New From Here: The no.1 New York Times hit!

by Kelly Yang

An Asian American boy fights to keep his family together and stand up to racism during the initial outbreak of the coronavirus.

When the coronavirus hits Hong Kong, ten-year-old Knox Wei-Evans’s mom makes the last-minute decision to move him and his siblings back to California, where they think they will be safe. Suddenly, Knox has two days to prepare for an international move—and for leaving his dad, who has to stay for work.

At his new school in California, Knox struggles with being the new kid. His classmates think that because he’s from Asia, he must have brought over the virus. At home, Mom just got fired and is panicking over the loss of health insurance, and Dad doesn’t even know when he’ll see them again, since the flights have been cancelled. And everyone struggles with Knox’s blurting-things-out problem.

As racism skyrockets during COVID-19, Knox tries to stand up to hate, while finding his place in his new country. Can you belong if you’re feared; can you protect if you’re new? And how do you keep a family together when you’re oceans apart? Sometimes when the world is spinning out of control, the best way to get through it is to embrace our own lovable uniqueness.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Childrens, Contemporary, Family

368 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2022

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

[Alfredo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Como não amar Kelly Yang? Esse é meu quinto livro da autora, e ela não para de me surpreender! "New from Here" é a história de uma família que, no começo da pandemia de covid-19, deixa Hong Kong para morar nos Estados Unidos na esperança de ficar em um lugar mais seguro.

Narrado do ponto de vista de uma criança com TDAH, o livro nos transporta para fevereiro/março de 2020, quando a pandemia estava prestes a se tornar nosso pior pesadelo. Não aconteceu há muito tempo, mas, depois de vivermos tanta coisa nesse período, "New from Here" quase me pareceu ficção histórica. Ser levado a um período coberto de incertezas, aumento exponencial do número de mortes e sem perspectiva de vacina foi aterrorizante.

Enquanto tentam se adaptar aos Estados Unidos, os personagens enfrentam seus próprios dilemas. A mãe acabou de perder o emprego e agora, enquanto precisa garantir que as crianças estão se readaptando bem, tem que procurar um novo trabalho. O pai lida com a saudade dos filhos, porque infelizmente não conseguiu viajar com a família, além da queda no orçamento familiar. O filho mais velho se vê na posição de responsável pelos irmãos e continua tentando se destacar nos estudos a todo custo. O filho do meio tem TDAH, passa por um momento conflituoso da relação com seu irmão e tenta ajudar o restaurante dos pais de um novo amigo. A filha mais nova é a que recebe menos destaque, mas, como todos, lida com a saudade de casa e o medo de um novo cenário. Em paralelo, ainda precisam lidar com o racismo por serem pessoas amarelas. Constantemente enfrentam o preconceito de pessoas que acham que eles carregam ou são culpados pelo vírus.

5 aspectos de "New from Here" que amei
— TDAH: A autora se baseou na experiência com o filho, que também foi diagnosticado com TDAH, para escrever um personagem com o transtorno. Achei muito interessante ver como a mente dele funciona, as situações que se metia e a culpa que vinha mais tarde quando ele não entendia por que aquilo tinha acontecido;
— Narração: Kelly Yang nunca falha em apresentar crianças inteligentes e emocionalmente complexas. Aqui, vemos como cada um lida com a saudade de casa, a consciência da necessária readaptação porque o mundo mudou e o desejo de ajudar os pais quando percebem que as coisas não andam boas;
— Relação entre irmãos: Knox e o irmão já foram mais próximos, mas andam se desentendendo. Knox não entende o porquê, e é lindo o momento que finalmente se abrem um com o outro;
— Abordagem sobre racismo: lidar com racismo ainda criança é uma experiência terrível. "New from Here" traz discussões importantes de um jeito leve sobre ter orgulho do local de onde você veio, não ficar calado em situações de preconceito e devolver o ódio com o amor. Achei o tom perfeito para um middle grade;
— Audiobook: a narração do audiobook é de Justin Chien, que conseguiu fazer um excelente trabalho com a voz do Knox. Assim como o audiobook de "Front Desk", acredito que esse levou muito minha experiência de leitura. Recomendadíssimo.

Mais um favorito de Kelly Yang <3

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
Kelly Yang’s trademark kindness for her characters is present in this story about:
-siblings becoming used to new surroundings and missing their father,
-a family separated by an ocean because of the COVID-19 pandemic,
-a mother rediscovering the joys and headaches of parenting three squabbling kids at home while trying to look for a job and manage their online schooling,
-how a middle child with ADHD discovers he has support for his differences and needs at a new school and with a new friend, and,
-how fear can fuel racism.

I fell in love with Kelly Yang’s Mia in “Front Desk”, and knew I would be treated similarly to realistic characters in this book who, while struggling with a number of challenges, including moving to a different country and dealing with a different culture, would care deeply for each other and support one another through good and tough times.

We get that in this terrific story, as main character Knox and his family move to the US from Hong Kong when the first news of an illness begins spreading. Knox has ADHD though he does not know that’s what his collection of symptoms are called. He just knows he’s incredibly impulsive, intense, energetic and can be hyper-focused. He finds the transition to the US a little easier than his older brother Bowen, and his younger sister Lea, who has an even easier time than them. That’s not to say there aren’t problems, and a few nasty incidents between Knox's family and intolerant people who fear that people of East Asian descent are the only vectors for the illness. (Considering how conscientious Knox's mother is about controlling their family’s contact with others to limit the potential spread of infection, the author shows us how these frightened people’s negative behaviour is race-based.)

There’s also a lot of humour as the kids accustom themselves to the cultural differences , and some really sweet moments within the family, and with Knox and his new friend and that boy’s family.

I already mentioned kindness, and how it’s a big part of this story, and something we all need more of. This book left me with a feeling of hope and happiness, and was a lovely read.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Simon & Shuster Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book by this incredibly talented writer and it definitely won't be my last. I absolutely loved this heartwarming middle grade novel about a Chinese American family dealing with life during the beginning of the COVID pandemic. When news first started coming out of Wuhan, Knox and his family were living in Hong Kong and his parents decided that it would be best if he and his mom and siblings move to California to wait out the situation.

Not realizing just how big this virus would get, Knox and his family have to deal with rising levels of Asian hate as the COVID virus starts to spread to the States. At the core this book was about family - both sibling dynamics and the challenges of being separated from loved ones (their father has to stay in Hong Kong to work) and also trying to start over in America looking for employment and surviving without health insurance and dwindling finances.

My heart really went out to Knox in particular, as he learns about his ADHD diagnosis and continually feels like the outsider in his family; the child who can't live up to his seemingly perfect older brother. It might be too soon for some people to read this book but the author did an excellent job writing about how Asian people in particular experienced rising levels of racism during the pandemic.

Overall the main message of this book was the need to combat hatred and racism with love and kindness. My favorite quote was: "Love is the only vaccine for hate. It's love that gets us through the hard times and it's love that will bind us back together as community, nation and world."

Highly recommend this wonderful and truly timely book that was also great on audio narrated by Justin Chien.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm convinced that Kelly Yang can't possibly do anything wrong when it comes to writing books. I have literally enjoyed everything that she's written and this was no different. While it isn't my favorite book of hers (I honestly think it might be Parachutes), this book still delivers with impactful insight to Yang's own lived experience

New From Here is another one of those books that I walked into blind. I trust Kelly Yang, her concepts/ideas, and writing enough that I'm more than willing to pick up one of her books without having read a summary/description. Imagine my surprise when I find out that this book is actually loosely based on her own experiences during the initial quarantine that came with COVID-19. The story focuses on three siblings Knox, Lea, and Bowen as they are relocated from Hong Kong to California as the virus begins to surge in Wuhan. Nothing about the move is easy. All three children have trouble adjusting to virtual school, the inability to truly interact with others, and the absence of their father as he continues to stay in Hong Kong for work. Additionally, they have to cope with the influx of racism that is spewed towards Asian communities.

What I loved about this book was it's realistic portrayal of what day to day life was like during lock down for a great portion of us. There aren't too many people that I know personally that didn't struggle. And the struggle that is captured in this book is all too real. It's evident in their mom's inability to adequately assist them in virtual school, their father not being able to be in the same household, and more. The emotions that are portrayed in Knox's narrative are well-written. His frustration, anger, and sadness all align with the tough adjustments that he would have two make as a child caught between two different cultures during the midst of a pandemic. I also loved that we got a little exploration in regard to Knox's ADHD. Yang writes everything with a level of care that I appreciate as a reader.

One of the biggest things that may stand out as a issue for readers is the timing of the release of this book. We're still in the midst of a pandemic and some readers may feel like an exploration of these topics have come a little too soon. While I didn't necessarily mind it, collective trauma is real and it may be too much for some middle grade and adult readers. There isn't anything necessarily explicit about this book, but it may bring back not so great memories of lockdown.

As always, Kelly Yang delivered with a solid middle grade novel. I literally cannot wait to see what she comes out with in the future. If you haven't read a Kelly Yang book, I recommend that you pick up one as soon as possible.

[Talitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kelly Yang is an AMAZING author/writer.

Her stories are so true and realistic, yet so magical all at the same time.
Her books have made me laugh, cry and feel for the characters. They also inspire and encourage kids (and adults) to speak out against racism.

Bravo Kelly Yang!


New from Here

Kelly Yang

[Sofia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I really wanted to love this book, so many great things, but I found several issues too. I really didn’t like how Knox’s ADHD was approached. It felt like it was this big issue, they even kept it from him, why? I think it added stigma to something that should not have been a big deal. Many students have ADHD and reading this book might make them feel like it’s something bad, when it’s not. Also, the mom seemed pretty out of it at times. How could she not know what her children were selling during the garage sale? As a parent I found it a little hard to believe I would let my children run a garage sale all on their own and have absolutely no clue what they’re doing. Things I loved: the storyline about a family living through a pandemic and having to be separated from a loved one, and talking about the racism Asians faced during the pandemic.

[Skip · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most readers have really liked this book, but I found it pretty boring. At the outset of COVID, a mixed race family living in Hong Kong decides to split up with the bread-winner mother moving with the three children, creating anxiety as the father is the primary caregiver. In California, the mother is seeking a new job with little success, ramping up the children's fears. And, they face racism as Asians in the context of COVID. What really bothered me was the lack of parental supervision, resulting in a garage sale where family heirlooms were sold for a pittance. The eventual bonding of the three siblings was nice, but Yang skirted all of the violence inflicted on Asians in this time period, likely because of the target readership. Her endnote makes it clear that the family's experience in the novel was based on her own family's emigration.

[Patti Sabik · Rating 3 out of 5]

As all of Yang’s books this was an enjoyable read, but it was quite long and ended abruptly without much resolution. While some of the antics were somewhat unbelievable (mom lets her kids sell anything at their garage sale then gets upset when family heirlooms and expensive earrings are sold for quarters?) It was cute but a bit over the top at times for me.

[Arielfranchakyahoo.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful middle grade book that explores so much that’s going on in our world right now.

[Vinícius Sgorla · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,75/5

Com 'New From Here', Kelly Yang se consolidou não apenas como uma das minhas autoras favoritas, mas, na minha opinião, em uma das maiores autoras de infanto-juvenil dos últimos tempos.

Kelly já tinha marcado seu espaço e demonstrado sua qualidade de escrita com a INCRÍVEL série Front Desk, ficcionalizando sua própria história de infância aos olhos da inigualável Mia Tang, explorando temas sociais e políticos de antigamente (mas que ainda se espelham nos tempos atuais) de forma acessível e repleta de compaixão aos pequenos leitores. Em New From Here, Yang continua ficcionalizando sua própria história, mas com um tema atual e que afetou todo o planeta: a pandemia de COVID-19, dessa vez não aos seus olhos, mas aos olhos de seu filho Tilden, que na história é Knox.

Com o coronavírus chegando a Hong Kong, a mãe de Knox decide que ela, Knox e seus dois irmãos vão embora para os Estados Unidos, onde estariam mais seguros da onda que se espalhava na Ásia, deixando o pai para trás por conta do trabalho. Com isso, na Califórnia, Knox, Bowen e Lea chegam na Califórnia cheios de esperanças, mas tudo desanda: Knox tem problema para arranjar amigos, sua mãe foi demitida do trabalho, seu pai isolado do resto da família por conta do trabalho e dos voos constantemente cancelados. E para piorar, a maior doença de todas chega à vida de Knox antes mesmo da COVID: o racismo e a xenofobia com pessoas asiáticas nesse período.

É surreal a forma como a Kelly consegue conduzir a narrativa de todos os personagens de forma maestral; todos são imperfeitos, fazem burradas, você sente raiva, mas há uma explicação por trás que enche seu coração de compaixão e no fim te faz torcer por cada personagem. Além da COVID-19, a autora é capaz de exibir de forma bastante sensível sobre o TDAH de Knox e como isso implica não só na mente do próprio protagonista, mas especialmente em como isso afeta aos arredores dele. Há momentos que cortam o coração (acho que por ser um tópico muito mais próximo de mim do que o restante dos livros da Kelly, foi o livro que mais me emocionou) e tudo o que você espera é que as coisas melhorem - mesmo sabendo que agora, 2 anos no futuro, não melhorou.

É bizarro também observar a forma que a autora aborda a pandemia de um modo muito realista (acho que o mundo inteiro reagiu da mesma forma), e hoje olhando do futuro sobre como éramos inocentes em relação ao que é essa doença. Desde as famílias se apavorando por conta da cidade deles estarem com 40 casos de COVID, e chocados como isso aumentou tão rápido (ah, se eles soubessem), como as dificuldades de se manter um emprego, as diminuições de salários, as pessoas enlouquecidas no mercado correndo por papel higiênico (aparentemente isso não foi só no Brasil), até dos oportunistas que utilizaram da pandemia como uma forma de ganhar dinheiro extrapolando preços de produtos de cuidado básico. Tudo feito MUITO bem.

A dinâmica dos filhos com o pai distante também são bons fios condutores da trama, com os filhos a todo custo tentando fazer com que ele venha aos Estados Unidos com o resto da família, e todas as artimanhas que eles fazem para que isso aconteça (quando eu entendi a roupa de dinossauro da capa foi a coisa MAIS FOFA).

Incrível, um livro que todo mundo poderia (e deveria!) ler e se identificar pelo menos em alguma página, com a mensagem que apesar do caos acontecer no mundo todo, o mais importante é termos um pouco de esperança guardada.

[Maura · Rating 2 out of 5]

[2.5 grudgingly rounded up to 3.] I have loved Yang's Front Desk series and enjoyed Parachutes, so I am astonished to say that New From Here wasn't my cup of tea, and my 9 year old son really disliked most of it, which we listened to together as an audiobook, enjoyably narrated by Justin Chien.

First, what we liked: The anti-racist message was loud and clear, and my son benefitted from a deeper understanding of how much worse anti-Asian bigotry has gotten since COVID-19. It started some good conversations about ways to interfere, shut down racist talk, and be an ally in an upstander vs. bystander situation. There were a few laugh out loud moments. And we did end up pausing the dialogue a LOT to have conversations, and a book that starts conversations is always a good thing.

What I liked as a mom: I appreciated the portrayal of a working mother who was neither SuperMom nor villain. She was a busy mom who loved her kids and got really overwhelmed with life. I appreciated the depiction of a dad who partnered with the mom with an understanding that not all women are good at juggling the minutae of details that mothers are typically expected to manage all on their own, and that it's totally okay for a dad to manage most of that load while a mom is the primary earner. At first, I thought it was actually a decent portrayal of a mom with ADHD, inattentive type...until it stretched way, way, WAY beyond credulity.

What I liked as a teacher: Many students face separation and dislocation from one parent, either temporarily for reasons like military deployment, or due to immigration barriers, or most commonly because of divorce. More books that touch on the grief of separation is good.

What we disliked the most: The portrayal of ADHD was, in our opinion, highly problematic. I would like to give points to the book even for having a central character with ADHD, but the descriptions of Knox's ADHD was SO over the top, and so above and beyond even extreme hyperactive impulsivity, that I think it will contribute to negative stereotyping of kids with ADHD.

In the car while listening, we found ourselves screeching, "WHAATTT?!?" quite often, and crying out in protest as Knox and his siblings acted more and more ridiculously by the chapter. My son cried out often with things like, "People are going to think kids with ADHD are STUPID if they read this!" The most egregious example of this is the whole plot line where Knox and his siblings sell all of his mother's possessions in a garage sale, even priceless family heirlooms and jewelry, for less than $1 each. My son is 9, and even when he was 4 he wouldn't do such a ridiculous, senseless thing. We shouted, "WHAT?!" in protest again and again as this whole storyline unfolded, and we became more frustrated and close to angry as it got increasingly more preposterous. What was even less plausible was the mother's reaction, and the father's later non-reaction to another preposterous, senseless scheme that could have long-term disastrous effects on his career.

All in all, the kids didn't act like kids in this book, in our opinion, and this bothered my 9 year old even more than it irritated me. They acted like bad caricatures of kids who are goofy but mean well...but they weren't just up to goofy hijinks. They were reckless and senseless and seemed to lack even basic common knowledge, especially Knox's supposedly intelligent older brother. We are supposed to believe that they grew in some way, but it seems like they simply escaped any kind of real consequence for what was a destructive, irresponsible series of decisions. ADHD impulsivity, in my experience at home and in the classroom, is not like this: a complete lack of understanding of the basic ways of the world, such as the value of a dollar to an otherwise intelligent 10 year old. To my son who wanted to relate to Knox, the way he was portrayed felt demeaning, and that was shocking to me because I believe Yang purposefully wrote about ADHD to demystify it.

On a positive note that kicks this up from barely a 2 to a 3 is the quality of the audiobook narration, which was enjoyable. I went back and forth about whether or not to purchase it for my elementary library, and I did add it to the collection based on its professional reception and on the popularity of the excellent Front Desk books. I will without hesitation pick up Kelly Yang's next middle grade book, but this one just wasn't a hit. On the whole, recommended ***with reservations*** about negative and borderline demeaning depictions of ADHD.

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that brought tears to my eyes a couple of times - it's so raw, so recent, and in fact ongoing. It is the story of many of us living in Hong Kong or China who left as the pandemic started thinking we'd be back in a month or so. Separated from family and consistently frustrated by an external world that initially ignored the threat of Covid completely and refused to take any precautions and then moved to blame and persecution while still not taking the necessary steps to protect their populations.

But more than that, it's the story of the pandemic at the micro level - in a family where the parents lose their jobs or have their hours cut. Where relationships occur over chats and screens.

and then we get to the ADHD bit. When my ADHD son was growing up, beside Joey Pigza - there were NO books with ADHD characters, and even that one was totally non-relatable to him with unsympathetic family members and teachers and only medication as an option, plus the whole socio-economic matters that were important but an added complication that he luckily didn't encounter. In this book ADHD is shown for what it is - something that is truly beyond the control of the child. Something that makes them behave in ways that have sometimes terrible consequences, not just for themselves, but for their whole family. The dilemma of helping such a child to manage their neuro-diversity in a positive and proactive way, while buffering for when things go (horribly) wrong. The misunderstandings of everyone around and the blame. Then constant blame and finger pointing. And the impact on the siblings.
I hope that Kelly Yang writes more about this topic.

Thanks to libro.fm for audiobook arc.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!! Anything by Kelly Yang is a 5 for me!

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 siblings move back to California from Hong Kong with their mother at the start of the pandemic. They face challenges at new schools, separation from their father, racism out in public, and grow closer as a family. Great MG slice of current life story, have a hankie ready for the ending, just in case.

[Desi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Co-read this with my oldest. Touches a lot of difficult topics age-appropriately (through the eyes of 10 year old). Plus it takes place right as Covid was hitting the US so revisiting that was a delight lol. We laughed, we (mostly I) cried! Great book that I recommend for any age (though definitely written to appeal to a younger audience).

[Lindsay Wilcox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I’d known this was based on a true story before I read it, because I might have liked it a bit better. The whole time I was reading it, I kept wondering why the author wrote a six-year-old character that talked and acted and even dressed like a teen. As a mom of two seven-year-olds, it felt very off to me.

Kelly Yang is known for her books that have kids making a difference (like a 10-year-old running the front desk of a hotel), and I love that she doesn’t shy away from issues with racism and inequality. In this one, though, it felt like the kids disobeyed their mom at every turn and only made things worse for their parents. Your mom loses her job during the pandemic? Great. Let’s sell priceless antiques and even her expensive earrings in a “yard sale” because she is so oblivious that she doesn’t notice. Your dad still lives in Hong Kong? No problem. You can get him a job in the U.S. by creating a fake LinkedIn profile that somehow fools a bunch of employers.

In what world is it OK to let kids screw up your entire career by playing online? They have no consequences for doing fake interviews for their dad and all the other crap they pull in the name of “keeping their family together.”

Kelly Yang’s past books have had characters that weren’t as selfish and foolish, but I felt this one sent the wrong messages to kids. I did think it was valuable that she explored how one kid, Knox, dealt with ADHD, but once again, his behavior is glossed over because he does have ADHD.

I don’t know about this one. There was way too much going on, and it almost cheapened my still-raw feelings about early 2020 because I didn’t care much about three privileged kids who had to occasionally go without takeout.

[Pam Withers · Rating 3 out of 5]

In trying to tackle four different themes – understanding the COVID-19 pandemic as it first unfolds, dealing with ADHD issues, tackling racism and dealing with a forced family separation – this novel falters. The writing is compelling enough and the three siblings’ dynamics are certainly realistic. But the first half drags for being mostly meandering dialogue and little action (endless banter, mundane exchanges), and the author’s failure to choose one primary focus weakens the novel’s overall impact.
Told from the first-person point of view of the middle boy (age ten with siblings six and twelve), the novel picks up nicely the second half, and works hard at delivering its anti-racism and it’s-okay-to-be-ADHD messages. But how many people want to read about the pandemic at all these days, let alone outdated initial fears and reactions? Plus, I found it astonishing that the kids’ blatant forging of their father’s resume, faking his job applications and even impersonating him in interviews not only went unpunished, but was praised. Finally, this novel is incredibly long for a middle grade book.
On the other hand, the novel offers good insights into being a new kid, especially a targeted immigrant. And it serves as a historical record of COVID-19’s arrival. In summary, it’s too bad the author couldn’t have settled on a primary focus and let the others hover more in the background. But readers interested in any or all of the issues, especially racism, will find it entertaining and enlightening.
Note: This review also appears at www.YAdudebooks.ca

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is it historical fiction if it took place two years ago? Is it historical fiction if we are still living in the same pandemic? I'm thinking yes, because it is positioned at a specific point in history. This was really hard to read since we are still not on the other side of the pandemic, actually going through another surge right now. In January 2020, Knox is living in Hong Kong with his parents, brother, and sister. As Covid-19 begins to spread, his American parents make the hard decision for Knox and his siblings to move with their Asian-American mother to the San Francisco area, while their white father continues working in Hong Kong. There are ups and downs as they get used to life in California on the verge of the pandemic, as well as unexpected prejudice due to their Chinese heritage. This is an important book now and will remain important for many years to come as it grapples with racism and intolerance as well as how the same event can bring out both greed and kindness. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss

[Marathon County Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

When COVID-19 hits Hong Kong, one family is forced to separate and span two countries in an effort to protect each other.

Based on the author’s own experience during the start of our current COVID-19 pandemic, the author tells the story of Knox and his siblings when they’re forced to travel from Hong Kong to California in a matter of days. Thinking California will be safer for their kids, the parents are forced to live on different continents while struggling to maintain their jobs and their safety, and dealing with the rising racism that grew exponentially during our current pandemic.

For the children, it’s a journey of self-discovery, friendship, and new experiences, with wonderful life lessons for readers along the way. I loved how Knox told his brother Bowen that “Being the man doesn’t mean being harsh. It means you’re kind to those you love (339)".  I also loved how the characters grew in their relationships with each other especially. In their own way, each family member struggled in the beginning with loneliness. As Knox tells readers, “…just because you have a lot of people around you doesn’t make you less lonely. It just makes your loneliness more squished (26)."

Along the way they realize the power of family and friendship, of how family accepts you for who you are, and in the end, how everyone is connected. As Knox so wonderfully puts it, “If we’ve learned one thing this year, it’s that we’re all connected to each other. We all breathe the same air into our lungs. None of us are immune to each other’s problems. That’s why we have to care about each other (328)."

I think every reader can relate to parts of this story after the last few years. For those like myself who have the privilege not to experience racism like the characters in this book, my hope is that empathy, compassion, and a desire for change bloom in the face of these characters’ (and so many others’) experience with racism. As the author so powerfully puts it, racism is “…a pandemic just as terrifying” (343) as our current pandemic. This is a must read, along with the author’s other fantastic Front Desk series!

Sarah M. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I might be rating this book unfairly low bc of how hard it was to read. How did all my middle school students read this like it was no big deal to relive the beginning of Covid?? Kids are so resilient, idk. I def would have avoided this book if it weren’t a finalist for our Mock Newbery club.

Anyway, this is a really well-done, clearly grounded in truth (it seems like a fictionalized version of Yang’s real story) story of a family moving from Hong Kong to the Bay Area, trying to escape the pandemic, but having to not only deal with the pandemic in the US but also anti-Asian racism and being separated from their dad/husband. There were also lots of funny (and realistically cringey) hijinks and schemes, just like in Front Desk, which helps a bit with the intensity of what’s going on.

[Liberty {LittyLibby} · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the exact kind of story that floats my boat. Family struggle, growth and maturity in love towards siblings and parents, coming of age through trial, learning forgiveness and graciousness and love and kindness towards others. New From Here is the fictionalized true story of the author and her family at the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic in Hong kong. She makes the gut-wrenching decision to move her children to California where they think the virus cannot possibly spread, and they leave behind a husband and father who has to stay in Hong Kong to work. The family is split up across an ocean, during a pandemic, and as things progressively become worse in the United States, and a full quarantine is underway, this precious family has to navigate so many things while they are separated from each other. My heart was squeezed in grief at the retelling of the racism they endured, of the hardships they pushed through. but this story is also funny, and uplifting. Our young protagonist, Knox, suffers from the effects of ADHD, and it gets him in lots of trouble, but also brings he and his siblings together in hilarious adventure. As they plot to find a way to raise money for their father's plane ticket to California from Hong kong, we see Knox and his brother and sister come together in creativity and mischievousness and philanthropy and justice.
This story was a pleasure to read, invoking hope during a time when we are still coping with depression and hopelessness after covid. We live in a new world now, we have been damaged and wounded and scathed, and this story shows all the ways in which we have pulled through, and there is always hope for the future.

[Liz Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to this with my 10 year old daughter. I thought it was well written and had a lot of great life lessons in it ❤️

[Mrs Heidrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up to 5

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book 👍

[Alex Nonymous · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of New From Here in exchange for an honest review!

While I still love reading middle-grade, New From Here definitely isn't targeted at me. This is a middle grade that I think is definitely more enjoyed by actual middle-grade level readers which is still wonderful! There's a real issue with us judging MG & YA as if they're meant for adults when they were never meant to be.

This is a well written, nuanced book at the COVID-19 pandemic from a realistically written child's perspective and I'm sure it'll work well both as an entertainment and education tool for children.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yang’s story of a mixed race family having to split up temporarily at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic addresses many important issues in a way that middle grade students can comprehend. Racism, greed, and ADHD are handled very well. “Love is the only vaccine for hate” is a favorite quote of mine from this book.

[Eti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on her own family's experience moving from Hong Kong to California in January 2020, Kelly Yang conveys emotional truth, recognizing young people's need to processa and express their realities in all their complexity. Readers know that Kelly will tell them the truth and offer support to talk about hard things, from the racism that Knox and his family face, the separation from his father who is the only one who gets him, and the looming unknown of the pandemic. New From Here offers an opportunity to reflect on the past two years and recognize what we've all gone through - and consider as Sonya Renee Taylor wrote, "the opportunity to stitch a new garment." Kelly shows how Knox, Bowen, and Lea change and grow, as our own kids (and ourselves) have done and the ways solidarity and speaking up are transformative. The throughline is love, as Kelly Yang writes in the author's note, "Ultimately, love is the only vaccine for hate. It's love that gets us through the hard times. And it's love that will bind us back together as a community, nation, and world."

Reading, sharing, and giving New From here is an act of love.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novel hits on the economic problems brought by the shut downs, the hoarding of supplies by the wealthy, the racism towards non-whites and especially towards anyone perceived as Chinese, and of course Trump's part in fueling the worst of these responses. All of these problems are further exasperated by Knox's attempts to help but not necessarily in useful ways in part from his ADHD and also his own youth.

It's hard to read and yet incredibly important to read. I hope this is a book that ends up in classrooms and on required reading lists. In the current political atmosphere I suspect it will also be challenged and banned, unfortunately.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2022/comm...

[Sacha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

For me, Kelly Yang is a sure bet when it comes to middle grade and YA, and this newest middle grade installment is no exception. But come to this one wanting to get a young person's view of the pandemic, not with the hope of escaping it.

Yang begins with an author's note that is not to be missed. In it, there's a brief description of Yang's children and their immediate family's experience with being split across continents during a long stretch of the pandemic. I thought about this note the entire time I read, and it really adds a meaningful layer to the fictionalized account.

Knox is the main character in this novel, and he is one of three siblings. At the start of the novel, the pandemic is just getting rolling, and Knox is living with his siblings, dog, mom, and dad in Hong Kong. The parents make a tough decision; dad remains in Hong Kong with the dog and mom heads to Northern California with the kids. Each character - as anticipated - has their own struggles with this arrangement, not to mention the turmoil that everyone experiences at this time. Also, the family is multiracial. Mom is East Asian, dad is white, and the kids - while all of the same parentage - experience differing degrees of racist nonsense based on their appearances. The conversation around anti-Asian racism flows through the whole novel and is portrayed in both a layered and age appropriate manner. Although there is A LOT happening in this novel - which is required since it's supposed to be realistic and we all know there are apparently no breaks to be caught during this time - what really stands out is Knox's development and the relationships within the family. There are some really great moments.

As much as the family relationships are a highlight for me throughout, I did struggle quite a bit with the mom. She's portrayed as (reasonably!) challenged by sudden single parenthood of three children in another country, but WOW does she make some wild choices. The kids are young, and at least one is prone to making particularly wild decisions. Why she trusts them in some of these situations is really beyond me unless it's supposed to be for comic relief, but I just found some of these moments stressful and odd. That author's note left me wondering if there is some vicarious self-deprecating happening here, but I still didn't love some of this content.

This is not just another great middle grade novel or another noteworthy work by Yang. It captures the pandemic - and this particular moment - in ways I haven't seen much yet for this audience. I'll be recommending this one to students (and all interested parties) for a long time for very specific reasons.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Dayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually never do this, but here is my favourite quote from this book:

"We're all connected to each other, we all breathe the same air into our lungs, none of us are immune to each other's problems, that's why we have to care about each other."

Every middle grade book I have read by this author has been incredible. Yang has such a beautiful way with words and I'm really happy that younger readers have her books as a source of reference for how to grow up to be a kind and thoughtful adult.

I've been waiting for more books to tackle the topic of the pandemic. I figure that it will eventually get to the point where the inevitability of the pandemic showing up in more books will finally catch up with authors. I only hope that they handle it as well as Yang does.

Reading this after the fact is weirdly therapeutic--like yes, we lived through this. Yes, there were toilet paper shortages, but most importantly: there was severe acts of racism and racial violence towards the Asian communities. Yang always touches on the racism her characters face with incredible care and bluntness (I know these two might cancel themselves out, but somehow it works). She always offers her readers perspectives that we have only heard about before and puts us in the centre of it. Through the eyes of a child, we see how cruel people can be to each other and how destructive racial assumptions and biases can be towards others (and ourselves when they are aimed at us).

But Yang's book also touches on the importance of family and the importance of love. We see her characters tackle the journey of self-discovery, mental health, understanding ADHD, and stresses that a world-wide pandemic can put on families--especially long distance families who have no other choice but to be apart for the time being.

This was just such a great book and I really hope that more people, kids in particular, pick this one up. It's really important and I hope it sets a precedent for more upcoming books featuring, or commenting on the pandemic.

Happy reading!