Maizy's story is a fascinating look at how children relate to their parents, about the expectations of the children of immigrants, and about how powerful family history can be. Maizy's mother takes her back to her grandparents' home because her grandfather is seriously ill. Maizy doesn't really have a relationship with them - they disagreed with her mother's career as a food artist and have not been in Maizy's life. Now Maizy and her mom are living in her mother's childhood home and trying to help out with her grandfather's doctor visits and the restaurant while navigating the distance that has grown between her mother and grandparents over the years. It doesn't help that Maizy feels out of place as one of the few Asian Americans in the small town, especially after there is vandalism and some hateful graffiti at the restaurant.

I enjoyed the time Maizy spent with her grandfather and the stories he told her about their family's past. Many readers will probably encounter the concept of "paper sons" for the first time in this novel, since it is not often included in social studies lessons. I hope that they become curious enough to do some research of their own about those details in American history - the Gold Rush, the building of the Transcontinental Railroad, the Chinese Exclusion Act, and other parts of Opa's stories. Watching Maizy accept her Oma and Opa and helping them to accept her mother's choices is a heartwarming and at times heart-wrenching journey, but readers will be glad they took it.

This is a great middle school read! Throughout this book Maizy learns about her family and her family’s past. We are taken on a journey after a racial incident happens and Maizy is left to figure out what her past is made of. I really enjoyed the writing style and how the story was told.

Biggest thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this delightful book!

Maizy Chen is bummed that she has to spend part of her summer in her mother's hometown of Last Chance, Minnesota helping to care for her ailing grandfather. There's nothing to do in the small town and Maizy and her family are the only Asian Americans in sight. As Maizy explores the town, she encounters racism but she also gains insights into her family history.

I loved this story so much! I learned quite a bit about Chinese American history, especially the topic of paper sons. This book is middle-grade gold! I highly recommend it. 5 stars!

I really enjoyed "Maizy Chen's Last Chance" for a number of reasons. First of all, I love how Lisa Yee writes kids and family experiences. Her dialogue and emotions feel real and not forced or contrived. All of her books have shown that she have a firm grasp of the middle school mind. Secondly, I appreciated how she wove so much history into a realistic fiction book. For those students who shy away from historical fiction, this book provided a solid and unique view of life for Chinese Americans during the late 1800s. I would say read alikes would be Ellen Oh's "Finding Junie Kim" and Johnson's "Parker Inheritance."

I loved Maizy Chen and her story so much. This was a heartwarming, emotionally gripping story of family across generations and separated by distance, who always return to each other. Maizy was a smart, spunky heroine, and she even solves a mystery or two along the way. Her family is known for running the only Chinese restaurant in town, and soon she begins to get to know the regulars and can figure out their "tell" as in poker. However, appearances can be deceiving. I loved watching Maizy develop relationships with her family and friends, as well as the people in the town.

In fact, I felt so sad when the book was over, and i hope there will be follow up stories about Maizy and her adventures in the future!

I highly recommend this book for all middle grade readers!

Maizy Chen's Last Chance is an engaging story that weaves together past and present to bring to life both contemporary concerns about anti-Asian racism and the historical role of Chinese immigrants in the American West. Told through the perspective of Maizy, a transplant to rural Minnesota from Los Angeles, the story takes place over the course of a summer. Her grandfather (Opa) is ailing, and so she and her mother arrive in Last Chance, Minnesota, to help take care of him and help out with her grandparents' Chinese restaurant. While in Last Chance, Maizy begins to discover her family history and that of the "paper sons," Chinese men who immigrated to the United States by faking their identities in order to circumvent racist immigration policy while also confronting local racist sentiment towards Chinese-Americans. A tad long and slow in parts, it is still a worthwhile read and deserves a place in middle grade collections.

I loved Maizy's story of discovering her family and helping to heal her mom & grandma's relationship, all while Maizy is trying to not have the most boring summer on record. A lot of heart, a little history, and plenty of reasons to smile while reading this book.

Eleven-year-old Maizy Chen barely knows her grandparents, her Oma and Opa, who live in Last Chance, Minnesota. She only met them once when she was 8 and they came to Los Angeles to visit Maizy and her mom. Now, Maizy is stuck spending her whole summer in Last Chance, a lazy Midwestern town, as she and her mother help care for her sick Opa and keep the family restaurant afloat. While there, Maizy begins to puzzle over her family history, in particular her great-great-grandfather Lucky Chen who came to America from China before the Chinese Exclusion Act and eventually settled in Last Chance. In the present day, the Golden Palace restaurant is targeted by racist messages and Maizy is determined to find the culprit.

This is a remarkable novel that seamlessly integrates historic and modern narratives while exploring the intergenerational trauma of Chinese American immigrants. Lisa Yee masterfully tells this story in a way that will keep elementary school readers invested in the Chen family and the various threads that are woven into this story. This book faces the harsh realities of anti-Asian racism head-on, but a cast of warm and endearing characters ensures that this book is met with heart and humor. A book for every reader.

I really enjoyed this book. I really liked the characters and how they were brought to life. Maizy was a typical tween girl, who didn't want to go to Last Chance but came to embrace her time there. I liked that she was a relatable character but wasn't so angsty that she was unlikeable.

Her blossoming relationship with her grandparents was very sweet and I felt so many emotions as she go to know them.

Maisy and her mom leave LA to help her grandparents run the Golden Palace in Last Chance, Minnesota. Grandfather is sick, Daisy's mom fights with her mom which Daisy doesn't understand. She spends time with Grandpa and learns about her ancestor, Lucky, coming over to the U.S. to San Francisco to Last Chance through grandpa's stories. These peak her interest in the Paper Sons on a wall at the restaurant. She begins to research and contact families of the Paper Sons. Great lesson in history. Presents the bigotry in history and still today of those of Asian descent. Story evokes many emotions.

"Maizy Chen's Last Chance" has a fine core story about a girl who reconnects with her Chinese family heritage and her grandparents. I respect the author's viewpoint and the backstory, but it seemed as if the book was trying too hard to connect all the socially acceptable politically correct themes--prejudice, discrimination, refugees/immigrants, LGBTQ, pregnancy out of wedlock is okay, pursue your dreams no matter what, and more. The main story could work well without these extra themes.

I really liked Maizy's grandparents, the tips about playing poker, and the story within a story. Maizy is a likeable and smart girl, and it would be interesting to read more stories about her.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

This book is charming. It's like a friend you can sit down and enjoy tea with. As someone who grew up in the Chinese restaurant business, the details of Maisy Chen's Last Chance ring true. I love the book's emphasis on family, and taking care of one another. The book also gently teaches readers about racism, and some Chinese history, especially the history of Chinese people in America. What Maisy learns helps her to respond to the racism she encounters in real life. I loved this book and would recommend to all readers.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC of this book.

This book made me cry!!! 🥺 *** thank you netgalley for my e-copy.***

Maizy Chen spent her summer with her mom, grandpa and grandma in Minnesota. She spent most days getting to know her grandfather in what were his last days (I lost
My grandfather last year so I had to take some breaks while reading this book), and also, through Opa’s (grandpa) stories, Maizy also got to know her great great grandfather Lucky and how her family first got to America.

I often had to remind myself I was reading from the perspective of a 12 year old. Maizy was so smart, observant, and mature for her age; but she had the innocence and hope that children have and adults don’t.

She and her family dealt with racism a lot in this novel and she began to understand that even though her origin story is different, it doesn’t make her any less special.

I was also hungry the entire time since much of the nice took place at the Golden Palace, Maizy’s grandparents’ Chinese food restaurant.

I highly recommend this read, there’s just something so magical about middle-grade novels.

This is a fun book that takes some twists and turns, but the best part is the flash back into Chinese American history.

A delightfully captivating story that weaves between generations and locations, mysteries and motivations, friends, family, communities… Righting wrongs, connecting parts, finding your place.

This book caught me off guard. It's so cute! There's so much explored in the text- from history to family make ups to dealing with past traumas. But it's all done in a way that doesn't feel preachy and also is not heavy handed. I sincerely hope that when this book makes its debut that Yee gets the praise she is much deserving of because this book is amazing!

This is a wonderful middle-grade story. There are so many things to love: a plucky main character who finds herself back in her mom's hometown with her aging grandparents and struggling family restaurant. Chinese-American culture and history are woven throughout the story, and Maizy contends with serious issues of racism and xenophobia in both the past and the present. I loved the relationship between Maizy and her Opa, and the history of Lucky and the Golden Palace that are woven throughout Maizy's story.

I will definitely be buying this for our school library--it's already on my next book order. I have also nominated it for the 2021 Panda Book Awards, an international school book awards that highlight inclusion and diversity. I will be advocating for this book! It has broad appeal and will sure to delight our students.

Maizy and her mother set off to spend the summer in Last Chance, Minnesota with Maizy's grandparents. Her Opa, grandpa, has been experiencing some health issues, so they plan to help care for him and run the family restaurant. At first, Maizy is incredibly bored and upset to be away from home and her friends. As Maizey opens her eyes and heart to the people of Last Chance, she realizes that there is a deep history there and her family's legacy extends far beyond the walls of the Golden Palace.

This book gave me all of the feels! I laughed out loud, gasped in shock, and cried over loss. Maizy Chen's Last Chance is an absolutely wonderful middle-grade novel that will keep readers of all ages turning the pages at a rapid pace. Be sure to join Maizey on her adventures as she hunts for a bear, learns to play poker, connects the dots of the past, and eats a ton of delicious food. This book is sure to leave you drooling for seconds!

Ultimately, this is the story of a granddaughter getting to know not only her grandfather but her family history that she has unintentionally been kept from by her mom's strained relationships. A summer spent in Last Chance, Minnesota away from her normal bustling city life leads Maizy to solve two crimes, understand her mother clearer, understand humankind, and make fortune cookie messages. America's history is being told between these pages embedded in a subplot. While this story might not have a clear focus it is made up of so many fun small stories with interesting characters.

An engaging and insightful story for young readers. Insight into the Chinese immigrant experience in the early 1900s was fascinating. Young readers will relate to Maizy as they follow her along on her journey. Recommended.