Kelly Yang

After five years of living in China with her Lao Lao, Lina reunites with her parents and younger sister in California. It's disconcerting to Lina to see how adept Millie is with the English language and American culture; to see her father work long hours at Farmer Pete's regenerative farm; to feel incompetent at school and be teased; and to realize the sunny letters her mother sent to China don't match the family's living situation. Lina gains her footing with the help of an ESL tutor, the school librarian, her deskmate Finn, new friend Carla, and several representational graphic novels. She is also able to support her mother's bath bomb business with her artistic skills. It all culminates with Lina speaking in English to the school board in defense of a book her teacher has been reading aloud in class. A multi-layered story about finding the strength to determine one's path and speak one's voice.… (more)

Much darker and more intense than the cover suggests. Normally in a book about a family facing extraordinary challenges, the reader sees at least some love, some light. There's very little of that here. And the happy ending, well, I suppose it *could* happen.

The author's note teaches some history and explains that the book is almost a memoir, but doesn't claim that it's all really true.

I have no idea if young readers will appreciate the story, either. I hope they do, so, rounding up my personal 3.5 star reaction to do my bit to get more ppl to read and share it.… (more)

The story takes place at a motel in Anaheim, California, during the 1990s and is told by Mia Yang, a 10-year-old Chinese immigrant. This novel is a biography to the author because she went through similar events in her own life. The tone of the novel is light and often humorous, though Mia also learns some painful lessons about injustice in America. Mia talks about her family’s struggle to manage a motel while adjusting to life in their adopted country, the novel describes the themes of immigrant exploitation, the exclusion caused by racial intolerance and financial hardship, and how persistence can overcome resistance in trying to achieve one's dream.

Mia says, “My parents told me that America would be this amazing place where we could live in a house with a dog, do whatever we want, and eat hamburgers till we were red in the face” (Chapter 1). Life turns out to be a little more challenging than the family expects. Mia’s father works as a cook in a Chinese restaurant where he gets burned with grease every day. Mia’s mother and Mia both get fired from the same restaurant after Mia breaks a few plates. The three are living in their car until they answer an ad to manage a motel in Anaheim, California. The owner is Mr. Yao, who promises them $150 per day and free lodging.

Unfortunately, they experienced the negative reality of being an immigrant. Although Mia’s parents are highly skilled professionals, they are forced to take menial jobs for pay that never allows them to rise above the poverty line. They have been reduced to living in their car when they receive a job offer to manage a motel in Anaheim that comes with free lodging for the family.

There is no housekeeping staff because Mia’s parents work all day in the housekeeping of the motel. Mia tries to help by taking over the duty of watching the office. She get better at managing all the front desk tasks.

Mia believes the only way for her family to rise above their poverty is to purchase a motel of their own. She hopes to win one by entering an essay contest where the grand prize is a free motel in Vermont. Mrs. Tang says Mia can never master the English language the way a native speaker can. But little by little, Mia improves her skills until her writing starts creating positive affects. She doesn’t win the essay contest, but Mia finds another way for her parents to buy a motel and fulfill the dreams of hundreds of other poor people who also want to own a piece of the American dream.

“I looked up to see my mother crouching in front of the front desk, holding her hands up like she was going to take a picture. It’s this thing she does. My mom says it’s important to take pictures of the nice moments in life, even if it’s just in your head.” (Chapter 3)
- The family uses a imaginary camera to capture the rare moments of joy in their lives. There's not much moments like these in the novel.… (more)

Winner of the Asian / Pacific American Award for Children's Literature!* "Many readers will recognize themselves or their neighbors in these pages." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewMia 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?Featuring exclusive bonus content!- Amazon… (more)