Room to Dream (Front Desk #3)
New York Times bestselling author Kelly Yang is back with another heartwarming and inspiring story of Mia and friends!
Mia Tang is going for her dreams!
After years of hard work, Mia Tang finally gets to go on vacation with her family -- to China! A total dream come true! Mia can't wait to see all her cousins and grandparents again, especially her cousin Shen. As she roams around Beijing, witnessing some of the big changes China's going through, Mia thinks about the changes in her own life, like . . .
1. Lupe's taking classes at the high school! And Mia's own plans to be a big writer are . . . stuck.
2. Something happened with Jason and Mia has no idea what to do about it.
3. New buildings are popping up all around the motel, and small businesses are disappearing.
Can the Calivista survive? Buckle up! Mia is more determined than ever to get through the turbulence, now that she finally has . . . room to dream!
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Community Reviews
Absolutely LOVE this series!! In this book, Mia is finally able to go with her family back to China. Through this trip, however, she realizes that what her family has been dreaming about all along might not be what's best in the end. I love the themes of loyalty, hard work, passion, and family in this book. Her friendships go through some hard times and competition threatens the Calivista but Mia is going to fight no matter what. What matters most - being rich and having all the best new things or being someone who cares about those around you and supports everyone's dream endeavors. Just like the first two books, Yang brings forth some hard hitting issues, this book looking at how cities change and the affect it has on its inhabitants. 100% recommend and can't WAIT to see what happens in the fourth book!
In this book, Mia has some troubles with Lupe and Jason as each of them start to take different paths in school and with extracurriculars. But when they go to China, she sees all the progress that is being made and how it is taking away from her favorite memories of her home. She doesn't want this to happen to the Calivista. Sometimes it isn't about being flashy or the most modern or high tech, it is about those who care for one another and those who are willing to do anything to help others be happy and successful. I also love that she is getting published and seeing this dream come to life too! This book seemed to end on a really high note so I am so curious as to what is going to happen in book 4.
Quotes: "A brilliant writer once said, 'No matter how bad something is, it's a lot worse if you have nobody to tell it to.' That was a line I'd written." Pg. 21
"Education is a gift. Always treasure it" ~Popsicle Grandpa Pg. 78
"A good teacher can open a door, but you must enter by yourself" pg. 96
"Give it time, little one. Remember that friendship is kind of like a river - there are ebbs and flows. Just because you're in an ebb doesn't mean the whole river's dried up" Pg. 148
"Both girls' parents came to the United States in pursuit of the American dream. Now the kids are forging their own paths...one dream at a time!" pg. 305
In this book, Mia has some troubles with Lupe and Jason as each of them start to take different paths in school and with extracurriculars. But when they go to China, she sees all the progress that is being made and how it is taking away from her favorite memories of her home. She doesn't want this to happen to the Calivista. Sometimes it isn't about being flashy or the most modern or high tech, it is about those who care for one another and those who are willing to do anything to help others be happy and successful. I also love that she is getting published and seeing this dream come to life too! This book seemed to end on a really high note so I am so curious as to what is going to happen in book 4.
Quotes: "A brilliant writer once said, 'No matter how bad something is, it's a lot worse if you have nobody to tell it to.' That was a line I'd written." Pg. 21
"Education is a gift. Always treasure it" ~Popsicle Grandpa Pg. 78
"A good teacher can open a door, but you must enter by yourself" pg. 96
"Give it time, little one. Remember that friendship is kind of like a river - there are ebbs and flows. Just because you're in an ebb doesn't mean the whole river's dried up" Pg. 148
"Both girls' parents came to the United States in pursuit of the American dream. Now the kids are forging their own paths...one dream at a time!" pg. 305
"Room to Dream" by Kelly Yang is fantastic! It's a middle-grade book that reminds me of my childhood, and I love it because it also teaches valuable lessons. I'm a fan of Kelly Yang and her works, and I admire her for overcoming discrimination in her childhood. She also writes columns and loves writing, just like I do. The book presents a challenge to the main characters, Mia, Lupe, and Jason, and I love the plot twists, characters, and writing. I would give it 5 stars and it's my favorite! Here are some quotes I found in this amazing book!
"I blinked my eyes hard before a tear could escape. Stop it, I told myself. Getting a rejection is normal, part of being a professional writer."
"And why’d my nai nai have to make that comment about me getting tan? Who cared what color my skin was? And my lao lao, thinking boys were better at math?
They’d said similar things to me when I was little, many, many times. But now, the colorism and sexism made me feel itchy and scratchy under the thick blanket. China wasn’t the only thing that’d changed. I’d changed too."
"Just like America, on the outside it might look like a big happy Gap Kids commercial—but for most folks, the reality was far from perfect."
"And so they took the great leap of courage to come to America, not knowing that what awaited them on the other side was an ocean of uncertainty.’ ”
“Sometimes a loss isn’t really a loss,” he said with a wink. “It’s an opportunity. You just can’t see it yet.”
"I hope the kindness in people never changes, no matter how tall or fancy the buildings get.
I learned a lot about my homeland on this trip, and even though it isn’t perfect, I’ll always be proud of it because it is where I came from"
"People keep things bottled up inside for all sorts of reasons,”
"I blinked my eyes hard before a tear could escape. Stop it, I told myself. Getting a rejection is normal, part of being a professional writer."
"And why’d my nai nai have to make that comment about me getting tan? Who cared what color my skin was? And my lao lao, thinking boys were better at math?
They’d said similar things to me when I was little, many, many times. But now, the colorism and sexism made me feel itchy and scratchy under the thick blanket. China wasn’t the only thing that’d changed. I’d changed too."
"Just like America, on the outside it might look like a big happy Gap Kids commercial—but for most folks, the reality was far from perfect."
"And so they took the great leap of courage to come to America, not knowing that what awaited them on the other side was an ocean of uncertainty.’ ”
“Sometimes a loss isn’t really a loss,” he said with a wink. “It’s an opportunity. You just can’t see it yet.”
"I hope the kindness in people never changes, no matter how tall or fancy the buildings get.
I learned a lot about my homeland on this trip, and even though it isn’t perfect, I’ll always be proud of it because it is where I came from"
"People keep things bottled up inside for all sorts of reasons,”
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