Author: Nicole Chen
Genre: realistic fiction
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Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher): Pearl Li is ready to spend the summer before seventh grade hanging out with her two best friends, crocheting the cutest amigurumi dolls, and frequenting 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. Will she be able to stop Boba Time from closing and prove to her parents that her passion for crochet is worthy and serious?
My opinion:This could easily have been a story about following your passions in spite of parent's disapproval. Chen doesn't stop there. While there is certainly an element of that Pearl's story is as much about paying attention to other people as it is being true to yourself. Sure, Pearl learns to stand up for herself and express her frustrations with her parent's dismissal. She also has to learn to look beyond her own desires. She's developing her identity but also needing to recognize that other people have needs and concerns and that her actions impact others. And on top of all that we get a solid illustration of the difficulties of running a small business. An engaging read populated by believable, flawed characters.
More information: It's Boba Time for Pearl Li releases February 28
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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