Very much still feels weird to mark books set in the 1990s as historical fiction, but here we are. Three Keys deals with the election with Gov. Wilson and Prop 187 (as a non-Californian, I wondered if those were fictional or real, and then the author's note in the end confirmed that was the case). Immigration and politicians fueled by xenophobia are unfortunately evergreen topics, and the Front Desk books dovetail well with my reread of Dragonwings (and though both are historical, they still ring relevant in the 2020s.)

Three Keys lets us get into the lives of Mia's friends more: Lupe and the status of her parents are the main plot of this novel, while Jason and the Yaos are more fleshed out. Mia's sixth grade teacher who could've been a villain in another author's hands even has reasons for being frustrated (though I do wish younger southerners would also be persuaded by their immigrant students to think more nuanced!) and paralleled well with Mia's mother struggling as an educated woman in a job that doesn't use her skills.

Generally, I like to skim other reviews as I write mine to see what other readers think, and continuing the comparison to Dragonwings, I still find it immensely frustrating that a particular subsection of readers/parents think that "politics" have no place in middle graded. The message they're really sending is "I don't like this and my children aren't affected by it so they should not learn it" which places the burden of educating their peers on marginalized folks. Lupe is fictional, but she represents many children in similar situations. Once again: it is a privilege when your history is core curriculum but others' goes into extracurriculars. "It's inappropriate for my kids to learn about how racist people were" ok, so like, when will it ever be appropriate? Middle grade is a good age to trust your young audience.

I hadn't realized there were more so now I need to find [b:Room to Dream|55977848|Room to Dream (Front Desk #3)|Kelly Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1612316656l/55977848._SX50_.jpg|87199953] before Key Player comes out this fall! ( )

While Front Desk was a wonderful story that was framed by social issues, it’s sequel is too much frame and not enough picture. It’s not terrible but it’s clumsily done. ( )

Spectacular. Continues Mia's adventures, but centers on undocumented Latinx workers. Handles racism and immigration tension beautifully, while keeping the focus on everyday kid life. I love that this addresses not only the fight for immigrant labor to be respected; but the need for immigrants to have dreams, too. Bread and Roses. There's a lot of hardship in this book, but a ton of hope and kindness, too.

Advanced Reader's Copy Provided by Edelweiss. ( )

Recommended Ages: Gr. 5-8 (appropriate for younger, just long and lots to process)

Plot Summary: Mia's life has gotten easier now that her parents own the motel, with a whole bunch of shareholders of course. Or at least, she thinks it will be easier, but it's not. Her parents seem upset that they're working so many hours on manual labor at the motel after leaving job which require serious skill and education (geneticist and engineer). Lupe's mom disappeared after hiring El Lobo to get back into the states following her visit to Mexico for her mother's funeral. Then, Lupe's dad is arrested and is being threatened to be deported. Hank lost his job, but that turns out well because he starts working for the motel. Mia can't figure out why Lupe despises Jason so much. Business at the motel is down. And racism seems rampant everywhere as the discussion about Proposition 187 becomes more and more heated before the election. How will Mia get through all of this? Will there be a happy ending?

Setting: LA 1994

Characters:
Mia Tang -
Lupe Garcia - Mia's best friend, her parents work at the motel
Hank - weekly, Black, very handy
Jason Yao - Mr. Yao's son, in Mia's grade at the same school, Mia's friend
Mrs. Welch - Mia's teacher, starts the school year by seemingly singling Mia out for her race
Ying Tang - Mia's mom, teaches math to the kids when their parents are in the meetings at the motel
Jose Garcia - Lupe's dad

Recurring Themes: racism, immigration, friendship, family, change viewpoints, pride, kindness

Controversial Issues: author and storyline are definitely anti-Trump

Personal Thoughts: This book could work as a standalone although it would be helpful to understand the concept of shareholders. I was shocked at how many similarities there were between Proposition 187 and the Trump's politics. The authors note at the end explains that the increase in hate crimes during Trump's presidency sparked the writing of this book. Mia is wise beyond her years, accepting Jason and dealing with Mr. Yao better than most teens and pre-teens today. Not to mention the way she deals with racist Mrs. Welch. This is a very important book.

Genre: historical fiction

Pacing: medium-fast
Characters: well developed
Frame: the only thing readers may not understand in this book is the idea of shareholders, and one shareholder does threaten to leave when profits are low
Storyline:

Activity: ( )

Very inspirational and relatable story about how even kids can fight against all kinds of injustice. ( )