I'm sorry I waited! Front Desk, by Kelly Yang, is the kind of realistic fiction that has you rooting for the underdogs. I was a third culture kid, not really an immigrant, so I'm looking through the window at the difficulties immigrants may have as I read this book. Homelessness, racism, unrecognized training/ degrees, unscrupulous employers who underpay with the threat of calling immigration officers, trying to communicate in a new language with its idioms and slang--all of these problems can make the future seem bleak for families trying to make a new life in America.
Mia's family has experienced all of these problems. You would think working in a motel and living there rent-free would be a dream job, but the motel owner, Mr. Yao, is unkind and ruthless in his pursuit of money, without regard for the needs of the Tangs. Still, the freedoms America offers keeps the Tang family going, with the help of the motel's long-term residents and friends found along the way. They might, just might, get to live the American dream...if they can just get out from under the thumb of Mr. Yao.
Front Desk is a recommended read for third grade on up, as a window OR a mirror. It's Monday--what window/ mirror books are you reading?
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