• Front Desk

  • By: Kelly Yang
  • Narrated by: Sunny Lu
  • Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (1,010 ratings)

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Front Desk  By  cover art

Front Desk

By: Kelly Yang
Narrated by: Sunny Lu
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Publisher's summary

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

Mia Tang has a lot of secrets.

Number one: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, 10-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests.

Number two: 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 three: 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?

©2018 Kelly Yang (P)2018 Listening Library

Critic reviews

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

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What listeners say about Front Desk

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E

Hey u heje she eje ejeje je eje e ejeje e Jeddah j s Jeremy

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Great story

Might be a bit graphic for younger kids but a very good book. This book definitely kept us interested.

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Love! Love! Love!

Loved the reader, the story, and the pace! What a great way to listen to this book!

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Great kids book

The narrator did a fabulous job. Great voice to truly feel like a kid but very clear, easy to follow, and fun to listen to. Love the fact that this story was based in part on actual events of the author. Something all young kids should read to help understand the struggles of immigrants and minorities. As well as the struggle between parents and children, and the differences in American children and Chinese children.

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Conversation starter!

My 2nd grader and I enjoyed this book immensely. It brings up many different issues such as poverty, racism, and worker exploitation in a way that provided the starting point of difficult conversations. My daughter asked for it play every time we got into the car.
warning: it does expose the tooth fairy!

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unexpected joy

read this for a reading group with students, I actually really enjoyed the book. my students are enjoying it too. was worried they may not understand some of the content but we talked through it

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AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book is absolutely amazing it taught me a great lesson and I always thought I had it the worst living in a two bedroom apartment with my mom and brother but this taught me that people have it worse than me and I should appreciate what I have and not to discriminate or treat people differently by what they look like or the color of there skin.

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An important, timely book.

I listened to Front Desk with my 7 & 9 year old daughters we all loved it. It is funny and suspenseful and tackles big topics like racism, social justice, immigration, and bullying.

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Yes, listen to it!

This book was recommended to me by three of my piano students, who just happen to be around the same age of the heroine of this book. Each of them, independently, read it because it is on the list of books for Oregon Battle of the Books. I am so glad it is! One of my students shared that the song Fur Elise is in the book and that the main character can play it! But this is much more than story about a young girl who can play the piano. It is a story about a young girl who has the courage to dream up a better way for us all to live together and the courage to do it! I can't wait to hear what my students think about it!

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The best book ever

It's an incredible book One of my number one Favorites Thrills in every Chapter I cry when I read it love it and it's amazing I'm

one of your number one fans









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