Puss Reboots: Blog: November 2022: Room to Dream

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Apple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne Lindsey and Amy Melissa Bentley (narrator)
Arf by Spencer Quinn
Bingo Love by Tee Franklin
Bird & Squirrel All Together by James Burks
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Girl in Reverse by Barbara Stuber
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
I Am a Cat Barista, Volume 1 by Hiro Maijima
It's the End of the World and I'm in My Bathing Suit by Justin A. Reynolds
Key Player by Kelly Yang
Lost Lad London, Volume 1 by Shinya Shima
Lowriders to the Rescue by Cathy Camper and Raúl the Third (Illustrations)
Murder Spills the Tea by Vicki Delany and Shaina Summerville (Narrator) (2022)
My Dress-Up Darling, Volume 4 by Shinichi Fukuda and Taylor Engel (Translator) (2019)
Noragami: Stray God, Volume 15 by Adachitoka
Paola Santiago and the Sanctuary of Shadows by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Paws and Effect by Sofie Kelly and Cassandra Campbell (Narrator)
A Poisonous Page by Kitt Crowe and Tina Wolstencroft (Narrator)
Room to Dream by Kelly Yang
The Sound of Thunder by J. Torres and Faith Erin Hicks (Illustrations) (2014)
A Sprinkle in Time by Dana Mentink and Stephanie Nemeth-Parker (Narrator)
Turkey Day Murder by Leslie Meier and Karen White (Narrator)
Wedding Cake Crumble by Jenn McKinlay and Susan Boyce (Narrator)
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

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October 2022 Summary

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Room to Dream: 11/05/22

Room to Dream by Kelly Yang (2021) is the third book in the Front Desk series. The Tangs are headed to Beijing for vacation, a chance to see family for the first time since emigrating to the United States. At home and abroad, beloved neighborhoods are facing gentrification.

This is the mid 1990s before the internet started to take off. It's on the cusp of the tech boom. This is when chains started to grow without check.

In Anaheim, the Tangs see gentrification first hand when the motels nearest them are purchased by a chain and then their own motel is given an offer that is hard to refuse. They also see local Mom and Pop businesses close or be forced to move to less desirable locations. In Beijing Mia is shocked to see similar levels of gentrification. Her grandparents are holding on to their traditional home while friends and family are leaving for new apartments. Mia's parents are put under pressure to help relocate the parents.

Through all of this, Mia discovers a new outlet for her writing. Though she gains an audience, she also has to learn about journalistic ethics. She might also risk her friendships home in Anaheim. I did love the ingenuity that went into saving Calivista.

The fourth book is Key Player (2022).

Five stars