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Front Desk by Kelly Yang tells a story about Kelly Yang's childhood through the voice of Mia, whose family flees to America from China with the hopes of new opportunity. While establishing a new life in a foreign country, Mia and her family quickly realize that the American dream is not as promising as they had hoped for after years of being exploited for labor at a motel. Throughout the story, Mia overcomes challenging obstacles in the hopes of creating a brighter future for her family and other immigrants who share similar experiences.
Front Desk by Kelly Yang tells a story about Kelly Yang's childhood through the voice of Mia, whose family flees to America from China with the hopes of new opportunity. While establishing a new life in a foreign country, Mia and her family quickly realize that the American dream is not as promising as they had hoped for after years of being exploited for labor at a motel. Throughout the story, Mia overcomes challenging obstacles in the hopes of creating a brighter future for her family and other immigrants who share similar experiences.
Written by Kelly Yang
Published in 2018 by Arthur A. Levine Books
Genre: realistic fiction
Reading level: grades 3-6
Suggested delivery: small group
2019 Asian/Pacific American Award for Children's Literature
Big Ideas (key words):
Family
Kindness
Determination
Perseverance
Growth
Common Core State Standard:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
Teaching Strategies:
Building schema before reading:
Cover and discuss essential vocabulary/topics:
Motel: a roadside hotel that typically has rooms arranged in a low building with parking directly outside
Immigrant: a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country
Injustice: violation of rights
Poverty: the state of being extremely poor
How might it be difficult to adjust to a completely new life and country, while leaving your past life and home behind you?
Supporting the Text:
Kelly Yang, the author of Front Desk, reads the first chapter of her story which can be a great starting point for reading along in small groups or independently.
During reading:
Example discussion questions to drive comprehension:
How does Mia and her family adapt to living in America after fleeing from China?
In what ways are Mia and her family taken advantage of when it comes to working at the motel? How do they respond to this injustice?
How does Mia's mother feel about Mia's dreams to become a writer?
How does Mia respond to Mrs. Tang's discouragement towards Mia developing her English language skills?
Even though Mia did not win the essay contest, she was still able to seek a solution to the injustice and exploitation that her family faced for years in America. How did the story reach a resolution to Mia and her family's hardships?
How have Mia and her family grown throughout the story? In what ways?
After reading:
Students will be given the task of conducting an interview with Mia from the story
Students will write at least 10 questions that will provide Mia the opportunity to discuss her thoughts and feelings about her experiences in the story
Students will present their interview as a written transcript, audio, or video format
Extension of the Text:
The author of Front Desk, Kelly Yang, discusses the motivation behind creating this story and emphasizes the importance of sharing this story with young readers.
Continue with the Front Desk series!
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