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Front desk5/10/2023 ![]() When a car is stolen from the hotel, the police look suspiciously at Hank, who is black, and when Hank later runs down criminals who beat up Mia's mother, he ends up in jail. Mia also gets to know the "weekly" residents, including Hank. Word gets out that Mia's parents occasionally will put up other Chinese immigrants at the hotel for free, so there is a steady stream of people in need of a helping hand. Both girls have told some white lies about their lives, knowing that other students might not understand how difficult their lives can be. She has some trouble getting along with the other students, who are not very kind about the clothes she wears or her immigrant status, but she does find a friend in Lupe, whose father comes to repair something at the hotel. Mia struggles a bit in school, although her English is very good. Not only is she helping to run the front desk while her parents spend a lot of time cleaning, she has to be in class with Jason Yao. Yao, promises them a certain rate per customer, but ends up not treating them very fairly. Unfortunately, they are not able to get the same sort of professional jobs they had in China, and work at a Chinese restaurant until Mia's help turns disastrous! They eventually find a hotel in Anaheim in need of managers, and are happy that they won't have to pay all of their salary for rent. ![]() It's the early 1990s, and Mia and her parents have moved to California from China in search of more freedom and opportunities. Yao, and go for her dreams?-from the pubisher Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language? Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests. Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. * "Many readers will recognize themselves or their neighbors in these pages." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review
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