September 5, 2023 by Scholastic Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Mia Tang and her best friend Lupe are spending their winter break in San Francisco so that Mia can attend a writing camp run by the newspaper and Lupe can go to a math camp and compete in a Math Cup tournament with Mrs. Tang at the university. They are staying at a family run hotel in Chinatown, where they bond with the older owners, the Luks. When the Luks cook quits, Mia contacts Jason (whom she has been missing) and asks him to come and cook. Hank, whose brother Darrius has been a lawyer in San Francisco for years, offers to drive Jason up so that he can try to find his brother. While camp is very interesting, and Mia gets to be taught by the man who runs the city beat, she realizes that the staff doesn't have a lot of diversity, and that campers who are well connected and wealthy seem to have better opportunities. Mia is steadfast in her desire to tell the stories of the interesting and diverse population of California that is often neglected. She uncovers some fascinating stories, as do other young journalists like her friend Haru, who learns about Miss Breed and the letters that young Japanese interned during World War II wrote to her, and Amne, who has learned about her tribal ancestor Jose Guzeman, and his attempts to keep the Chochenyo language alive. Mia meets Emma, whose mother works at a fortune cookie factory in the neighborhood, and is confused and hurt when Jason seems to have a crush on her. With Lupe still reeling from sharing her feelings with a girl she liked, Mia doesn't quite know how to process her new feelings for her former nemesis. There are many ups and downs in the two weeks, and Mia experiences a lot of different forms of racism. She does get an article printed "above the fold" in the newspaper, although she is not paid what she should have been for it. As the gang heads back to Anaheim (with a new dog, Comma!), it looks like there is at least one more story ahead for Mia and the crew of Front Desk. I loved the information at the end of the book about the newspaper that Yang put out for her community when she was young!
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Mia Tang and her best friend Lupe are spending their winter break in San Francisco so that Mia can attend a writing camp run by the newspaper and Lupe can go to a math camp and compete in a Math Cup tournament with Mrs. Tang at the university. They are staying at a family run hotel in Chinatown, where they bond with the older owners, the Luks. When the Luks cook quits, Mia contacts Jason (whom she has been missing) and asks him to come and cook. Hank, whose brother Darrius has been a lawyer in San Francisco for years, offers to drive Jason up so that he can try to find his brother. While camp is very interesting, and Mia gets to be taught by the man who runs the city beat, she realizes that the staff doesn't have a lot of diversity, and that campers who are well connected and wealthy seem to have better opportunities. Mia is steadfast in her desire to tell the stories of the interesting and diverse population of California that is often neglected. She uncovers some fascinating stories, as do other young journalists like her friend Haru, who learns about Miss Breed and the letters that young Japanese interned during World War II wrote to her, and Amne, who has learned about her tribal ancestor Jose Guzeman, and his attempts to keep the Chochenyo language alive. Mia meets Emma, whose mother works at a fortune cookie factory in the neighborhood, and is confused and hurt when Jason seems to have a crush on her. With Lupe still reeling from sharing her feelings with a girl she liked, Mia doesn't quite know how to process her new feelings for her former nemesis. There are many ups and downs in the two weeks, and Mia experiences a lot of different forms of racism. She does get an article printed "above the fold" in the newspaper, although she is not paid what she should have been for it. As the gang heads back to Anaheim (with a new dog, Comma!), it looks like there is at least one more story ahead for Mia and the crew of Front Desk. I loved the information at the end of the book about the newspaper that Yang put out for her community when she was young!
Strengths: This is set in the early 2000s, when "the internet is coming", so it's an interesting snapshot of newspaper publication at the time. Mia and her friends always get involved in interesting projects, and this is no exception. There is a strong message of speaking up against injustice and making sure that one's voice is heard. This felt a little bit like a sit com episode when the entire cast ups and travels to a different location, and it was fun to see San Francisco and Chinatown through Mia's eyes. Her feelings for Jason are explored in an age appropriate way. There's a nice holiday feel to this that should make it popular with fans of the series.
Weaknesses: There were a lot of things that seemed very providential. Also, I've never heard of any winter break camps for kids, although it's a good idea. Maybe this is more of a California thing.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who love this series, who are interested in the ins and outs of newspaper reporting in the early 2000s, or who like behind the scenes stories like Badua's The Takeout.
Weaknesses: There were a lot of things that seemed very providential. Also, I've never heard of any winter break camps for kids, although it's a good idea. Maybe this is more of a California thing.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who love this series, who are interested in the ins and outs of newspaper reporting in the early 2000s, or who like behind the scenes stories like Badua's The Takeout.
Of course, the BIG question is this: How will Front Desk hold up over the next 100 years?
October 15, 1999 by Henry Holt and Co. (Originally published 1916)
School library copy
This has held up surprisingly well. Since Betsy lives in a somewhat unusual situation, it is well explained. She lives with her great aunt and her daughter, Aunt Francis, who are very protective of Betsy because both of her parents are dead. When the great aunt is ill and must go live in a warmer climate (I'm assuming tuberculosis, although it isn't specifically mentioned) and it's not safe for Betsy to be around her, she is sent to a very different situation in Vermont (1,000 miles from the unnamed place where she lives) to distant relatives who have more than once expressed a desire to have her live with them. Because she is unused to their way of life, it is again well explained. She is expected, for the first time, to help around the house and solve her own problems. She also goes to a small country school where they let her move around to different levels of classes depending on her abilities. She even gets to help other children. Of course, like in Alcott's Rose in Bloom, this child centered way of raising her makes her healthier and happier. When her aunt comes to visit and tells Betsy that she is going to be married, but that she won't be able to have Betsy live with her because the new husband travels a lot for his work, both are relieved. Betsy is able to stay in Vermont, where we can only assume she has a very nice life.
There is a great introductory note in the 1999 edition, as well as information at the end about Dorothy Canfield Fisher's career, and her interest in Montessori teaching methods. There are a few things that didn't make as much sense, but there was little that modern children wouldn't understand, since there is so much explanation. A good example of this is when she churns butter with Aunt Abigail, and there is so much detail about this lost household chore! I really enjoyed the little insights into Betsy understanding that real people lived at different historical periods, or that she doesn't need to know her left from her right hand to guide the horses. There are a few things that aren't expressed the way we would today; Aunt Abigail, at 200 pounds, is described as very fat, but later, Betsy is said to be in better health because she is a bit fat and also tanned (brown) from being outdoors.
This would be a much better choice than Anne of Green Gables or Little Women for readers who like historical fiction and want to take a look at some older titles. I'm not sure why I bought a copy of this 20 odd years ago; it hasn't circulated all that much, but I think I'll be trotting it out to some 6th graders next year!
This has held up surprisingly well. Since Betsy lives in a somewhat unusual situation, it is well explained. She lives with her great aunt and her daughter, Aunt Francis, who are very protective of Betsy because both of her parents are dead. When the great aunt is ill and must go live in a warmer climate (I'm assuming tuberculosis, although it isn't specifically mentioned) and it's not safe for Betsy to be around her, she is sent to a very different situation in Vermont (1,000 miles from the unnamed place where she lives) to distant relatives who have more than once expressed a desire to have her live with them. Because she is unused to their way of life, it is again well explained. She is expected, for the first time, to help around the house and solve her own problems. She also goes to a small country school where they let her move around to different levels of classes depending on her abilities. She even gets to help other children. Of course, like in Alcott's Rose in Bloom, this child centered way of raising her makes her healthier and happier. When her aunt comes to visit and tells Betsy that she is going to be married, but that she won't be able to have Betsy live with her because the new husband travels a lot for his work, both are relieved. Betsy is able to stay in Vermont, where we can only assume she has a very nice life.
There is a great introductory note in the 1999 edition, as well as information at the end about Dorothy Canfield Fisher's career, and her interest in Montessori teaching methods. There are a few things that didn't make as much sense, but there was little that modern children wouldn't understand, since there is so much explanation. A good example of this is when she churns butter with Aunt Abigail, and there is so much detail about this lost household chore! I really enjoyed the little insights into Betsy understanding that real people lived at different historical periods, or that she doesn't need to know her left from her right hand to guide the horses. There are a few things that aren't expressed the way we would today; Aunt Abigail, at 200 pounds, is described as very fat, but later, Betsy is said to be in better health because she is a bit fat and also tanned (brown) from being outdoors.
This would be a much better choice than Anne of Green Gables or Little Women for readers who like historical fiction and want to take a look at some older titles. I'm not sure why I bought a copy of this 20 odd years ago; it hasn't circulated all that much, but I think I'll be trotting it out to some 6th graders next year!
I'm a huge fan of Kelly Yang's and loved Top Story. I have an ARC of Finally Heard and can't wait to read it and feature it at Literary Rambles next year.
ReplyDelete