TOP STORY Front Desk, Book 5

Narrator Sunny Lu returns for the indomitable Mia Tang's fifth adventure. This time the 13-year-old goes to San Francisco for a winter-break journalism camp at a big-city newspaper. She, her mom, and her friends stay in Chinatown, embedding Mia and listeners in its rich history. Her racist editors have no interest in it, but, of course, Mia finds a way to make her voice heard. Once again, Lu confidently embodies Mia's can-do spirit even as she creates distinct secondary characters. Alas, she must also navigate frequent exposition on Asian American and Indigenous history, which is conveyed by Mia's new friends, a girl born in Chinatown and fellow campers who are Japanese American and Muwekma Ohlone. Listeners will soak up the information, but they may wish it had been delivered more naturally. V.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2023]