At a glance
Front Desk
Children's contemporary realistic fiction
Front Desk
Book 1 of the Front Desk series
Ten-year-old Mia Tang manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel while her Chinese immigrant parents clean rooms for its exploitative owner, Mr. Yao. The family secretly offers empty rooms to other immigrants in need, a kindness that could cost them their livelihood if discovered. Mia also dreams of becoming a writer, even as racism, poverty, school pressures, and doubts about her English make that ambition feel unreachable. Warm, funny, and candid, this middle-grade novel suits readers who enjoy resourceful heroines, immigrant-family stories, community problem-solving, and hopeful accounts of using words and collective action to challenge unfairness.
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Jump to the pours ↓Motel-Desk Mango Cooler + Lager
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No surprises at chapter twelve
Content notes
Racism and bullying · Financial hardship · Threat of eviction and deportation · Family stress
Alcohol-Free Pour
Motel-Desk Mango Cooler
A bright mango cooler for Mia’s resourceful, hopeful California story.
What you'll need
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.How to mix it
- Combine the noncarbonated ingredients in a glass or shaker and stir or shake until mixed. Pour over ice, top with any carbonated ingredient, and stir gently.
- Garnish: Use a matching citrus wheel, berry, or herb from the recipe when available.
- Glassware: Highball glass.
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Highball glass ↗Cocktail shaker ↗Cocktail Pour · 21+
Lager
For adults of legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly.
A cold lager is an easy companion to a few more pages.
What you'll need
- 12 oz Lager
Alcohol-shopping links are not shown on children's or young-adult book pages.
How to mix it
- Pour into a clean pint glass and serve at the appropriate cool serving temperature.
- Garnish: None.
- Glassware: Pint glass.
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We earn a commission from qualifying purchases through these Amazon links, at no extra cost to you.
Pint glass ↗Set up the bar cart
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