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Kelly Yang

Front Desk Hardcover – Illustrated, May 29, 2018

by Kelly Yang (Author)

3,683 ratings

Part of: Front Desk (3 books)

Goodreads Choice Award nominee

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Four starred reviews and over ten best-of-year lists!* "Many readers will recognize themselves or their neighbors in these pages." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

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?

Reading age

9 - 11 years, from customers
Print length

304 pages
Language

English
Grade level

3 - 7
Lexile measure

640L
Dimensions

5.8 x 1.2 x 8.3 inches
Publisher

Arthur A. Levine Books
Publication date

May 29, 2018
ISBN-10

1338157795
ISBN-13

978-1338157796
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Popular Highlights in this book

What are popular highlights?

“We’re immigrants,” she said. “Our lives are never fair.”
Highlighted by 616 Kindle readers
“You know what you are in English? You’re a bicycle, and the other kids are cars.”
Highlighted by 522 Kindle readers
It was the most incredible feeling ever, knowing that something I wrote actually changed someone’s life.
Highlighted by 466 Kindle readers

From the Publisher

Courage, kindness, and learning to use your voice

The front desk series from bestselling author Kelly Yang

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 4–6—Mia Tang and her parents expected to work hard when they came to the United States, but they had no idea how difficult things would be. After a year or two struggling to make ends meet, they find themselves managing a motel for a cruel and exploitive owner. The work is exhausting and the problems are many, but the Tangs approach their new responsibility with determination, creativity, and compassion, making friends everywhere and sheltering a trickle of immigrants in worse straits than themselves. Ten-year-old Mia takes over the front desk, and makes it her own, while dreaming of a future as a writer. Based on Yang's own experiences as a new immigrant in the 1980s and 1990s, her novel speaks openly of hardship, poverty, assault, racism, and bullying, but keeps a light, positive tone throughout. Mia herself is an irresistible protagonist, and it is a pleasure to see both her writing and her power grow through a series of letters that she sends to remedy injustices. The hefty and satisfying dose of wish fulfillment that closes the story feels fully earned by the specificity and detailed warmth of Yang's setup. Many young readers will see themselves in Mia and her friends. VERDICT A swiftly moving plot and a winsome protagonist make this a first purchase for any collection, especially where realistic fiction is in demand.—Katya Schapiro, Brooklyn Public Library

Review

Awards and Praise for Front Desk:Asian / Pacific American Award for Children's LiteratureParents' Choice Gold Medal Fiction Award WinnerNPR Best Books of the YearKirkus Reviews Best Books of the YearPublishers Weekly Best Books of the YearWashington Post Best Books of the YearAmazon Best Books of the YearSchool Library Journal Best Books of the YearBookpage Best Books of the YearNew York Public Library Best Books of the YearChicago Public Library Best Books of the YearTop Ten Debut Novels 2018 - ALA Booklist* "Debut author Yang weaves in autobiographical content while creating a feisty and empowered heroine. The supporting characters are rich in voice and context, with multiple villains and friends that achingly reveal life in America in the 1990s for persons of color and those living in poverty. Heavy themes, including extortion, fraud, and racism, are balanced with the naïve dreams and determination of a 10-year-old.... With bittersweet information on Chinese immigration to America added in an author's note, this book captures many important themes to explore individually or in the classroom. Many readers will recognize themselves or their neighbors in these pages." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review* "Mia herself is an irresistible protagonist, and it is a pleasure to see both her writing and her power grow through a series of letters that she sends to remedy injustices. The hefty and satisfying dose of wish fulfillment that closes the story feels fully earned by the specificity and detailed warmth of Yang's setup. Many young readers will see themselves in Mia and her friends.... A swiftly moving plot and a winsome protagonist make this a first purchase for any collection, especially where realistic fiction is in demand." -- School Library Journal, starred review* "It's the details that sing in this novel, particularly the small moments that feel like everything when you're a kid...This book will help foster empathy for the immigrant experience for young readers, while for immigrant children, it is a much-needed and validating mirror....Deserving of shelf space in every classroom and library." -- Booklist, starred review"Reminiscent of the television series Fresh Off the Boat, this title is an honest account of the ups and downs of immigrant life in America in the early 1990s, here told from a child's perspective. Basing the story on her own childhood experiences, Yang writes Mia's dreams into reality without sacrificing or minimizing the heartbreaking realities of many immigrants' hardships. Resilient Mia stumbles over and over again, but she satisfyingly picks herself right back up, often with the help of her parents, Calivista family, and friends. The question of whether Mia will win the essay contest is a big one, but whether or not the answer is yes, there is much satisfaction in this book's powerful and heart-wrenching close." -- Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books, starred review"Front Desk is a story about the hardships of immigrant life, the perpetuation of injustice, and a sweet, kind, indomitable young girl who chooses to rise up and fight no matter how hard it gets. Kelly Yang's debut is a stunner." -- Mike Jung, author of Unidentified Suburban Object

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Arthur A. Levine Books; Illustrated edition (May 29, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1338157795
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1338157796
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 12 years
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 640L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.8 x 1.2 x 8.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #36,858 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #72 in Children's Asian & Asian American Books
- #137 in Children's Fiction on Social Situations
- #269 in Children's Parents Books

Customer Reviews:
3,683 ratings

About the author

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Kelly Yang

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Kelly Yang is the #1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of the FRONT DESK series, including FRONT DESK, THREE KEYS and ROOM TO DREAM, winner of the 2019 Asian Pacific American Award for Children's Literature, NEW FROM HERE, YES WE WILL, and the young adult novels PARACHUTES and PRIVATE LABEL.

Customer reviews

5 star		86%
4 star		9%
3 star		3%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star		1%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Greg Andree

Novalee has read this book at least six times in the past month.

Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2018

Verified Purchase

My 11yo Novalee has read Front Desk at least six times in the past few weeks. She keeps coming back to it. Here's her review:

The novel, Front Desk by Kelly Yang, was a very interesting and exciting book. It shows stories of immigrants, the story of a ten year old running a motel, and the hardships of the Tang family. Mia is a ten year old girl who moved to America from China when she was eight years old. Though, her family is poor and is struggling in this country. When she and her family get employed in a motel called the Calivista, Mia runs the front desk. The story also follows Mia to school, around her motel, and through her memories back to China.

One reason why I loved this book was learning about the Tangs’ hardships. I think that this book can open the eyes of many people to how immigrating is hard and painful to many. When I learned about what the Tangs went through, I thought about what it must have been like for everyone else like them. More people need to know about these people and what they go through, and how they make America a great and stronger country.

One feature of the book I liked was that it shows stories of other Chinese immigrants. Like one, a true tale, was told by a man named Zhang. When he first came to America, he had borrowed money from the loan sharks,(500, to be precise), and then he had gotten a job in a restaurant to pay the loan sharks back. His employer had confiscated his passport and ID, and Zhang had to sleep in the boss’s basement. But, Immigration came to the cafe, and the employees were forced to escape. The point is, all the immigrants had very hard jobs, and they had no choice but to do them. This was a detail that came throughout the story that made the story more detailed and envisionable.

Those were the reasons why I loved this book, and you should definitely read this book.

88 people found this helpful

Helpful

Dolly S.

Buyer beware Inappropriate

Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2021

Verified Purchase

I I bought this book for my 9 year old’s book club they were to read in school. I decided to preview the book and was shocked to find many times in the book it had foul language and curse words. There also seemed to be a lot of bad attitudes and inappropriate things going on in the book for a 9 year old to be reading about. Young kids’ minds are impressionable and this book definitely has an agenda.

40 people found this helpful

Helpful

robert j anderson

Race threory for grade school

Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2021

Verified Purchase

My son was assigned this book in 5th grade class and based on his unsettling comments about what he was reading, I purchased my own copy and read it. I can't warn parents enough: The core lessons/messages of this book are indeed that American is deeply racist, that skin color is the most important thing about any person you meet and disadvantaged people can never get ahead in this deeply racist country. If your school insists on assigning this book, I encourage you to engage in dialogue with your kid and the teachers/school to counter what is taught here.

29 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kat

Great book for young minds to learn about prejudice, immigration, and keeping your identity.

Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2019

Verified Purchase

Brand spanking new hardcover. Quality was great. That's the product from Amazon. The story itself has become priceless. I bought it to participate in the Great Global Read Aloud project with my class. However, being fourth generation American born Chinese AND teaching to students of various ethnic backgrounds and citizenship, this story really spoke to me. My 6 year old son has asked me to read it aloud to him as I was vetting the book and has really enjoyed it. Keep in mind there are some mentions of "idiot" and "hell", both in context, but I probably won't read it aloud exactly like that in the classroom to avoid any issues. It's a very eye opening story and lends itself to a lot of conversation about where you come from, who you want to be, and how to be the true you, without giving way to stereotypes and prejudices. These days, more people could use a more humbling story like this to truly just make LIFE GREAT AGAIN, no matter where you live.

33 people found this helpful

Helpful

Bruin Fan

Tackles tough topics in a straightforward and honest way that's age appropriate

Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2018

Verified Purchase

I loved this book. A friend recommended it and I had my 9 YO read it. It tackles the issues of poverty, immigration, racism and classism in a way that's surprisingly simple, honest, and age-appropriate. Best of all, the story is based on the author's own childhood so a lot of the characters and events come from her own actual experiences. I'm glad my daughter was able to read it and that I was able to enjoy it also. Would definitely recommend.
As a caveat to parents who care about this, there is one bad work in the book where one character calls another a name that starts with the letter b that is a term used to say someone is born out of wedlock. I feel it's OK for my daughter to read that word (not sure she even picked up on it) but figured some parents would feel differently.

39 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Lou and Life

BUY IT NOW AND READ IT ASAP!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2018

Verified Purchase

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING. I absolutely loved it. This book was everything that I was expecting it to be and more. I have a to-be-read pile of probably 400+ books, but within 24 hours of the book arriving in my house, I had read it. That is amazing for a reader like me. So Front Desk is a middle grade book that tackles so many important topics in such a good way. It deals with topics like racism, but not only to Asians, but to Black people as well. The story asks us to question the stereotypes society places on races, and to ask the reader if those perceptions on races seem right or fair.
The plot of this book is more of a slice-of-life of Mia’s story. There is no clear plot, rather a combination of subplots that form Mia’s life. I really like that because there was always something different happening, and kept me reading. Front Desk made my eyes water so many times, and I actually cried at one point. I was expecting to relate to this book through Mia being a child navigating life as an Asian-American, to my experiences of being Euro-Asian as a child, but I didn’t expect to relate to Mia’s financial circumstances so much, and it hit me hard, and even made me cry at times.

The best part of this book is the characters. You can’t help but fall in love with Mia as soon as you love her. Then you have Mia’s parents who work their best to provide a better life for Mia, and they are so great. Of course Mia’s mother reminds me a lot of my own. I remember being 16, and it was Christmas Day. My mother was almost forcing me to choose maths for A-Levels when we was having our Christmas lunch, and I spent the rest of the day crying because maths was one of my weakest subjects. I had to study so hard in order to be an average student. Luckily my mother eventually relented (mainly because of the influence of my father), but I understood Mia so well, and related to her. In many ways, I saw my own childhood in Mia.

There is also great secondary characters. Mia’s best friend is Lupe, a Mexican immigrant, and you see a tiny bit of her culture through her conversations with Lupe. Then there’s Jason, a Taiwanese boy who was born in America and makes Mia’s life hell, and all the regular people who stay at the motel. It’s almost as if the characters come off the page and meet you in real life when you read this book.

Overall, I give this book a 5/5! Front Desk is an important book because it shows the perspective of an immigrant. Unless you are one yourself, reading Front Desk is a great way to partially understand the same world that different people navigate through. It’s especially important if you end up reading this book to a young child, because it could teach them how the world works differently for others, and not to be so mean to other children. I cannot recommend this book more!

5 people found this helpful

Mr. Roy Williams

Pitfalls of self employment.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 5, 2022

Verified Purchase

This was a very absorbing story.
Well actually,an account of working to support yourself and family.
Told from the perspective of a recent immigrant.
It follows roughly the same pattern of many people wiling to give up their freedom to try to get ahead.
It's a shame that the system of employment seems to be based on the Rich riding on the shoulders of the Poor.
From Kids up chimneys,Women in the mills and Men down the mines.
It's a fascinating read and carries you along invested in the hopes and dreams of the characters.
It's told in a very absorbing way that has you turning the pages to find out what happens next.
There are some pretty good cliffhangers and nail biting moments.
Actually,there are some points in the story where you don't want to guess what might happen next...!
It could be described as a harrowing experience.
However,that shouldn't stop you from reading it,just so you can discover the conclusion.
It's a rollercoaster of a read and covers some gritty realism.
Just so you're not discouraged,it does have a positive ending.
The cover art is really what drew me to want to read the book.
Once I'd read the book,I wasn't surprised that the front cover was depicted as it was.
I enjoy Manga and Graphic novels in general so I recognised something vaguely familiar.
Those Orientals aren't as inscrutable as we're led to believe...
Anyway,
enough waffle,get the book,read it for yourself and draw...,your own conclusions.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt suitably rewarded for my effort by the ending.
Yes,I think I would give it 10/10.

dorota

great book!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 15, 2022

Verified Purchase

i’ve read the whole series and i’m absolutely obsessed with it! this book is about a young chinese girl coming from china to america with her parents, and having to find her way through the struggles. this is an amazing book (series) showing representation for immigrants, and teaching young readers about the struggles of people from different countries, AKA racism. this book and the rest of the series is amazing, but also includes some sensitive topics, especially for the 2nd book, three keys. i would personally say the book series is great for ages 9/10 all the way up to any age!

Amazon Customer

Current and wonderfully written

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2021

Verified Purchase

Highly recommend these books by Kelly Yang. I wish I had these to read when I was younger. Although it is based on a family moving from China to America this story is relatable to how my parents and grandparents came to the UK. It is based on real life experiences as well as other current topics about immigration, rasism, fitting into Western culture as well as not feeling Chinese enough.

Great read for all ages.

One person found this helpful

elliepod

Incredible!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2021

Verified Purchase

This is an amazing story and I'd recommend it for any child (and adults too!). I learned so much from reading this book - but it was super fun and charming too. I can't wait to read more of the series.

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