Immigrant kid tackles racism, bullying in powerful tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
Mia accidentally cuts herself while making a spare room key. Jason gets bullied at school. Characters arrive at the motel after being beaten up by loan sharks or fleeing an ICE raid. Another character gets beaten up by robbers. A former motel guest threatens Mia. A drunk man grabs her by her shirt.
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Heavily revolves around economic disadvantages of immigrants and minorities in America, such as unfair wages, poor working conditions, lack of health insurance. Mr. Yao is greedy. Mia's family wonders why everything in America has to do with money. Some characters resort to borrowing money from loan sharks. Mia understands that jeans are a status symbol among kids at school.
Language
a little
Insults include "Chinese doughboy," "ugly-nese," "idiot," "Mr. Tightwad," "moron," and "loser." There's also one use each of "bull" and "bastard."
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Mistakes are sometimes opportunities for growth that we can't see right away. No one is perfect -- that's what gives you character. You can't win if you don't play. Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands and do what's right. You're never too young to make a difference in someone's life. Stay humble and real. Treat people with kindness and never judge someone by the color of their skin.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Mia is kind, thoughtful, empathetic, hardworking. She goes out of her way to help others and do what's right. Her parents risk their job to help other Chinese immigrants get back on their feet. Mia's dad is supportive of her dreams of becoming a writer. Hank becomes a great friend and protector to the Tangs. Lupe helps her realize she isn't alone. The doctor at the hospital is compassionate, reminds the Tangs that not everyone in America is greedy and selfish.
Educational Value
a lot
A good introduction to Chinese culture, food, phrases. Kids will learn about racism and poverty that immigrants and minorities face in America. They'll also learn about grammar, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Kelly Yang's Front Desk is a powerful, moving tale about 10-year-old Mia Tang and her parents, who live and work at the Calivista Motel in California during the early 1990s. The novel, which is the first in a series, is loosely based on the author's experience as an immigrant growing up in America, and she doesn't shy away from tough, real-world topics such as immigration, poverty, racism, fraud, and bullying. Characters arrive at the motel after being beaten up by loan sharks or fleeing an ICE raid. Another character is beaten up by robbers. Insults include "Chinese doughboy," "ugly-nese," "idiot," "moron," "loser," and "Mr. Tightwad." There's also one use each of "bull" and "bastard." Although there are many heartbreaking stories in the book, there are plenty of positive messages for kids about fighting for what's right, treating people with kindness and respect, and never judging someone by the color of their skin.
Front Desk has won over 19 awards including being a top best seller. This realistic fiction book by Kelly Yang is about a 11 year old girl who works in a motel. Front Desk is a fantastic book. Whenever you read a book with incredible character development like this one, you will never be able to stop reading. Because of the fascinating content within the pages of this book, you will always be eager to turn the page. As long as the mood is there to help set the scene, the book will be amazing. An important message people receive from Front Desk is “You earn what you work for”. So if you enjoy books that are funny, realistic, and have themes, Front Desk is the book for you. This review is over, you may now rush to the nearest library and check out Front Desk.
Mia Tang and her parents live and work at the Calivista Motel in Anaheim, California. While her parents spend all of their time cleaning the rooms, Mia has taken it upon herself to manage the FRONT DESK and ensure that their guests -- including the Chinese immigrants that her parents hide in the empty rooms -- enjoy their stay. As she adjusts to life at the motel and her new school, Mia starts to realize that life isn't easy for outsiders in America. Can she use her love of writing, even though English isn't her first language, to help her family, friends, and the immigrants pursue their dreams?
Loosely based on Kelly Yang's experience growing up as an immigrant in America, this powerful, moving tale highlights the importance of tolerance and diversity, making it a must-read for kids. Front Desk takes place in the early '90s, but many of the heartbreaking stories mentioned in the book are still a reality for immigrants and minorities today.
Yang doesn't shy away from tough topics such as racism and poverty and manages to present them in a way that's easy for kids to understand. As Mia's grasp of the English language grows and she uses her love of writing to change people's lives, kids will see that you're never too young to fight for what's right and make a difference.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Front Desk deals with immigration, racism, poverty, bullying, and violence. How do these issues affect the characters?
Why do you think Kelly Yang decided to write a story that mirrors her own life? What kind of power do immigrant stories hold? Do you know the story of how -- and why -- your family, or your ancestors, came to America? What challenges did they face at the time? What's different today?
Talk about the various kinds of diversity in the novel. Why are diverse representations important in children's and young adult literature? Check out these books for more stories that promote tolerance and diversity.
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Amanda Nojadera
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based on child development research. How do we rate?
