Front Desk by Kelly Yang

 

Over the past week, I read Front Desk by Kelly Yang. This contemporary novel is about a girl, Mia Tang, who immigrated to America from China with her parents in the early 1990s. Although they struggle to make ends meet the first couple years they live in America, Mia's mom finds an unusual job posting for a motel manager position in Anaheim, California where they will get boarding and her parents accept the job position after interviewing with the owner, Mr. Yao. To help out her parents, Mia decides to manage the front desk. Managing the front desk is a dangerous job and Mr. Yao is a cruel man who isn't willing to buy safety measures for the entrance of the motel. Mia makes the most of situation, though, befriending the weeklies in the motel. She also begins going to a new school where she makes a new friend, Lupe, and discovers a love for English and writing. When the school's librarian, Mrs. Matthews, tells Mia about an old couple in Vermont holding an essay contest to give away their motel, Mia is determined to enter the contest to make her dream of owning a motel come true. She practices her English skills by writing letters and begins to collect tip money for the entry fee. Mia knows that the odds are against her and she has a tendency to keep secrets, but she is up to the challenge and helps others along the way.

Although Mia is slightly younger than the main characters of the other Rebecca Caudill nominees, Front Desk is a surprisingly deep novel with themes that middle school students will understand and relate to. I enjoyed this novel because it showed me how a girl can rise above the challenges that Chinese immigrants have faced in this country. Mia was a very determined ten-year-old girl and I admired her resilience. There were several instances of racism that made me so mad because people, including children, can be so presumptuous about stereotypes or outright mean and immature. On the other hand, I loved Mia's friendship with Lupe. Even though they didn't tell the truth about themselves at first, they eventually connected over their shared experiences of immigrating to America and being poor. When Mia learned about the essay contest, she bounced her ideas off of Lupe, although she sometimes forgot to think about how Lupe might feel. Their friendship did face challenges, and I was so happy when they made up after a big disagreement. The most suspenseful part of the story was whether or not Mia would achieve her dream of owning a motel because she did face several setbacks. She never gave up, though, and I was so proud of her at the novel's conclusion. I think this novel is an exceptional choice for anyone who has ever a dream or a goal.

Nightbooks by J.A. White

 

This week, I read Nightbooks by J.A. White. This contemporary dark fantasy is the creepy and thrilling tale of Alex Mosher, a boy who is captured in the apartment of a witch when he decides to destroy the books of scary stories, "nightbooks", that he wrote himself. Alex is completely surprised that magic and witches exists, but after he starts to suspect that he isn't the first kid that the witch has taken, he begins forming a plan to escape the witch's apartment. When his attempt to convince the witch to simply let him go doesn't go well, he feels alone and scared until a girl, Yasmin, mentions that the witch likes stories. Alex never had a chance to get rid of the nightbooks, so he reads a scary story to the witch each night to survive. As the days go by in the magical apartment, he befriends Yasmin and a cat, Lenore, and they work together to find a way to escape their imprisonment before the stories in his nightbooks run out.

I absolutely adored this refreshing update on the "Hansel and Gretel" fairy tale. It felt very modern taking place in a New York City apartment building instead of a forest like the original.  I also thought the fantasy elements were really cool because the apartment itself was magical and the witch had taught Yasmin how to grow magical plants and mix magical oils from those plants. The book itself was very suspenseful and I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how Alex, Yasmin, and Lenore would find a way out of the apartment. At times, I was worried that the witch, Natacha, would find out what they were up to and then hurt them, and it turned out that my worry was not completely misplaced. There were definitely some tense moments, but I enjoyed the plot twists and the conclusion was very satisfying. Not to mention, I thought the stories written by Alex were particularly creepy. Nightbooks is the perfect choice for aspiring writers, especially those who sometimes suffer from writer's block like Alex, and anyone who likes their fantasy dark. I also recommend it to fans of Spirit Hunters, Small Spaces, and other scary novels.

Speechless by Adam P. Schmitt

Last night, I finished reading Speechless by Adam P. Schmitt. A realistic fiction novel, Speechless is about Jimmy, a thirteen-year-old boy who is asked by his mother to give a eulogy the next day at his cousin Patrick's funeral. During the wake for Patrick, Jimmy dreads this speech because he has no idea what to say about his impulsive and hot-tempered cousin and is constantly distracted by the guests and his too-tight dress pants. He can't think of one nice thing to say about his cousin who had a tendency to ruin everything. Each memory that pops into his head ends in injury or destruction, but as he goes through these memories, he eventually realizes that maybe there was a lesson to be learned from Patrick's struggles to be heard.

I enjoyed reading this novel because I was drawn into the story by the gradual reveal of Patrick's character through Jimmy's memories of him. While the book was emotional and sad at times, it was definitely offset by humor. I couldn't help but smile at Jimmy's awkwardness and tendency to exaggerate his problems at the wake. At the same time, I related to the loss of a family member and his anxiety about having to give the eulogy at Patrick's funeral. At first, I didn't really understand why his mother wouldn't give him break, but by the end of the book, I thought it was really obvious why Jimmy was the best person for the job. During Jimmy's later memories, I started thinking Patrick was misunderstood because although I wouldn't tolerate his behavior, I understood his reasons for being upset. I also loved Jimmy's epiphany about Patrick during his speech because I think wanting to be heard is something that everyone can relate to. Additionally, I know what it's like to realize something too late. My favorite memory was at the very end when Jimmy revealed how much Patrick loved his sister, Sofia. This novel is a wonderful choice for anyone who has ever felt misunderstood and unheard.