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Immigrants Welcome

1/26/2021

Three Keys by Kelly Yang

Good news for those who love Yang's Front Desk. There are more stories and further adventures at the Calivista Motel.

Mia Tang is growing up, dealing with complex issues as well as daily frustrations. Sixth grade is not what she expected. She and best friend Lupe are in a classroom located in a temporary building. This year her teacher seems more critical of Mia and her writing style.

Set in the 1970's during the reelection campaign of Pete Wilson, Mia is devastated by her teacher’s support for a ballot measure that will deny educational opportunities to children of undocumented workers.

Yang delves into the plight of immigrants from a variety of viewpoints: Classmate Jason appears to have achieved the American dream of financial success. Lupe, Mia's best friend and the daughter of a Calivista employee, confides that she and her family are undocumented and risk deportation.

The Tang family hopes Proposition 187 will be defeated. Their motel's marque proudly displays the notice "Immigrants welcome."

"We're Chinese, that's what we do."

Mia experiences the push and pull of two different cultures: retaining her Chinese identity while assimilating into the American lifestyle of chocolate chip cookies. She resists a "bowl" haircut, dislikes red bean shaved ice, and worries about her slightly Asian accent. She wants to become an author but lacks basic English grammar skills. Her parents who were respected professionals in China now devote their days to menial labor, struggling to keep their fledging business solvent.

"You're stronger than you think"

Three Keys is populated with an assortment of well-developed multigenerational characters with a variety of cultures and ethnicities. They are complex individuals with fascinating backstories, experiencing life's joys, heartbreaks and disappointments. Circumstances help them understand themselves and others in new ways.

There is no magic wand that solves all problems at the Calivista. While the story's conclusion is hopeful, there remain thorny political and societal issues to be addressed. Lucky for us, a continuation of Mia's story will be published this fall.

Front Desk Stories

Don't miss the continuing adventures of Mia Tang

First book in the Front Desk series. Meet Mia Tang, her family, and friends.

Third book in the Front Desk series. Room to Dream follows Tang Family's visit to Beijing.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: September 15, 2020 Publisher: Scholastic Press ISBN: 978-1338591385

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Friendship

1/21/2021

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Best Friend in the Whole World by Sandra Salsbury

Roland is a solitary individual living a quiet life of simple comforts: drawing, music, and tea. But something is missing from his life. He realizes that he needs a friend.

On his walk through the forest something catches his eye. To the casual observer it appears to be a pine cone. Roland knows that this is something more. This might be the friend he longs for. He names his discovery Milton. Together the companions enjoy similar interests.

Then the unthinkable happens. Roland finds signs posted throughout the forest for a missing friend. Could this mean that Milton is a best friend to someone else? Initially Roland rationalizes that the missing posters are about a different pine cone.

Soon reality sets in and although it is painful, Roland resolves to help reconnect Milton with the individual who is missing a friend.

There is a happy ending to this tale. Roland meets Milton's friend, who happens to be a kitten. Together this unlikely threesome discover that friendship is even better when it is shared.

Salsbury’s wistful narrative and illustrations are tender and heartfelt. Best Friend in the Whole World speaks to the universal desire to have a close connection with others. Sometimes new relationships open a world of possibilities.
Observation: Be sure to note the cover. A pine cone peeks out from behind a tree, hoping to be noticed.

Making New Friends

Meet one very clever and creative nine-year-old. After reading Best Friend in the Whole World, she accepted the publisher’s challenge to make her own pine cone friend. The result is Suzy, a critter with googly eyes and a perky bow. Not wanting to limit the number invited to an backyard picnic, two acorns join the fun. Note those heart-shaped acorn eyes. Doesn't this look delightful?

Meet Suzy. Her favorite treat is Apple Cider Doughnuts. She loves tea parties with her acorn friends and going on nature walks.

A special thank you to M, a reader with artistic flair and loads of terrific ideas. Don’t you love how she recreated the book’s tea party scene? What a welcoming invitation!

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: March 1, 2021 Publisher: Peachtree Publishing Company ISBN: 978-1682632505

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Beastly Feast

1/12/2021

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The Beast and the Bethany
by Jack Meggitt-Phillips ill by Isabelle Follath

Ebenezer Tweezer, a young man with golden hair and a mansion filled with everything he desires, has a secret. In reality he is almost 512 years old. He owes his youth, stunning art collection, and grand piano to a hideous monster who lives in the top floor of a mansion. In this reimagining of the classic Faustian bargain, Ebenezer must regularly feed the monster in exchange for a potion that grants him eternal youth.

The beast's appetite has increased over time. Where once a tasty morsel satisfied, sacrificial offerings are currently demanded. First it was small animals but now the beast wants a child. Tweezer realizes that he is crossing into territory that strains his sense of morality. He rationalizes that if he can find a truly despicable youngster the world will be rid of one nasty human. That's not so bad, is it?

His search for a suitable child eventually leads him to an orphanage run by the loathsome Miss Fizzlewick. There he meets Bethany, an obstinate and obnoxious girl who alienates everyone she comes in contact with. She will be the perfect meal.

Back at the mansion there are complications. The beast decides that Bethany is too thin and needs fattening up. Ebenezer complies with her request for mountains of chocolate cake and ice cream with treacle toffee sauce. He reasons that this is a good thing. She will quickly become a large and tasty meal. Bethany is bewildered. Instead of annoying an adult, her atrocious menu pleases him.

But this is a redemptive tale and as Ebenezer waits for his prospective meal to get fatter, he begins to enjoy spending time with his charge. Bethany, a girl that is determined to antagonize everyone, starts to care about others in small meaningful ways. Eventually Tweezer divulges the Beast's ultimate objective. The two devise a plan to save Bethany from becoming a beast feast.

Like Roald Dahl books, The Beast and the Bethany features a revolting child (think Veruca Salt), an authority figure who delights in making children miserable (think Miss Trunchbull), and outrageous quantities of chocolate cake.

The narrative steadily leads the reader from one horrific scene to the next and will keep readers turning pages. Isabelle Follath's black and white drawings liberally sprinkled throughout the short chapters are spot-on.

Things don't go as planned. There are several heart-pounding moments when it appears that Bethany and Tweezer are doomed. Then Meggitt-Phillips, that fiendish devil, adds a final plot twist that leaves readers with a frightful chill. The author's note at the conclusion is a must read!

Deliciously dark and delightfully devious. If you like your fiction with a macabre twist, Meggitt-Phillips has just the story you are looking for.

Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: December 8, 2020 Publisher: Aladdin ISBN: 978-1534478893

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Journey to Kiev

1/4/2021

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Anya and the Nightingale
by Sofiya Pasternack read by Laura Knight Keating

Continuing the remarkable saga that began with Anya and the Dragon, young Anya is bound for Kiev with her friends Ivan the fool and Håkon the dragon. She hopes to find her father who was conscripted into the tzar's army.

The journey is filled with peril: a forest filled with spirits, an underground dungeon, a horrific monster...and magic. There is a lot of magic: sound magic, water magic, healing magic, to name just a few. It seems that everyone has the gift of magic except Anya.

However, this thirteen-year-old adventurer possesses a clear head in the face of danger, courage, loyalty, and a willingness to attempt what seems to be impossible. Anya is an intrepid traveler, working through her own fears while battling foes and outwitting those who stand in her way.

Anya and the Nightingale introduces an interesting diversity of characters who interact with one another in natural ways while retaining their uniqueness: a blind grandmother who creates healing potions for villagers, a deaf elf who communicates with hand signals, a bisexual character, and a dragon who must choose between living in animal or human form.

Pasternack introduces multiple belief systems that co-exist and intersect comfortably in Anya's world. She is a devout Jew living in a community with no Rabi. The Russian priest is a community spiritual leader. Local Slavs have their forest spirits. There are animals which take human form and vice versa. Anya retains her own religion, while acknowledging the beliefs of others, including a Sabbath observance quite different from what she has experienced.

Keating's performance brings the story to life, with the individual voices for each character. Anya's wonder, confusion, and determination shine through. Pacing is excellent, sometimes hinting at sarcasm. Accents highlight differences in Eastern European and Jewish communities in a country that will eventually become Russia.

Magnificent imaginative graphic design captures the magic and mystery of Anya.

A fantasy series filled with history, folklore, and adventure. Readers will be enchanted.