In this third book of the Front Desk series, the author draws from her own life experiences. She has written a book for middle grade children that is both inspiring and instructional. Parents, teachers, and grandparents of children who are that age, are very aware of the trials and tribulations that their loved ones will face, and this book is a good choice for all children, but especially for those who don’t feel they fit in perfectly and are struggling to compete in a tough environment, especially for those who feel that they are a bit different.
Mia Tang is 12 years old. She lives in a motel with her parents. They are part owners of the Calivista, and they work very hard. Mia’s dad cleans the motel, Mia runs the front desk, and her mom has just earned her substitute teaching certificate. Mia has two best friends, Jason and Lupe.
When she travels with her folks and another part owner, Hank, to China for a month-long vacation, lots of things change in her life, both in China and back in America. For one thing, she becomes a published journalist writing for a Chinese magazine for children. She doesn’t know the proper rules of journalism and puts in some private information about her friends that she does not want anyone back home to read. It would be embarrassing and upsetting to them. For another, she realizes that ignorance can cause racism everywhere, when their part owner, Hank, who has traveled with them, is gawked at. Most of her friends and family in China had never seen a black man before. She realizes that people in China can be just as insensitive as some White people in America.
Mia loves to write and has to learn to deal with rejection without losing hope. Jason has to learn to control his temper. Lupe has to manage her time better. Each of them comes from a family with different values and needs. The reader discovers that each of the characters has some trait which makes them outstanding in their own way if they do not give up.
The book covers racism, bullying discrimination, loyalty, judgment, integrity, appropriate journalistic behavior often absent today, the corporate vs private world of work, each with a different set of goals, the difficulties immigrants face, and the many situations that pit David against Goliath. The author enlightens the reader as the characters discover that while there is dissatisfaction sometimes, with perseverance, challenges can be overcome. There is always hope. Immigrants make the choice to come to the country, and they understand the sacrifices that have to be made to assimilate. They can always return to their own homeland if they believe opportunities there are greater.
America is a good place with many different types of people, some are greedy and discriminate against others, some are selfish, but those kinds of people live everywhere. All of the characters in this book grow and improve with each obstacle they clear. Complaining doesn’t solve a problem, actions do. Telling the truth, even when it is painful, is sometimes the best thing to do. Mia and her friends are courageous and energetic, eager to attack the world and live their lives to the fullest. Is the book realistic, no, probably not. It is more like a fairy tale, but the message it sends is a very worthwhile one to give to each student in the middle grades of life.
Yes, Margaret, there are bullies. Yes Margaret, we all make mistakes. Yes Margaret, sometimes it is necessary to apologize or forgive someone else as we grow up and to learn how to better navigate a world full of challenges.