Perfect for fans of Kelly Yang and Jessica Kim, this joyful, moving middle grade contemporary follows a big-hearted Taiwanese American girl as she aims to gain her family’s acceptance and save her favorite boba tea shop by selling her handcrafted amigurumi dolls.
Pearl Li is ready to spend the summer before seventh grade hanging out with her two best friends, crocheting the cutest amigurumi dolls, and visiting her favorite tea shop, Boba Time. Its quirky owner, Auntie Cha, is the only adult Pearl can confide in about her art—if only her tech-obsessed family would understand her love of crafts!
After Pearl learns of Boba Time’s financial troubles, she decides to sell her amigurumi to raise money for the shop. But as she navigates the ups and downs of running a business, Pearl realizes that monetizing her passion is more complicated than she could’ve ever imagined. Can Pearl save Boba Time before it’s too late?
Featuring fun backmatter—including a delicious boba tea recipe—this is a heartfelt story about advocating for your passions and uncovering big truths about friendship, family, and entrepreneurship along the way. ---from the publisher
368 pages 978-0063228610 Ages 8-12
Keywords: family life, friendship, entrepreneur, Asian American, being yourself, 8 year old, 9 year old, 10 year old, 11 year old, 12 year old, dolls, diversity, diverse books, Taiwanese
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School's out for the summer and Pearl Li is planning to spend the time hanging out with her best friends, Cindy and Priya, and going to her favourite boba café to visit the wise Auntie Cha who Pearl believes is the only adult who understands her and her need to create her traditional Taiwanese amigurumi dolls, Both her parents and big sister are immersed in the world of technology, computing and coding and at a recent science fair her mother openly scoffed at her model while praising one made by rival Kendall on a 3D printer. Pearl fells like an outsider in her own family, and all she really wants is for her mother, particularly, to understand and value physical things made by hand as much as she values those made by machines and mechanics.
So when Pearl discovers that Boba Time is facing closure because Auntie Cha doesn't have the money to fix its fridge, she decides she will raise the money by selling her dolls. But the business world can be a tricky place for a 12-year-old to navigate especially when you have to lie about your age and keep things secret and even with the best intentions, secrecy can have all sorts of unforeseen consequences including risking your relationships with those you love most.
This is an original story that has all sorts of real-life twists and turns that will make the reader think about their own family dynamics and friendships. With characters of Taiwanese, Chinese, Indian and American descent each bringing their personal perspectives to the narrative and each of them having that perspective challenged as events unfold, it has a depth and complexity that can be appreciated at the adult level but is also an absorbing read for younger independent readers who not only enjoy a good story but also understand the simple joy of creating something from virtually nothing, and the joy that the something can give to others. Whether it's considering how we might unwittingly leave someone feeling isolated because they don't have the same language or experiences that we take for granted, or discovering that our classmates have talents we have not discovered, or navigating the tricky path of being a tweenager, this book has something for so many. Maybe it's even time to plan a Kids' Creativity Fair of your own!
https://youtu.be/CU-WVa-f1Lo?si=5WbCk5PcOIcGuBDu
https://youtu.be/ushHnIxLdYw?si=AEIkm0iD64qQz8Gb
Recommended by: Barbara Braxton, Teacher Librarian, New South Wales AUSTRALIA
See more of her recommendations:
500 Hats http://500hats.edublogs.org/
The Bottom Shelf http://thebottomshelf.edublogs.org/
