Age: 4th-6th grade
History: 1990s Anaheim, CA
Identity: Recently immigrated Chinese family
Tough Issues: Poverty, racism, exploitation

First line: "My parents told me that America would be this amazing place where we could live in a house with a dog, do whatever we want, and eat hamburgers till we were red in the face. So far, the only part of that we've achieved is the hamburger part, but I was still holding out hope."

An exceptionally interesting story of a Chinese-born girl as she and her hard-working family strive to make ends meet while opening their hearts to their neighbors and fellow Chinese immigrants. Amidst the hardship that Mia experiences from poverty, she is still able to extend compassion towards an African-American neighbor who endures the added burden of a racist justice system.

Even with all of these wonderful themes and amazing characters, the story drags at the end with multiple endings and could have easily been shortened by 50 pages, which may make it hard to enjoy for its young readers. I'll still recommend the hell out of it, though.

Book jacket synopsis: 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?