Welcome to the monthly children’s book review feature with a focus on diverse books here at Bird Meets Worm! My team of reviewers—Joan Charles, Laurie Young, Sarah Orgill—and I are so excited to be championing books celebrating everything from gender diversity, people of color, the LGBTQ community to ethnic, cultural and religious minorities, people with disabilities and developmental challenges to controversial topics, unique family situations and anything and everything I did not include. It is to say we take a rightfully broad view of diversity! We aim to shine a light on books that bring both familiar experiences to those who do not often see themselves represented in books and new experiences to those looking to expand their worldview. Here at Bird Meets Worm we believe in the power of story to build empathy and thus a better world for you and me and everyone. Look for a new review on the second Wednesday of every month.
Written by Kelly Yang
Middle Grade Chapter Book (ages 8-12) • 286 pages
Published by Arthur A. Levine Books • 2018
ISBN 978-1-338-15779-6
Fifth grader Mia Tang is like an imaginary superhero—by day, she’s an American school kid—by night, she steps behind the front desk to help her parents run the motel where they work and live. Although the motel is only five miles from Disneyland, the park might as well be on the moon for all the relevance it has in Mia’s life.
For one thing, she’s picked on and teased at school because she’s different. A) She’s Chinese, and B) her hand-me-down clothes are seriously uncool. And most importantly, C) she wants to be a writer, something that’s not so easy for a girl who’s still wrestling with the intricacies of the English language.
Mia must contend with problems and face crises that are far beyond her years. She and her family encounter prejudice and racism—aimed not only at themselves, but at other immigrants and the poor weekly residents who live at the motel.
She has a beyond-her-years ability to see the other side and the determination to stand up for what’s right. Mia learns to use her resourcefulness and her skills as a writer to give a voice to the powerless, and along the way, she finds her own voice as well.
Front Desk is an honest, sometimes funny, sometimes stark look at the immigrant experience in United States. Mia embodies love, understanding and tolerance—qualities we should all embrace when dealing with those we perceive as “different”. Front Desk reminds us that in the end we are all looking for the same things—love, understanding and a sense of belonging—and our “same-nesses” are far greater than our superficial differences.
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Reviewed by: Joan Charles