Front Desk: The Graphic Novel by Kelly Yang (Author), Fumio Obata (Illustrator)
From the publisher, Scholastic, Graphix
Imprint, Published Oct 20, 2026
The graphic novel adaptation
of Kelly Yang's New York Times bestselling book Front Desk! This beautifully
illustrated modern classic highlighting Mia Tang's ever-relevant immigrant
story is a must-have for every bookshelf and classroom.
Mia Tang has a lot of
secrets.
Number 1: She lives in a
motel, not a big house. 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 2: Her parents hide
immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been
letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed.
Number 3: She wants to be a
writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because
English is not her first language?
It will take all of Mia's
courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to
hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for
her dreams?
Originally
published in 2019 as a traditional novel, Front Desk won so many awards. I’m probably one
of the few who didn’t read it the first time around. I did read Top Story,
which is book five of six in this series.
This graphic novel was fast paced with no chapter breaks. Felt like a runaway train. It was exhausting because I didn’t want to stop reading. 😊
The story is
about so many important things: racism, immigrants, family, friendship, injustice,
and bullying.
The main
character, Mia, is a creative problem solver, who doesn’t give up and works
hard to help everyone. And she never gives up on herself, either. Her entrepreneurial
spirit leads many of the characters to become better versions of themselves.
I think, whether
you read the novel or graphic novel, you’ll definitely want to read the whole
series. You will love how real the characters are, the heart, and their
relationships. An essential read for all.
