Immigration, poverty and racism are all really important topics in the news lately. Last month, I read a fantastic new book in which all three of those topics are central themes. What is this book I’m talking about? Front Desk by Kelly Yang! The main character in the story is Mia Tang, a ten-year-old girl who has recently immigrated with her parents from China. Her parents are now working at the Calivista Motel while Mia runs the front desk. Sounds easy and fun, right? It’s not. Mia’s family is really poor, and the motel’s Scrooge of an owner, Mr. Yao, pays them very little. And on top of all that, Mia’s family is hiding Chinese immigrants in the motel, and if the owner discovers their secret, they’re going to be in serious trouble. But there’s hope! Mia finds out about an essay contest. If she wins, the people holding the contest will grant her family ownership of their motel in Vermont. She does have a few issues with writing in English, but she hopes that she can fix that. Although, there’s just one problem…it costs $300 to enter the contest. And how is Mia going to scrape together enough money to pay for it? The problem of making friends in her new country is resolved quickly-Mia meets another immigrant girl, Lupe, and they become best friends. But over the course of the book, many more complications pop up in Mia’s life: a stolen car, a pencil theft, money worries, their friend Hank’s difficulties (Hank lives at the Calivista – he’s one of the “weeklies”), bullying, and more. Mia tries to help solve many of those problems by writing letters-helping Hank find a job, for instance, or writing a letter to store owners in town about a racist list of “bad” customers going around-even though she is still having issues with English. Want to know something fascinating? Front Desk is semi-autobiographical! Kelly Yang actually immigrated from China and lived a lot like Mia-running a motel with a horrid owner. A lot of what happens to Mia in the story happened to Kelly Yang. Front Desk is an inspiring, uplifting story that is impossible to put down. All the difficulties Mia confronts and how she looks for solutions until she finds one teaches us to persevere. The fact that much of the story is nonfiction, and that despite all the hardships the author faced, she went to a good college and became a writer reminds us how much immigrants contribute to this country. Front Desk by Kelly Yang. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2018. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? Let us know in the comments below!
What If? Reviewed by Nina Vigil, 11
Who here likes completely serious and scientific answers to weird and crazy hypothetical questions? Who here also likes comics? For those of you who like both (like me) What If? by Randall Munroe, a cartoonist and former roboticist at NASA, is the book for you! The book explores several questions submitted to Munroe’s website and gives the hilarious answers to each. For example: ‘What would happen if everyone on Earth stood as close to each other as they could and jumped, everyone landing on the ground at the same instant?’ Here’s some more – ‘From what height would you need to drop a steak for it to be cooked when it hit the ground?’ ‘What would happen if you made a periodic table out of cube-shaped bricks, where each brick was made of the corresponding element?’ ‘How many Lego bricks would it take to build a bridge capable of carrying traffic from London to New York?’ There are comics to go with each question, depicting scenes that help explain the answer or elaborate on it. The answers come with footnotes, many of which are amusing comments. And there are sections for some of the questions that got submitted but weren’t answered – specifically, the extra weird and super bizarre ones. (Obviously, there are comics to go with that, too.) This book is such a great one in part because the author takes these questions seriously. He actually writes logical answers to them in full detail and doesn’t just dismiss them as silly, harebrained kid questions like a lot of adults would do. What If? makes topics such as physics and math as interesting as possible and very funny. For the science lovers, What If? is right up your alley. I would also recommend this book for anyone who has ever wondered about something kind of strange sounding and isn’t sure where to find an answer. Go to the library or the bookstore and get this book. I guarantee you will not be disappointed! What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books, 2014. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? Let us know in the comments below!
Evangeline of the Bayou, Reviewed by Nina Vigil, 11
At 7:30 PM one night, although I was only in the middle of the book, I set out in determination to finish Evangeline of the Bayou. I ended up reading so ardently that time didn’t seem to be passing at all. But it was, and when I finally finished it was 9:30 PM. That’s how amazing it was. Evangeline Clement is a haunt-huntress-in-training living with her grandma in the Louisiana bayou. What’s a haunt huntress? Well, they’re women who protect people from supernatural creatures like bayou banshees, dixie demons, and graveyard ghouls, among many others. Evangeline is very excited to become an official haunt huntress and for her familiar to arrive. But what if she’s not a real haunt huntress, but just a middling? The story begins when Evangeline and her Gran are called to New Orleans to solve a case involving a strange illness. This one is like nothing Evangeline has ever seen before. And soon, she’s gotten herself mixed up in a mystery that quickly gets very frightening and very dangerous. The best part of this book is the clever and innovative plot, and the combination of mystery, adventure and fantasy. I also loved the different creatures. My favorite was Fader, the four-eared cat who is Gran’s familiar. I enjoyed learning about all of the magical elements. There are spells, magical items, talismans, voodoo, and more. The blend of cultures in New Orleans is a lot like the gumbo Evangeline loves. In addition to that, I liked the realistic characters. Take Evangeline-like many people, she aspires to be something (in her case, a haunt huntress), but the problem is that in order to be approved as a haunt huntress, she has to prove that she “has heart”, and she’s worried she won’t be deemed worthy. Being a haunt huntress connects Evangeline to important women like her Gran and her dead mother. From the start, you’re rooting for her. Evangeline of the Bayou is a wonderful, exciting and fast-paced book that I recommend for just about anyone, in particular mystery fans and avid fantasy readers. I suggest you immediately get this book. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did. Evangeline of the Bayou by Jan Eldredge. Balzer + Bray, 2018. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? Let us know in the comments below!
