By: Kelly Yang
Rate: supreme
In this amazing sequel to Front Desk, we continue to adventure with Mia Tang. Mia now is the owner of the Calivista Motel! She’s excited to start a new, fresh year in sixth grade! But, things don’t go as smoothly as Mia pictured.
On the politics side, an immigration law, Proposition 187, threatens to ruin everything in Mia’s life. It bans people from entering the USA, and also, it enforces the deportation of some immigrants. Although this law is targeted on the Mexicans, Mia and the Chinese immigrants are on the same boat. And when Mia’s Latino best friend, Lupe’s, father is put in jail and her mother is stuck in Mexico… everything will depend on Mia, Lupe, Hank, and the other weeklies to help Lupe’s father, Jose, get out of jail.
Another one of Mia’s new problems is her teacher, Mrs. Welch, who doesn’t agree with Mia’s old teacher that her writing is great. She also believes in Governer Wilson, the man who suggested Prop 187. Can Mia prove that her writing is amazing, and change Mrs. Welch?
Finally, the Calivista Motel is struggling. Mia and her parents put an “Immigrants Welcome” sign on the motel–and now customers are driving past the Calivista and going to the other motels and inns. When the investors start protesting against it, will Mia and her parents keep the sign up, or will they take it down?
A few more troubles also make Mia frustrated. Over the summer, she thinks that her personal bully last year, Jason Yao, has changed. Mia believes that Jason is kinder. But something is wrong with the relationship between Lupe and Jason. Jason wants to be friends with Lupe, but Lupe seems to hate him. Mia wants to find out why–was there a grudge to be settled between her two friends?
Though Jason has changed, it seems like Mr. Yao and Mrs. Yao haven’t. They’re still the same snotty and mean people. Mia doesn’t care about what they say about her and her parents’ motel, previously his–or does she?
Recently, Mia has been switching from shaved ice and jianbing to cookies and ice cream. Her father doesn’t like it–he says she’s becoming a banana, a person with Chinese looks (the yellow), but inside is really American (the white).
Then again, Mia’s mother has been shopping and chatting recently with a group of Chinese women who are rich and have made it in America. Mia’s mom wants to feel like she has made it too, so she hangs out with them. But these women have her buy expensive things. Mia has a bad feeling about these women–what will her mother do?
Mia has finally gotten off the poor roller coaster, but troubles still await. It is up to Mia Tang to solve them!
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