Front Desk
Readers rate it 4.1 (66 on Hardcover)
407 pages · Released 2021 · Thorndike Press
Content report card
Front Desk parent’s guide: what’s inside
Language
Sexual content
LGBTQ+ themes
Substance use
What it offers
A note for parents
Front Desk is a well-regarded middle-grade novel about a ten-year-old Chinese American girl navigating life at a motel while her parents help undocumented immigrants. The book realistically portrays exploitation and economic hardship but handles these themes age-appropriately, focusing on Mia's resilience, kindness, and determination. It celebrates hard work, courage, and following your dreams despite obstacles, making it both emotionally engaging and morally enriching for readers in the target age range.
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From the publisher
Mia Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests. Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out the... Mia Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests. Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed. Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language? It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?
Shelved under
- juvenile fiction
- juvenile literature
- Self-confidence
- Chinese
- Immigrants
- Exploitation
- Immigrant families
- Motels
- Friendship
- Children's fiction
- Immigrants, fiction
- Family, fiction
Books in the Front Desk series
Full series in order →
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ISBN 9781432893255 · Thorndike Press