★ 2018-03-04
Through the story of fifth-grader Mia Tang, readers experience the courage, hard work, and dreams of a young Chinese immigrant. A small room behind the office of the Calivista Motel is home for Mia and her parents. Hired by the rich, coal-hearted Mr. Yao, the family works bone-numbing hours cleaning rooms, fixing problems, and managing the front desk. Troubles check in from every direction: at home, where her mom belittles her love of writing; at school, where bullies and lies surround her; and especially at the motel, where the family battles financial ruin. Yet along the seemingly endless roller coaster of poverty, hope appears in small places. Debut author Yang weaves in autobiographical content while creating a feisty and empowered heroine. The supporting characters are rich in voice and context, with multiple villains and friends that achingly reveal life in America in the 1990s for persons of color and those living in poverty. Heavy themes, including extortion, fraud, and racism, are balanced with the naïve dreams and determination of a 10-year-old. The power of Mia's newfound skill in English pushes her to fight for her community, which has lovingly become her adopted family in this new land. With bittersweet information on Chinese immigration to America added in an author's note, this book captures many important themes to explore individually or in the classroom. Many readers will recognize themselves or their neighbors in these pages. (Historical fiction. 8-12)
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and we’ve compiled a list of books by some amazing authors that you should definitely have on your TBR. The AAPI Community isn’t a monolith, and the community’s voices always have a lot to say so we encourage you to discover beyond what we listed here. […]
In many ways, 2018 was a tough year. But when it came to middle grade books, it was something of a stand out. You don’t have to take our word for it though. Here, twelve amazing kidlit authors you love share their favorite middle grade reads of 2018. I’ll admit I’m biased because I’m a […]
Now that 2018 is over, it’s time to take stock of the authors, characters, and stories that thrilled us, delighted us, and inspired us. Here is a round-up of our favorite contemporary middle grade novels from 2018. What were your favorite contemporary middle grade novels in 2018?