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!
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