"The 4th & 5th graders couldn't believe that someone their age could do all she did considering the prejudices against her.”
Middle Valley Elementary
Front Desk by Kelly Yang is the Hamilton Book of the Week nominated by Middle Valley Elementary. Mia Tang has a lot of secrets. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests. Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed. Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language? It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?
Editorial Reviews
Amazon
from Amazon Readers
From Amazon.com:
"Many readers will recognize themselves or their neighbors in these pages." -- Kirkus Reviews, (starred review)
To check out more recommended books in the Hamilton Book of theWeek at https://www.hcde.org/parents___students/suggested_reading.
Hamilton Book of the Week seeks to move Hamilton County Schools closer to district goals found in the Future Ready 2023 action plan. We hope to encourage kids to read more books for fun by sharing books popular at area schools.
Goals more students reading will address include:
- Reading improvement will increase the number of students on-track or mastering English language arts
- Improve the district ACT score to a district average of 21
- Reach the target goal of a 90 percent graduation rate by 2023