa. Afternoons when Maizy is staying with him, he teaches her how to play poker but sometimes, he tells her about his grandfather, a Chinese immigrant named Lucky, who settled in Last Chance and made a difference.
I loved the tidbits of history, the poker skills that worked as restaurant skills and were also people skills. I loved how brave and confident Maizy was as she stood up to bullies and made friends. There's a nice little mystery when someone steals a large bear statue that has stood outside the restaurant and leaves a racist note in its place. Readers who like Yang's Front Desk series will love Maizy, plus, there's a restaurant so there's a lot of food content as well. Minor LGBT character, Maizy is Chinese.
Lisa Librarian
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