Maizy Chen's Last Chance: (Newbery Honor Award Winner)

$19.99
by Lisa Yee

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NEWBERY HONOR AWARD WINNER • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR YOUTH LITERATURE Twelve year-old Maizy discovers her family’s Chinese restaurant is full of secrets in this irresistible novel that celebrates food, fortune, and family. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY School Library Journal • Booklist • The Horn Book • New York Public Library • One of Slate ’s 25 Greatest Picture Books of the Past 25 Years Welcome to the Golden Palace! Maizy has never been to Last Chance, Minnesota . . . until now. Her mom’s plan is just to stay for a couple weeks, until her grandfather gets better. But plans change, and as Maizy spends more time in Last Chance and at the Golden Palace—the restaurant that’s been in her family for generations—she makes some discoveries.For instance: You can tell a LOT about someone by the way they order food. - People can surprise you. Sometimes in good ways, sometimes in disappointing ways. - And the Golden Palace has secrets... But the more Maizy discovers, the more questions she has. Like, why are her mom and her grandmother always fighting? Who are the people in the photographs on the office wall? And when she discovers that a beloved family treasure has gone missing—and someone has left a racist note—Maizy decides it’s time to find the answers. Praise for MAIZY CHEN'S LAST CHANCE: ★ “Lisa Yee combines neglected U.S. history and multi-generational family legends… to create the delightful and enlightening Maizy Chen's Last Chance.” —Shelf Awareness , starred review ★ “A moving, multilayered family narrative.” — Booklist , starred review ★ “ Captivating ... and prompts readers to consider what it means to be American.” — The Horn Book , starred review ★ "This fast-paced, humorous, heartwarming tale of family and history is likely to appeal to readers of all ages." — School Library Journal , starred review “Heartfelt, personal, and real— this book is a gift .” —Tae Keller, Newbery-winning author of When You Trap a Tiger “Bursting with humor and heart .” —Kate Messner, New York Times bestselling author of Breakout “ I love this book. This is a big story and brings up much-needed discussion about the importance of community, history, and truth.” —Rita Williams-Garcia, Newbery Honor-winning author of One Crazy Summer Lisa Yee ’s debut novel, Millicent Min, Girl Genius, won the prestigious Sid Fleischman Humor Award. Her other novels for young people, with nearly two million copies in print, include Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time, So Totally Emily Ebers, Absolutely Maybe, and two books about a fourth grader, Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) and Bobby the Brave (Sometimes) . Lisa is also the author of American Girl’s Kanani books and Good Luck, Ivy. Her novel Warp Speed is about a Star Trek geek who gets beat up every day at school.    Lisa is a former Thurber House Children’s writer-in-residence whose books have been chosen as an NPR Best Summer Read, a Sports Illustrated Kids Hot Summer Read, and a USA Today Critics’ Top Pick.    Visit Lisa at lisayee.com. Chapter 1  The pies were fake, but my grandparents didn’t know that. Not at first, anyway. My mother had invited them to watch her work on a Tasty Flaky Pie Crust commercial. When I first started going with her to the set, Mom told me, “As a food stylist, my job is to make sure everything looks good for the camera.”  Oma and Opa showed up directly from the airport wearing matching airplane pillows around their necks. My job was to make sure they didn’t get into trouble.  My grandmother’s luggage had barely touched the floor when she rushed over and, in her excitement, practically knocked me down. Oma’s hug felt awkward partly because of the neck pillow and also because, even though I was eight years old, it was the first time I’d met her in person. My best friend thinks it’s weird that I don’t know my grandparents that well. Her family is really close.  “It’s complicated,” I’ve tried explaining to Ginger. But the truth is, I don’t understand it myself. My mom and I talk about almost everything, but when it comes to her relationship with her parents, that’s a different story.  On the set, Opa beamed brighter than the soundstage lights dangling overhead. “Maizy, you’re so big!” my grandfather kept repeating before he got distracted by the pretend kitchen with only one wall.  That’s when Oma pointed to a tight circle of people. “Shouldn’t they be working?” she asked. “Why aren’t they working?”  Mom stood calmly in the middle while the director yelled, “Charlotte, I need practice pies, now!”  “You’ll get your pies,” Mom said, motioning to the two-dozen pies lined up on folding tables.  Some were fully baked, others were ready for the oven, preparing for their close-ups. My grandparents watched in shocked silence as Mom’s perfectly rounded scoops of mashed potatoes stood in for vanilla ice cream, since potatoes don’t melt. Instead of milk, glasses were f

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