Private Label
By Amanda Nojadera,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Asian teens tackle racism and prejudice in emotional novel.
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What's the Story?
PRIVATE LABEL tells the story of Serene Li and Lian Chen, two teens navigating significant life changes in Southern California. Serene dreams of starting her own fashion label, but for now, she's just an intern at her mom's company while she finishes high school. But when Serene's mom is suddenly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, she must quickly learn the ropes of running a business. On the other hand, Lian Chen is doing his best to survive in Serene's all-American beach town, where his White classmates mispronounce his name. He dreams of becoming a stand-up comedian, but his parents are pressuring him to join MIT engineering early. To beef up his college application, Lian starts a Chinese Club at school, although he doesn't anticipate anyone else joining. What happens when Serene, the only other Asian in their school, asks Lian to teach her how to read and write in Chinese?
Is It Any Good?
Kelly Yang's emotional coming-of-age tale tackles identity, racism, and prejudice, making it a must-read for teens. In alternating chapters, Serene and Lian detail what it's like to be an outsider and an immigrant in America. Both characters have hard choices to make about their futures, but together they find the courage to fight for their dreams and each other. Although Private Label's ending feels rushed, teens will learn that they don't need to compromise who they are to fit in and will understand the importance of courage and perseverance.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Private Label deals with immigration, racism, and bullying. How do these issues affect the characters?
Talk about the various kinds of diversity in the novel. Why are diverse representations important in children's and young adult literature?
How do the characters demonstrate courage and perseverance? Why are these important character strengths?
Book Details
- Author: Kelly Yang
- Genre: Contemporary Fiction
- Topics: Great Boy Role Models , Great Girl Role Models , High School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
- Publication date: May 31, 2022
- Number of pages: 416
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: September 7, 2022
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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
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Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Books with Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander Characters
TV Shows with Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander Characters and Leads
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