Age rating and parents' guide:Front Desk
by Kelly Yang
Ages 9–14
Front Desk by Kelly Yang is best for children aged 9–14. It has mild violence, a few mildly scary moments, no romance and no bad language. Worth knowing: Economic hardship themes.
Mia helps manage her immigrant family’s motel while confronting racism, financial hardship, and the fear of losing their home.
Content ratings
How much of each a parent can expect, from none to strong.
- Violence
- Mild
- Scary moments
- Mild
- Romance
- None
- Bad language
- None
Worth knowing: Economic hardship themes
Content checked by Dhiraj Bodade, co-founder of Bookstaken, on .
At a glance
- Novel
- Part of the Front Desk series
- A steady start that picks up quickly
- Mostly text
- Emotionally light
Great for kids who like
- Family
- Survival & resilience
Reading mood
- Thoughtful
Good to talk about
- Family
- Survival & resilience
Books like Front Desk
Similar stories for the same ages, none more intense than this one should be for its youngest readers.
Ages 9–14
The Arrival
by Shaun Tan
A wordless story follows a refugee who leaves family behind and enters a strange new country filled with unfamiliar creatures.
Ages 9–13
The Village by the Sea
by Anita Desai
Lila and Hari navigate family hardship and change in a coastal Maharashtra village.
Ages 12–14
The War That Saved My Life
by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Ada escapes an abusive home during wartime evacuation and slowly learns trust, independence, and love with her brother Jamie.
On these book lists
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