Mia Tang and her parents have just started running the Calvista Motel in sunny California. It's not a dream job. As Chinese immigrants, they are treated terribly by the motel's owner, Mr. Yao. They aren't allowed to use the pool, they have to pay for almost anything that breaks and Mr. Yao turns out to be a horrible racist that thinks of his customers and employees as dogs. Mia is undeterred, she both loves and is panicked by working on the front desk, as a ten year old, she loves the responsibility, but sometimes dangerous and scary customers come in, making the job risky. When Mia's parents start hiding immigrants who are desperate for a place to stay, it puts them all at risk. Mia decides to fulfil her lifelong dream of becoming a writer to enter a competition to win a rundown motel of her own, one her family can run without being under the thumb of Mr. Yao. It's a dream, and it's important to have dreams, no matter how far away they may seem. It will take every ounce of courage that Mia has in order to keep her and her family's head above water as they struggle to survive. FRONT DESK is without a doubt one of the best middle grade novels out there. Mia is a character that you will want to know more and more about the longer you read. She is gutsy and stubborn and can get in her own way but has a great heart and always sticks up for the underdog. I loved the weeklies, the characters who live permanently at the motel, Hank's story was infuriating and very well written, as was Mia's friend Lupe and Mia's parents, who sacrifice everything in order to try and make a better life for them all. If you haven't checked out FRONT DESK yet, go read it, you won't regret it!
1 Comment
Maxwell is always in trouble. He can't seem to help himself, his best friend is his dog Monster (equally troublesome) and together they make great partners in crime. Maxwell's parents are constantly fighting, something that makes he and his sister miserable. His only respite comes from visiting his elderly neighbour, how never seems to remember who Maxwell is. When Maxwell pulls a terrible prank at school, he runs to his neighbour's house and, while messing around with a cabinet filled with strange antiques, wishes that he'd never existed, something strange happens. His entire world is thrown upside down, nobody knows him. Not his parents, his sister, his teachers, not even his friend Charlie at school. At first, he's happy, nobody knows him, no more fighting at home, no more getting in trouble, he can start from scratch. Then he realises that in this parallel universe he didn't save his dog from getting hit by a car and he's lost his best friend. Desperate to get back, Maxwell must piece together clues as to how he got here in the first place. Only then can he return to his normal life and redeem his past behaviour. I really enjoyed reading this novel, it's a fast paced read with lots of humour and a great message behind it. Maxwell is a trouble maker but also a likeable character once he starts clamouring to return to his normal life. The novel deals with family issues and even dementia in a respectful and interesting way. Fans of Lisa's other novels will really love this! |
Categories
All
Follow These Guys: 100 Scope Notes No Flying No Tights Pretty Books Reading Rants! Sophisticated Dorkiness Teen Librarian |