No Place Like Home - Linh S. Nguyen

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆☆☆
Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆☆☆
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Lan, a teenager who recently came to Canada from Vietnam, spends every day searching for a sense of belonging. Books are the only things that make her feel at ease. But it comes as a shock when a mysterious wind whisks her right into the pages of her latest fantasy read. More shocking still is the fact that she herself summoned this wind!

Plunged into the magical world of Silva, Lan realizes she has much to offer protagonists Annabelle and Marlow. Once a homesick reader and bystander rooting for the very characters that now stand before her, Lan is a budding witch who suddenly has the power to help their quest. Somewhere inside her lies the ability to not only save Annabelle and Marlow's home, but also to shape a familiar tale into something new. 

As Lan faces off against tree guardians, moving corn mazes, heart-eaters, and thoughtless kings, she finds that Silva is not so different from Toronto: new homes can be messy. Now, torn between several places at once, Lan begins to confront an important question: how do you redefine a lost home?"

📚📚📚 

Reading this book was kind of like making a peanut butter sandwich with chunky peanut butter when you're expecting smooth. You expect the story to unfold smoothly, spreading across the page, and then you're like wait...this isn't...hold on... Is this a weird metaphor? Yeah, it is, but that happened to me recently, so it was what came to mind. What I'm saying is that some of the transitions between action and the plot development were a little clunky. It's fine, it was still a good book, it just took some getting used to.

Aside from that, I enjoyed the story. I wish there was a little more natural, gradual character progression, but their adventures were exciting, and I loved the time they spent with the centaurs and the dryads. Part of my issue with the pacing and the way things unfolded was that the story jumped from one adventure into the next relatively quickly, and I kind of wanted the story to be a little longer, so we could get more detail and more development. Admittedly, though...this is a kid's book, and the quick movement from one challenge to the next might keep them more interested. So, take my reaction with a grain of salt.

Key Player - Kelly Yang

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆☆☆☆
Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆☆☆
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"The Women's World Cup is coming to Anaheim, and everyone has soccer fever - especially Mia! The US team is playing China in the finals, and Mia feels like her two identities are finally coming together. But when her PE teacher gives her a C, Mia tries to pull up her grade by scoring interviews with the championship teams. It's not so easy when...

1. The two teams are hunkered down in secret hotels in Pasadena and not taking any media requests.

2. Mr. Yao is back at the motel - as a co-owner! Jason is sure his dad deserves a second chance. Mia is not so sure.

3. Mia's parents are trying to buy a house of their very own, which turns out to be a LOT harder than they thought!

As Mia aims for her goals, she'll have to face strikers from all corners, as well as her own fears. But if anyone can find a way to win big, it's Mia Tang!"

An excellent end to an excellent series! While it still has its serious moments, it was pretty fun reading about Mia giving soccer a try, sleuthing out where the US and Chinese soccer teams were staying, and ultimately getting to meet both teams. I also really enjoyed her, Lupe, and Jason all have their own plotlines running through the main story. All four books spent time on Mia's friends, but I thought this one did an especially good job of sharing the spotlight, and getting some extra time with some of my favorite side characters before wrapping up the series was a nice way to go out.

Since this is wrapping up a four-book series, I figured instead of a long review, I'll answer a few book discussion questions instead.

Question 1: What did you like best about this series?

Mia, Lupe, and Jason's determination. I love the way they use their voices to push for change and fight for their dreams. Even when the adults who should be encouraging them (looking at you, racist ass school counselor!) tear them down, they push back and advocate for themselves.

Question 2: Which other character would make an interesting protagonist?

Oh, I would 1000% read a dual narrative with Mia's parents! I would also love a book about Shen or Mia's grandparents.

Question 3: What do you think of the books' titles? Are there other titles you would have chosen?

I really enjoyed the way the titles tied in to important moments/themes from each book. Front Desk is a title that becomes more heartwarming with every book you read, since working the desk at the motel is such an important thing for Mia. When the Three Keys title significance was revealed, I actually "awwed" out loud. Room to Dream could basically be the series title, it's what Mia's journey is all about. And Key Player could refer to Mia, but it could also refer to Lupe, fighting for her school's Math team or to Jason, standing up for himself with his dad and following his dreams. Such poignant title choices, I love them all.

Room to Dream - Kelly Yang

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆☆☆☆
Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆☆☆
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"After years of hard work, Mia Tang finally gets to go on vacation with her family - to China! A total dream come true! Mia can't wait to see all her cousins and grandparents again, especially her cousin Shen. As she roams around Beijing, witnessing some of the big changes China's going through, Mia thinks about the changes in her own life, like...

1. Lupe's taking classes at the high school! And Mia's own plans to be a big writer are...stuck.

2. Something happened with Jason and Mia has no idea what to do about it.

3. New buildings are popping up all around the motel, and small businesses are disappearing.

Can the Calivista survive? Buckle up! Mia is more determined than ever to get through the turbulence, now that she finally has...room to dream!"

Book three in the Front Desk series! Front Desk and Three Keys both got rave reviews from me, and Room to Dream will be no different. In previous books, we've seen Mia take on a racist boss exploiting his workers, fight against racist policies being enacted by the government, and take on big businesses threatening her family's motel. Her ingenuity and determination hasn't dimmed in this book, and I love getting to watch her evolve and change as she gets older, seeing the ways she continues to think creatively and problem solve when things get challenging instead of throwing up her hands and giving up. 

Another thing I love about Mia is her commitment to being true to herself and her integrity. She goes through some rough patches with her friends in this book, and although she struggles to know what to do at first (of course, because she's a preteen and is still learning and growing), but when she realizes what she has done wrong, she actively apologizes and looks for ways to repair those relationships. Saying sorry and making amends is something many adults struggle with, so seeing it modeled in a middle grade book is a beautiful thing. Let's all commit to be like Mia and refuse to put our own comfort over acknowledging when we're in the wrong! 

I know this is a lot of Mia adoration, but I can't help it. Kelly Yang creates such beautiful characters, even though I wanted to talk more about the plot and my appreciation for a storyline about someone figuring out where and how they fit into both their cultures, sometimes I just can't help but rave about a main character instead. I love everything about Kelly Yang's writing, and I think this series is great and full of important life lessons. Three down, one book to go! I can't wait.

Three Keys - Kelly Yang

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆☆☆☆
Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆☆☆
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Mia Tang thinks she's going to have the best year ever. She and her parents are the proud owners of the Calivista Motel, Mia gets to run the front desk with her best friend, Lupe, and she's finally getting somewhere with her writing. But as it turns out, sixth grade is no picnic...

1. Mia's new teacher doesn't think her writing is all that great. And her entire class finds out she lives and works in a motel

2. The motel is struggling, and Mia has to answer to the Calivista's many, many worried investors.

3. A new immigration law is looming and if it passes, it will threaten everything -- and everyone -- in Mia's life.

It's a roller coaster of challenges, and Mia needs all of her determination to hang on tight. But if anyone can find the key to getting through turbulent times, it's Mia Tang."

This is the sequel to Front Desk, which I read and reviewed two years ago (and thought was excellent), and as it transpires, book two in the series is equally as good. It follows Mia and her best friend, Lupe, as they navigate sixth grade and deal with the fallout of a new proposition being voted on in November - one that would ban undocumented immigrants from going to school and accessing medical services. 

Lupe and her parents are undocumented, so while this looming proposition frightens every immigrant, that fear holds extra weight for families like Lupe's. The girls don't let the hate and discrimination emboldened by the proposition cow them, though. Instead, it makes them even more determined to make their voices heard and do what they can to create a better world.

This book was an emotional read, especially after I read the author's note and learned that Kelly Yang wrote it after Tr*mp became president. The proposition in the book was a real one, and while my heart soars to know that there are people, kids and adults alike, like Mia and Lupe, courageously doing everything they can to make the world around them a better place, it also breaks thinking about the lack of progress we as a country have made in the thirty years since then. 

People, especially kids, shouldn't have to be in a position where they are worrying about their families being deported or not being allowed to go to school. Kids like Mia and Lupe shouldn't have to be writing their senators and begging them to do the right thing. It's infuriating that we live in a world where hatred like this is so normalized and acceptable that bills like this pass and some people don't even bat an eye - in fact, they cheer and say "good job!" It's maddening.

Maybe I should have given myself a few days before I wrote this review, since it isn't really a review, it's more of a rant about how much people suck. People may be horrible, but this book is not. Kelly Yang is an excellent writer, this is an excellent book, and I can't wait to add it to my school's library so my students can check it out next year.

Front Desk - Kelly Yang

Initial draw: ✰✰✰✰✰

Character development: ✰✰✰✰✰

Plot/Writing style: ✰✰✰✰✰
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Mia 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?"

This book has been on my TBR list for a long while, and even knowing roughly what it was about and hearing glowing things about it for so long, I was unprepared for the heaviness in the book. 

For those who dismiss middle grade books and assume they don't tackle heavy issues, don't be fooled. The cover may look cheerful and light, but this book is not fluff. It gets real right away, with Mia and her parents living out of their car until her dad finally lands a job at a Chinese restaurant. Mia's mom works there too, and Mia is pressed into becoming a waitress as well, until she accidentally drops a full tray of food on some customers and she and her mom both get fired. Her parents decide to take a job as the managers of a motel near Disneyland. On paper, the opportunity sounds like a dream - room and board plus their pay for managing the motel? What more could they ask for? As it turns out...a lot. A lot more. 

The motel owner, Mr. Yao is stingy, dishonest, and pretty transparently taking advantage of poor, desperate immigrants with few other job opportunities. In spite of his almost constant docking of their pay, nearly impossible expectations, and open cruelty, though, Mia and her family are still in a better position than many other Chinese immigrants. After hearing the stories of a few immigrants who visit the motel, they decide to do what they can do help immigrants fleeing horrible situations on their way to better opportunities. It's a risk, given how callous Mr. Yao is, but they can't let these people struggle when they could at least offer them a shower, a good night's sleep, and a hot meal with friendly faces.

Of course, in addition to helping to run the motel, sheltering immigrants and keeping it a secret from Mr. Yao, and worrying about money with her parents, Mia is also going to school...and Mr. Yao's son is in her class. This means on top of everything else, she gets to deal with bullies at school. In spite of it all, though, Mia is always looking for ways to make the world a brighter place, and she works hard to use her words and her writing to do just that. She and her family experience setbacks along the way, and there are some truly terrible moments along the way, but she doesn't let any of those bad experiences break her spirit. Her indominable will and courage become even more impressive when you read the author's note and realize that many of the stories included in this work of fiction actually happened and that Mia's story is true for countless immigrants. 

This book has been on my list for a long time, and even hearing from multiple sources how good it was, somehow it still managed to surpass my expectations. It's an excellent middle grade novel, and I can't recommend it enough!

On Two Feet and Wings - Abbas Kazerooni

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"This amazing true story of a boy fleeing Tehran on his own during the Iran-Iraq War provides a powerful child's-eye view of political tumult, separation, survival, dreams and triumphs in a moving memoir that chronicles extraordinary times in an ordinary boy's life.

Close to his tenth birthday, Abbas has to leave his parents and friends to escape Tehran. The Iran-Iraq War is at its bloodiest. The ayatollahs, the rulers of Iran, have reduced the age of recruitment into the army. If Abbas doesn't leave soon, he will have to go to war.

In the strange and often frightening city of Istanbul, Abbas has to grow up fast. Living alone for twelve weeks in a rundown hotel, he has to learn to live by his wits, and watch his back. Will he ever get his dream visa to England?"

Another tiny review incoming.

This book was so sad at times, but it was also fantastic to see how resourceful and brave Abbas was. His story demonstrates the highs and lows that people are capable of, with some people in Istanbul being so kind to him while others were so cruel or violent. My only gripe with the book is that I wish there was more about his experience after he got out of Istanbul. All we got was a little epilogue, but it was such a journey for him to make it that far, I would have liked to hear more about what happened after he arrived in England.

American Street - Ibi Zoboi

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"The rock in the water does not know the pain of the rock in the sun.

On the corner of American Street and Joy Road, Fabiola Toussaint thought she would finally find une belle vie—a good life.

But after they leave Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Fabiola’s mother is detained by U.S. immigration, leaving Fabiola to navigate her loud American cousins, Chantal, Donna, and Princess; the grittiness of Detroit’s west side; a new school; and a surprising romance, all on her own.

Just as she finds her footing in this strange new world, a dangerous proposition presents itself, and Fabiola soon realizes that freedom comes at a cost. Trapped at the crossroads of an impossible choice,  will she pay the price for the American dream?"

Fabiola came to the United States with her mother from Haiti, planning to move to Detroit and live with her aunt and cousins. When they arrive in the United States, however, Fabiola's mother is detained by immigration, and Fabiola is forced to continue on to Detroit alone. Once there, she pushes tirelessly to find a way to free her mother, even as she adjusts to life in the United States, making friends and even getting a boyfriend. Sadly, however comfortable she may start to feel, Detroit is different from Haiti in ways she couldn't expect, and there are things about her new life she couldn't possibly understand. When Fabiola gets in over her head in her quest to get her mother to Detroit, will she be able to find her footing and make things right? Or will her new life be forever altered?

I've been putting off writing this review for a long time because while there were things I really enjoyed about the book, it also had some pretty big flaws, and I wasn't sure what to say about it. The one big issue I struggled with was that it tried to do a lot and consequently lacked character and plot development and seemed to lose the thread of different storylines partway through, then pick back up later in ways that didn't quite connect to me. Possibly the biggest example of this, for me anyway, was Fab's relationship with her boyfriend...there just wasn't enough buildup to the relationship for any of the interactions between the two of them to hold any impact, and a lot of the tension in their relationship made no sense to me and seemed over-the-top as a result. I wish some of the branches in the plot had been pared down, because despite doing way too much, it was a good read, and the world needs more titles like this one. Ultimately, while this wasn't my favorite book, I did enjoy it, and I recommend picking it up if you're looking for something new to read. If you're an audiobook fan, the narrator did a fantastic job--it's definitely worth a listen.