The story of Mia and her family and friends at the Calivista Motel continues in this powerful, hilarious, and resonant sequel to the award-winning novel Front Desk. We had the pleasure of chatting to author Kelly Yang about Three Keys, book recommendations, writing advice, and more!
Hi, Kelly! Tell us a bit about yourself!
Hi! I’m Kelly Yang and I’m the New York Times bestselling author of FRONT DESK, winner of the 2019 Asian Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature, the sequel THREE KEYS, and the young adult novel PARACHUTES.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I first fell in love with writing when I was 7. I had just learned English and I wrote a story about coming over to the US from the China on the airplane, and the jitters and excitement in my tummy. And even though my story was full of grammar mistakes and spelling mistakes, my teacher told me that it touched her heart. It was such an empowering feeling, being able to touch someone’s heart with my words, that I fell in love with writing right then and there.
With the current state of the world, what are you doing to cope with the changes we’ve had to make with our day-to-day?
My coping mechanism has always been the same since I was a kid – I write! Writing is very therapeutic for me; it’s a way for me to feel safe and cocooned, especially when the world often feels like it is spinning out of control.
Your recently published middle-grade novel, Three Keys, is the follow-up to your award-winning and best-selling Front Desk! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Funny, heartwarming, searing, suspenseful, hopeful.
Now tell us a little more! What can readers expect?
Readers can expect to continue the journey of Mia Tang! Mia and her friends and family are now the proud owners of the Calivista Motel, and they’re finally going to run the motel their way! Mia also finally has a best friend – Lupe. She’s waited her whole life to have a best friend! But when a new law on the ballot threatens to take away everything away, it’s going to take all of Mia’s bravery and creativity to stand up for what’s right!
Your novel has a strong focus on important and relevant topics, such as immigration and antiracism. Why do you think it’s important to have topics such as these in books for younger readers?
It’s critically important for children to learn antiracism and about the immigrant experience at a young age so they can understand what other kids around them are going through and have more empathy. These are issues that impact all of us. And only by understanding what’s happening can we start to make things better. I love that my books are conversation starters for families. I originally wrote FRONT DESK to tell my son Eliot about the way I grew up. It ended up opening the door to many many rich conversations about race, and poverty, and justice.
As this book is historically set in 1994 (which is quite bizarre to say), you lived through Proposal 187 yourself. Did you face any challenges while writing Three Keys? If so, how did you overcome them?
It was very important to me that I captured the emotions of that time accurately, so I did a ton of qualitative and quantitative research. In addition to talking with many families and children, I also consulted immigration legal experts and even visited immigration jail. It was an unforgettable experience.
What do you hope your readers will take away from your novel?
I hope readers take away the three keys of friendship and allyship – you gotta listen, you gotta care, and you gotta keep trying! I also hope young readers are inspired and empowered to stand up for what’s right!
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Write, write, write! The best way to get better at writing is to just keep doing it. Don’t give up!
What’s next for you?
I’m working on more middle grade!
Lastly, are you currently reading anything and do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I’d love to recommend my amazingly talented friend Mae Respicio’s new book ANY DAY WITH YOU, which celebrates a heartwarming granddaughter-grandfather friendship and the beach, two of my very favorite things!
