Maizy faces a lot of new things during her summer in Last Chance, Minnesota, in the middle grade novel Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee (published 2022). It’s hard to pinpoint just what her most influential learning moments are. Almost-twelve-year-old Maizy goes with her mom to help her grandfather during his illness, and she not only builds a relationship with the grandparents she has never known but she also helps in her grandparents’ restaurant, learns about her family history, and faces discrimination for being Chinese-American.
The Golden Palace Chinese restaurant has been in Last Chance for generations, yet Maizy’s arrival introduces modern-day discriminations against Chinese-Americans into the small town. Further, Maizy wonders about the old photos displayed in the restaurant and learns the history of Chinese-American discrimination and the existence of the Chinese Exclusion Act and “paper sons”. To add another layer of understanding, Maizy uses her keen observations to unite people who otherwise were lonely or estranged. It helps that her grandfather has taught her poker so she can “read” faces!
Maizy’s story is a gentle introduction to the history of discrimination as mentioned above. Nothing felt too intense because of Maizy’s young age, and young readers will appreciate her “maturity” as they either relate to her experiences (a “mirror” of their own experiences) or reflect on them (a “window” into a new situation). The author wrote Maizy’s portion of the story in present tense and any stories from the past in past tense, thus providing a clear difference between the memories and current situations. I liked the author’s writing approach, and the little history lessons in this book never feel overdone or too educational: it is simply a story about a girl learning who she is during one unique summer and making a small town her own.
Maizy Chen’s Last Chance was awarded a 2023 Newbery Honor for excellence in children’s literature, as well as the children’s National Book Award during its year of publication.
