Front Desk: A Graphic Novel

by Kelly Yang, Fumio Obata (Illustrator)

The graphic novel adaptation of Kelly Yang's New York Times bestselling book Front Desk!Mia Tang has a lot of secrets.Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests.Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed.Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language?It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?See Mia and her friends brought to life in this graphic novel adaptation with art by Fumio Obata!

Genres: Graphic Novels

240 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication October 20, 2026

About the author

Kelly Yang is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of the FRONT DESK series, winner of the 2019 Asian Pacific American Award for Children's Literature. Her books include FRONT DESK, THREE KEYS, ROOM TO DREAM, PARACHUTES, NEW FROM HERE, and other middle grade and young adult novels. She was born in China and grew up in Los Angeles. She went to college at the age of 13 and graduated from UC Berkeley at the age of 17 and Harvard Law School at the age of 20. After law school, she founded The Kelly Yang Project, a writing and debating program for children in Asia. Prior to becoming a novelist, she wrote for many years for the South China Morning Post, The New York Times, Washington Post, and the Atlantic. She lives in Los Angeles with her family.

Reviews

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The highly-anticipated graphic novel adaptation for Front Desk by @kellyyanghk
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Ten-year-old Mia Tang helps run the Calivista Motel while her immigrant parents clean rooms and secretly offer shelter to other families in need. Balancing school, demanding guests, and the constant fear of their strict boss discovering the truth, Mia also dreams of becoming a writer, even (and especially) when others doubt her. Through courage, kindness, and determination, Mia learns to stand up for her family, her community, and her own voice.
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Some books you wish you could wipe your mind and read again for the very first time, and this is absolutely one of them. While I can’t erase my memory, getting to experience this story in a new format felt just as special. The artwork is stunning, with rich colors that bring Mia’s world to life in a whole new way. This graphic novel adaptation is a must-read when it releases from @scholastic on October 20.

CW: classism, racism, bullying, violence, police brutality, injury, alcohol, blood

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good! I've read the book that this graphic novel is based on and this is a very faithful adaptation. I loved seeing all the characters brought to life.

[Mrs Heidrich]

Thanks to Edelweiss for the DRC. 4.75 stars

This was as good as the novel the first time and will find a whole new set of readers as a graphic novel as well!