Winner of the Asian / Pacific American Award for Children's Literature

* "Many readers will recognize themselves or their neighbors in these pages." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

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?

Featuring exclusive bonus content

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Published: 06/25/2019
ISBN: 9781338157826
Pages: 320
Weight: 0.45lbs
Size: 7.50h x 5.20w x 1.00d
Award: Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature - Winner
Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 196541 / Front Desk
Reading Level: 4.5 / Interest Level: Middle Grade / Point Value: 9