Front Desk

Front Desk by Kelly Yang is a heartfelt middle-grade novel about ten-year-old Mia Tang, who helps her immigrant parents manage the front desk of a motel while dreaming of becoming a writer. Mia discovers that running the motel means dealing with difficult guests, an unfair owner and secrets that put vulnerable families at risk.

With courage, kindness and determination, Mia finds ways to help the people around her while navigating school, friendship, family expectations and her own dreams. The story explores immigration, racism, friendship, family, fairness and finding your voice.

Recommended age: 8–12 years

Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Family Stories, Friendship, Immigration, Social Issues

Why young readers will enjoy it:

• A courageous and relatable young protagonist
• Humour balanced with meaningful real-world themes
• Strong friendship and family relationships
• Encourages empathy, kindness and standing up for others
• Appealing to children who enjoy realistic school and family stories

Read-alikes: Three Keys, New Kid, Front Desk series, Fish in a Tree, Because of the Rabbit, and Save Me a Seat.

Borrow from BookJoy: Borrow Front Desk from BookJoy Library in Kanakapura Main Road, Bangalore. BookJoy offers a curated collection of books for different ages and reading levels, with membership plans and delivery available across Bangalore.