This is such a great story! A great way to introduce young readers to the impact Chinese Americans have made on American history. I loved all the characters and lessons that Maizy learned.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

What a satisfying read! I loved this. As always, Yee's writing style is so inviting-- the character development, dialogue, and sense of place are top notch. I loved how Yee weaves parallels between the contemporary Chinese-American experience and the history of Chinese immigrants in the US. Too, the family dynamic is expertly crafted- the generational differences will really hit home for a lot of readers.

Kids who loved Front Desk are going to love this. I can't wait to hand it to my own daughter as well as my young library patrons.

Forced to spend her summer in Last Chance, Minnesota, Maizy Chen decides to make the most of it. She works in her grandparents' restaurant and cares for her sick grandfather, all while trying to figure out why her grandmother and mom don't get along. As she spends more time, she learns about Lucky, her great-great grandfather, and about paper sons, faces racism, and struggles with her grandfather's illness.

Absolutely beautifully told, and accessible to younger readers, I loved that this was the story of an ethnically minority family, where the immediate family are all U.S. born and raised, but still treated as outsiders. It also brought to light something I've never heard of before: paper sons. Chinese American history is so often skipped over, so Yee bringing it to attention is amazing and gives so many a place to start in their own research. Heartfelt, real, and entertaining, this is definitely a book I will recommend.

Also books that make me cry are instantly top tier books.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

An engaging story about Maizy and her trip to Last Chance, Minnesota to the Golden Palace and her Oma and Opa. I thought the story balanced the present day with her Opa's story of Lucky incredibly well. As a 4th grade teacher in California I teach about the building of the Transcontinental Railroad and I think this story does a tremendous job of making the struggles Chinese immigrants faced more real by giving students an opportunity to picture Lucky and his experiences. I think this is also a wonderful opportunity to introduce paper sons and have students research more about this time in our history.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5. There were a couple of times where the story shifted into being a bit preachy and I think the storytelling was so good that doing so wasn't necessary to make the point.

Lisa Yee worked her magic to craft a stellar novel featuring Maizy, an inquisitive young girl navigating a sudden move. I fell in love with all the characters, particularly Opa. It was a delight to see her impact on her family and the greater community. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an early edition.

Super cute story of family, history, and standing up for oneself. I loved learning about the paper boys. Well-written and at a steady pace.

Last Chance Minnesota is the last place that Maisy Chen thought she'd be spending her summer vacation. She is supposed to be a summer camp with her best friend, but now she's stuffed in a car with her mom traveling all the way from Los Angeles to Last Chance. Her mother assures her it is only for a couple of weeks until her grandfather is feeling better, but once they arrive, Maisy knows that there is a lot more to be healed in Last Chance than just her grandfather. Looking to the past for inspiration and answers, Maisy discovers that families are complicated, never quite what you expected, but loving all the same. Being the only Asian girl in town, Maisy feels the other kids are ignoring her or worse yet, bullying her. How to deal with the "mean girls" and the snobby richest woman in town teach Maisy some important lessons about perceptions. Wonderful settings, believable characters, a touch of history and great dialog makes learning about Maisy's family pure joy for the reader.

Exceptionally done the only thing I take issue with is that there are elements of the story that become heavy-handed and preachy as they relate to discrimination and prejudice-- I say this because Yee is a phenomenal writer and created a fantastically loving and sassy main character, Maizy. And how Yee layers the story, her preachiness is unnecessary. It speaks for itself- both historically and in the present day.

I wholeheartedly fell for the story within a story which got too long-winded in [book:Finding Junie Kim|54798474]. This one was a beautiful balance that paced the book and created intrigue and a thread to weave the full story together masterfully. The combination of food too (because everyone's gotta eat!) works and discovering roots that makes it a great readalike (though it's for an older crowd) with [book:Darius the Great Is Not Okay|37506437]. I loved the friendship between Maizy's mom and the Principal with his cool bookish tshirts (that turns out to be gay and it really is just a fun friendship from growing up) and I also cherished the connection Maizy had with her grandfather telling her the story. Lady Macbeth was a nice addition to add some emotional depth and the paper sons also told you a real story about immigration. I am glad Yee did not pursue the Carlos angle (I was like "danger!" don't become [book:Front Desk|36127488] with it's competition element), so she skirted by.

There's just so much to love about it with her super sleuthing friend who realized what a scumbag their mayor was and making Last Chance, Minnesota a character in the story in very realistic and thoughtful ways. Excellent!

I received a digital arc from NetGalley. As soon as I heard Lisa Yee was coming out with another book, I searched for an advanced reader's copy because I just couldn't wait! My favorite part of being a librarian is when I hand kids books with characters on the cover who look like them - the way kids' eyes light up when they see Millicent Min on the cover makes me so happy. Long way of saying I was super hyped Lisa Yee was coming out with another middle grade book!

In the first few pages I was worried because I thought the writing seemed a bit choppy, but I quickly settled in with Maizy's story, interspersed with Lucky's story. Maisy's Oma and Opa made me miss my Italian grandmother and long for all the stories I could have heard from her and her sisters if only I had known to ask.

It is so important that people understand the challenges and racism Asian immigrants faced in the United States, even as they helped build this country, and how it plays out even today. This is a good book pick for class reads and for book clubs.

Guaranteed award winner, this one! It's meaningful, funny, sad, loving, realistic, and timely all in one.

I look forward to giving this book to kids at the library. Watching Maizy learn about her family's history and grow closer to her grandparents was great. I particularly appreciated seeing that Chinese-American families have been here for many generations.

A wonderful introduction to the importance of Chinese immigrants into America and their influence on our culture. Too bad it was rough going and this book addresses that in a gentle yet firm way for the young reader. Maizy also has a great family and makes wonderful friends who travel this journey of her family's history with her.

I loved Maizy! I loved her family and everything she learns about the generations who came veggie her a paved the way. I liked learning about Lucky and the Paper Sons and the family helped them along their way. I liked the healing and growth within the relationships with her mom & Oma & Opa.
I liked that we got to see the characters within the Golden Palace and helping each other and the community.
It's hard to know that so much prejudice still happens to so many that look different. Maizy experiences it with the other girls making fun of the shape of her eyes.
America is a melding pot but there is still so much hate against other cultures and religions and it's not right. If someone was born in this country they have every right as someone else.
This is such a great book with lots of characters to love and the history is incredible too.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!