Three Keys

Starred review from July 27, 2020
Aspiring writer Mia Tang, 11, returns in this complex yet accessible middle grade novel, the sequel to Yang’s Front Desk. Newly named co-owners of the Calivista Motel in Anaheim, Calif., the Tangs are “on the good rollercoaster now,” having escaped the authoritarian rule of former owner Mr. Yao. But their financial security is not guaranteed, and burgeoning racist sentiments and hate crimes—involving the impending 1994 gubernatorial election and one candidate’s bill proposing to “kick undocumented children out of California schools”—only make matters worse. As Mia and her family and friends face numerous instances of
discrimination, they must concurrently inhabit the liminal spaces of being immigrants of color in America, interrogating exactly what it means to believe in justice, fight for their dreams, and belong in a country that seems to resent them. Yang expertly presents resonant themes—including privilege, assimilation, and solidarity—in nuanced ways, providing an entrée into contemporary issues for even the most uninformed young readers. Engaging with a political climate that is similar to current times, Mia is the compassionate, action-driven heroine today’s readers deserve. An author’s note reveals Yang’s personal inspiration and extensive research. Ages 8–12. Agent: Tina Dubois, ICM Partners.

Starred review from June 1, 2020
Sixth grader Mia Tang returns to battle racism in this thrilling sequel to the Asian/Pacific American Award-winning Front Desk (2018). The Tangs, who emigrated from China when Mia was little, are now the proud owners of the Calivista Motel. Mia works the front desk along with her friends Lupe Garcia, who is Mexican, and Jason Yao, who is Chinese. Her world quickly becomes clouded by the upcoming election, in which California's Prop 187, which would ban undocumented immigrants from access to health care and public schooling, is on the ballot. The author's note highlights personal experiences with racism and provides additional information on this historic vote. The storyline expertly weaves together the progress and setbacks Mia experiences as her family continues to work, seemingly endlessly on the edge of poverty. Lupe reveals that her family is undocumented, creating a portrait of fear as her father is jailed. The impending vote has significant consequences for all immigrants, not just the Garcias, as racial threats increase. With the help of a cast of strong supporting characters, Mia bravely uses her voice and her pen to change opinions--with family, friends, teachers, and even voters. The lessons she learns helping her friends become the key to addressing racism, as one wise friend advises: "You gotta listen, you gotta care, and most importantly, you gotta keep trying." Don't miss this brave hero as she confronts anti-immigrant hatred in a timely historical novel. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 8-12)

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Starred review from August 1, 2020
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* In this sequel to 2018's beloved Front Desk, things are looking up for Mia as she enters sixth grade. Her family of first-generation Chinese immigrants now owns the booming Calivista Motel, which she and her best friend, Mexican immigrant Lupe, help run, but life is soured by the rise of a political campaign fueled by racism and xenophobia. This historical novel is set during California's 1994 gubernatorial race and the vote on Proposition 187, which threatened to prohibit undocumented immigrants from public education and other services. It's no accident that Yang focuses on events that reflects the attitudes reigning in today's politics. In an increasingly hostile community, at school and abroad, Mia and her friends encounter a rising tide of microaggressions and hate crimes?all based on true events, according to the stirring afterword?and after Lupe's undocumented father is jailed under threat of deportation, they must find a way to sway public opinion and keep her family from being separated. Yang carries on prominent themes of the first book, arguably to greater effect here. She has a remarkable talent for relating serious?even traumatic?issues in a way that won't trigger readers, grounding the well-paced story in the struggles, doubts, and deep love between Mia's friends and family. A more-than-worthy sequel, full of hope and heart, even in the darkest of times.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Yang made a joyful splash in the world of middle-grade with her Asian/Pacific American Award-winning Front Desk, and fans will be eager for this timely sequel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2020
In this sequel to Front Desk (rev. 7/18), eleven-year-old Chinese American Mia Tang continues helping to run her now family-and-worker-owned motel in California. Business is going well, but negative political ads demonizing undocumented immigrants occupy the media landscape. At school, Mia forms a club where she and other marginalized classmates find validation and share instances of racism in their daily lives. Mia's best friend Lupe reveals a long-kept secret, describing being undocumented as "being a pencil, when everyone else is a pen...You worry you can be erased anytime." Matters intensify when Lupe's mother struggles to return from Mexico after attending Lupe's abuelita's funeral, and then her father is threatened with deportation. Yang's writing is engaging and earnest, making issues of discrimination, class, poverty, cultural identity, and gender roles accessible to young readers. Mia is a creative and determined activist, using her voice to combat injustice while uplifting the voices of others. An author's note details extensive research on American immigration laws and their impacts on immigrant families in the 1990s.

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2020
In this sequel to Front Desk (rev. 7/18), eleven-year-old Chinese American Mia Tang continues helping to run her now family-and-worker-owned motel in California. Business is going well, but negative political ads demonizing undocumented immigrants occupy the media landscape. At school, Mia forms a club where she and other marginalized classmates find validation and share instances of racism in their daily lives. Mia's best friend Lupe reveals a long-kept secret, describing being undocumented as "being a pencil, when everyone else is a pen...You worry you can be erased anytime." Matters intensify when Lupe's mother struggles to return from Mexico after attending Lupe's abuelita's funeral, and then her father is threatened with deportation. Yang's writing is engaging and earnest, making issues of discrimination, class, poverty, cultural identity, and gender roles accessible to young readers. Mia is a creative and determined activist, using her voice to combat injustice while uplifting the voices of others. An author's note details extensive research on American immigration laws and their impacts on immigrant families in the 1990s. Kristine Techavanich

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)