Books like Front Desk by Kelly Yang
Mia Tang lives in a motel in California, keeping her parents’ immigrant status hidden from the world. Determined to succeed as a writer, she balances the realities of her modest home life with the expectations of school and friends. As Mia confronts the hardships and hopes of the coming year, her courage, kindness, and perseverance are tested, offering readers an honest look at family, identity, and friendship for young adults.
First publish date: 2018
Genre: Children's Fiction/Early Readers
Authors: Kelly Yang
★
★
★
★
★
4.5 (21 community ratings)
How are these books recommended?
The books recommended for Front Desk by Kelly Yang are shaped by reader interaction. Votes on how closely books relate, user ratings, and community comments all help refine these recommendations and highlight books readers genuinely find similar in theme, ideas, and overall reading experience.
Have you read any of these books?
Your votes, ratings, and comments help improve recommendations and make it easier
for other readers to discover books they’ll enjoy.
Books similar to Front Desk (24 similar books)
Ari, a fifteen‑year‑old Mexican‑American with a brother in prison, meets Dante and a friendship sparks that forces him to confront his identity, family, and sexuality.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Mexican farm workers must adjust to life in California during the Great Depression.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Three teenagers from different eras and continents embark on perilous journeys to escape war, persecution, and tyranny, each facing drowning, bombings and betrayal, yet their stories converge, showing that hope endures across time and borders.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Ralph S. Mouse, a house mouse who talks to children, roams a run‑down hotel on his tiny motorcycle, seeking adventure and freedom.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
When her adoptive parents die, twelve‑year‑old genius Willow Chance must navigate grief, diagnosis, and a new surrogate family while staying true to her obsessive love of nature and counting by sevens.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A middle‑school girl’s ordinary wish takes a new direction when she meets an unlikely companion—a skinny stray dog named Wishbone—whose presence turns her ordinary world into an adventure of friendship and self‑discovery.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Two clever eleven‑year‑olds uncover the mystery of a vanished magician while thwarting a dastardly duo seeking immortality.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Miri returns to her childhood kingdom and learns the power of friendship and self-confidence in an epic fantasy adventure of self-discovery and the quest for a new charter.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Mia Tang runs the front desk of her family’s Calivista Motel in California while juggling sixth‑grade hurdles, a skeptical teacher, investor pressure, and looming immigration legislation that could threaten her Chinese‑American family’s future.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
When a Venezuelan immigrant named Rigoberto meets his new schoolmate Angelina, both discover they are not alone as outsiders and must navigate prejudice and friendship in an American classroom.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A sports novel about a teenager's chance to throw a football for a million dollars, set against the backdrop of family struggles and disability.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Best friends Mia Tang and Lupe are in San Francisco for writing and math camps.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A bustling Chinese immigrant family’s fortune crashes, forcing them on a cross‑country road trip that tests their bonds and redefines what home means.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Amal unbound follows a young Pakistani girl who, after becoming an indentured servant to clear her family’s debt, clings to her dream of becoming a teacher while confronting injustice and learning the power of courage and resilience.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A Chinese New Year story featuring family and friendship, suitable for young readers and adults alike.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Amelia embarks on a journey to find her Aunt Tanner, her former cheerleader teammates, and the boy she once thought of as a friend, all while dodging ex-boyfriend's tell-all book and navigating the complex dynamics of their family's past and present. A lighthearted and humorous adventure story for young readers, perfect for fans of 'The Fault in Our Stars' and 'Wonder'.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A young Chinese girl's journey to prove she is not cursed and find a way through the Angel Island Immigration Station in 1923.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A plump girl gains self-confidence and makes friends after being bitten by a mysterious fox in her sixth-grade class.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A tale of self-confidence and friendship as Mabel learns to embrace her name and make amends with her classmates.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Sophomores and Other Oxymorons follows high schooler Scott Hudson as he navigates a new baby brother and the trials of sophomore year, balancing friendship, family, and self‑confidence in a relatable Pennsylvania setting.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Some Other Similar Books
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine PatersonHave a similar book in mind? Let others know!
Please login to submit books!