FRONT DESK

Narrator Sunny Lu lives up to her first name in portraying Mia Tang. Lu captures the fifth grader’s qualities of cheer, ingenuity, and resilience. Mia’s parents, who are Chinese immigrants, work 24/7 to scrape together a living in 1990s Anaheim, California. When they find a motel to manage, plucky Mia enthusiastically takes responsibility for the front desk. Lu fills her portrait of Mia with the warmth and tenderness that earn the caring girl friends among those who stay at the hotel. Further, she demonstrates the courage to stand up for those who face racism. Mia herself faces prejudice from privileged classmates and a seemingly rigid mother. Lu expresses her frustrations and humiliations, but she also shows Mia’s determination, unflagging hope, and ability to find solutions for the most difficult situations. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2018]