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"Maizy Chen's Last Chance"

Written by Lisa Yee
       
Image Source: Lisa Yee
        "Maizy Chen's Last Chance" is a story about an eleven year old Chinese American girl names Maizy. Maizy and her mother live in LA and when her Opa suddenly gets sick they pick up and go to Last Chance, Minnesota to help run the family restaurant. Maizy has not seen them since she was eight years old and quickly notices that her mother and Oma do not get along. Maizy beings to learn about the struggle of the family being targeted by racism and the history of her own family. She learns about Lucky Chen, her great-great-grandfather immigrating to the United States and the struggles that the family have been through throughout many generations.
        The fast pace and dialogue keep the story engaging with chapters that jump in time as Opa and Oma tell Maizy about her family history. Giving each of her ancestors their own narrative within the story. The themes throughout will be meaningful to any child reader that wants to know their family history or has experienced similar trials to Maizy and her family. It is also a wonderful story for a child that has not immigrated to learn and understand how others must have felt or feel when they immigrated to the United States.
        According to Lisa Yee's website, Maizy Chen is based off of her as a little girl. Yee says that she did not know much about her family history when she was 11, just like Maizy, and that she also grew up as a Chinese American in Los Angeles. I believe this helps make Maizy a believable character and helps with appreciating the story coming from a place that Yee personally related to.
        

Yee, Lisa. Maizy Chen's Last Chance. Yearling, 2022. 257 pages. TR. $8.99, ISBN 978-1-9848-3027-2.
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