School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-Chinese American fifth grader Knox Wei-Evans's world is turned upside down when his parents decide that Mom will take Knox, older brother Bowen, and younger sister Lea from their home in Hong Kong to the United States to get away from the novel coronavirus that just shut down the city of Wuhan. The kids have to pack quickly and leave their dog and their dad-Knox's best friend-behind. In Northern California, they quarantine for 14 days and attempt online school before starting public school, where, for the first time ever, Knox has a teacher who understands and encourages him, and he has a friend. Christopher is also Asian American and has ADHD. But the virus "knows no borders" and soon arrives in the States, triggering a wave of fear and anti-Asian racism. Knox's mom says that love is the only vaccine for hate, and Knox stands up to racist classmates-his own and Bowen's. As California enters a state of emergency, Knox, Bowen, and Lea bond in a creative desperate effort to raise money to bring their dad to join them. The Wei-Evans family faces the pandemic, racism, and worries about jobs, income, and healthcare with "consistent courage," and finds that being more open and honest with each other helps. Knox's struggles will resonate with all children who lived through the scary and uncertain first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. VERDICT A pandemic book that is also a story of the importance of family, friendship, and standing up for what is right; another knockout from Yang, highly recommended for all collections.-Jenny Arch