01/24/2022

Drawing deeply from her own family’s experiences, Yang (the Front Desk series) pens a tender, resonant narrative following the Wei-Evans, an American family living in Hong Kong when news of Covid-19 arises in January 2020. Middle child Knox, 10, who has a “blurting-things-out problem,” doesn’t want to leave his best friend—his white father—in Hong Kong as his work-focused Chinese mother, overachieving 12-year-old brother Bowen, and cheery six-year-old sister Lea plan to head to an inherited home in El Tercera, Calif. But soon, the oft-squabbling siblings must adjust to a single-parent household, East Bay schools, financial tension, an ADHD diagnosis for Knox, and mounting anti-Asian racism, including hateful confrontations as well as avoidance of Chinese people and food. Banding together, the siblings launch Operation Dad Come Over: raising money to afford their father’s plane ticket, and applying to jobs on his behalf. Narrating from Knox’s approachable, first-person-present perspective, Yang adeptly maintains a sense of hope and belief in love, balancing haunting dramatic irony (“That won’t happen in America.... They have the most advanced medical system in the world”) with moments of levity as the family works to be reunited. Back matter features an author’s note. Ages 8–12. Agent: Tina Dubois, ICM Partners. (Mar.)

"Without beating the reader over the head the author manages to emphasize values such as family first, kindness, and courage throughout the story. The genuine nature of this pandemic tale stems from Yang's experiences with her own family. This book will keep readers turning pages, if not for its recognizable elements than for its ability to transmit the love and strength of a family under duress in an unusual time...highly recommended."

"Yang again demonstrates her talent for honest, age-appropriate storytelling from a child’s perspective that both entertains and educates. A compelling story that conveys the importance of showing love and kindness, especially during hard times. Highly recommended for all middle-grade collections."

"Based on the real-life experiences of Yang and her family, the story does not soften the trauma of moving somewhere for safety, only to realize that place has its own dangers and hardships, and it also recognizes the pandemic’s specific social and economic losses, as well as the emotional toll it takes on Knox and the people he cares about....plenty of adults and kids alike are exhausted by the pandemic, but this is a timely mid-grade must-have and a story that needs to be told."

"Despite the serious subject matter, Yang includes plenty of humor, with wry observations about Zoom schooling and the kids’ efforts to “help out” with a garage sale and LinkedIn job hunt. Knox’s experience with ADHD is portrayed with nuance and empathy."

★ 03/11/2022

Gr 4–7—Chinese American fifth grader Knox Wei-Evans's world is turned upside down when his parents decide that Mom will take Knox, older brother Bowen, and younger sister Lea from their home in Hong Kong to the United States to get away from the novel coronavirus that just shut down the city of Wuhan. The kids have to pack quickly and leave their dog and their dad—Knox's best friend—behind. In Northern California, they quarantine for 14 days and attempt online school before starting public school, where, for the first time ever, Knox has a teacher who understands and encourages him, and he has a friend. Christopher is also Asian American and has ADHD. But the virus "knows no borders" and soon arrives in the States, triggering a wave of fear and anti-Asian racism. Knox's mom says that love is the only vaccine for hate, and Knox stands up to racist classmates—his own and Bowen's. As California enters a state of emergency, Knox, Bowen, and Lea bond in a creative desperate effort to raise money to bring their dad to join them. The Wei-Evans family faces the pandemic, racism, and worries about jobs, income, and healthcare with "consistent courage," and finds that being more open and honest with each other helps. Knox's struggles will resonate with all children who lived through the scary and uncertain first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. VERDICT A pandemic book that is also a story of the importance of family, friendship, and standing up for what is right; another knockout from Yang, highly recommended for all collections.—Jenny Arch

Sensitivity and verve characterize Justin Chien’s narration of this heartfelt story. Ten-year-old Knox is the middle child in a biracial family. Impulsive and tenderhearted, he has the hardest time leaving his father in Hong Kong when he flies with his mom and siblings to San Francisco to avoid the pandemic. Sadly, COVID-19 and anti-Asian prejudice follow them. Chien’s sincerity and depth of feeling make these situations relatable. The audiobook ends with a note on the author’s own pandemic experiences. Her family got her through it, she says, along with their understanding that “love is the only vaccine against hate.” S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

2021-12-15
A family flees Hong Kong for the U.S. to escape Covid-19 only to face many complex obstacles.

Ten-year-old Knox, the middle child of three, is constantly in motion and creating messes. When he’s not annoying his older brother, Bowen, or playing with his younger sister, Lea, he’s kicking around his soccer ball. When reports of a novel coronavirus in China surface in January 2020, his family makes a drastic decision: Knox, his siblings, and their Chinese mom will relocate to their house in the Bay Area for a month while their White American dad stays behind for work. Initially their mother paints a vision of an ideal America filled with opportunities and the best health care in the world, but the kids find the reality at times unsavory. Gradually, Knox and his siblings encounter complications in their new lives, among them, their mother’s job loss, racism, and an ADHD diagnosis for Knox. Undeterred, they decide to collaborate on Operation Dad Come Over, hoping to earn enough money to bring their father to the U.S. The siblings embark on several haphazard moneymaking schemes that result in chaos—and definite growth. The coincidental timing of some plot points feels like a bit of a stretch, but Yang deftly touches on complex issues including China–Hong Kong relations, racism, the grief of separation and dislocation, and the pandemic, all while maintaining a hopeful tone.

A timely and compelling family journey. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)