Front Desk & Three Keys by Kelly Yang

Welcome back! This will be my first post in a while, but I just found a blog called Reading Middle Grade that's all about middle grade books and even has author interviews and it inspired me to write again! Here is the website if you want to check it out: https://readingmiddlegrade.com/

The Front Desk series by Kelly Yang are some of my favorite realistic/historical fiction books. (Which is saying something because realistic fiction is one of my favorite genres.) In Front Desk, Mia's family has immigrated to Anaheim, California from Beijing, China to seek a better future, but that future may not be so bright: her parents move from low-paying job to low-paying job, until they finally get work managing a motel where the owner treats them like servants. Mia makes new friends among the residents of the motel and her classmates while facing up against unfairness and racism. She discovers her love of writing, and pushes through even after being told that she will never be as good at writing as the American kids because English is her second language. When Mia discovers a chance to change her family's fortune, she uses her writing skills to fight for herself and her family. 

Three Keys is set at the time Prop 187 was passed in California, preventing undocumented immigrant children from accessing hospitals and attending school. When Mia discovers that one of her best friends is undocumented, she realizes that her most powerful tools--her voice and her writing--are not available to everyone in America. To top that, Mia's new teacher does not think her writing is great, and Mia's motel is struggling after they put up an IMMIGRANTS WELCOME sign. As always, however, Mia does not back down in the face of a challenge. Determined to save the motel and not let her friend's education get taken away from her, Mia fights for equality and justice in Three Keys. This book made my blood boil at the ignorance and stupidity of America, and it is my opinion that books that make you furious are really good!

These books explore the theme of what it means to be American, and are based on Kelly Yang's own childhood as an immigrant and the daughter of motel owners. Yang attended college at the age of 13 and graduated from Harvard Law School.

Kelly Yang is coming out with the third book in the series, Room to Dream, on September 21, so after reading these two keep your eyes open for the third! And check out my Upcoming Books post about Room to Dream for more information.

Image sources: https://www.amazon.com/Front-Desk-Kelly-Yang/dp/1338157795 https://www.amazon.com/Three-Keys-Front-Desk-Novel/dp/133859138X