Middle Grade

Finally Seen

Finally Seen

  • Downloads：7432
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2023-02-26 11:22:28
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Kelly Yang
  • ISBN：1797150448
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

From the New York Times bestselling author of Front Desk comes a gripping middle grade novel about a young girl who leaves China to live with her parents and sister， after five years apart， and learns about family， friendship， and the power of being finally seen。

My sister got to grow up with my parents。 Me？ I grew up with postcards from my parents。

When ten-year-old Lina Gao steps off the plane in Los Angeles， it’s her first time in America and the first time seeing her parents and her little sister in five years！ She’s been waiting for this moment every day while she lived with her grandmother in Beijing， getting teased by kids at school who called her “left behind girl。” Finally， her parents are ready for her to join their fabulous life in America！ Except， it’s not exactly like in the postcards:

1。 School’s a lot harder than she thought。 When she mispronounces some words in English on the first day， she decides she simply won’t talk。 Ever again。

2。 Her chatty little sister has no problem with English。 And seems to do everything better than Lina， including knowing exactly the way to her parents’ hearts。

3。 They live in an apartment， not a house like in Mom’s letters， and they owe a lot of back rent from the pandemic。 And Mom’s plan to pay it back sounds more like a hobby than a moneymaker。

As she reckons with her hurt， Lina tries to keep a lid on her feelings， both at home and at school。 When her teacher starts facing challenges for her latest book selection， a book that deeply resonates with Lina， it will take all of Lina’s courage and resilience to get over her fear in order to choose a future where she’s finally seen。

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Reviews

Bookish Freeman ，

Kelly Yang has written another fantastic book！

Kristi Kasper ，

I have read every single one of Kelly Yang’s books and they never fail to disappoint。 Finally Seen is no exception。 Kelly Yang tells the stories of immigrant children and their families and their unique struggles and dreams。 These stories aren’t told often enough and it is wonderful that Kelly Yang shines a spotlight on them。This book is the story of young Lina who moves to America years after her parents and sister emigrated there to start a new life。 Lina， who stayed behind with her grandmothe I have read every single one of Kelly Yang’s books and they never fail to disappoint。 Finally Seen is no exception。 Kelly Yang tells the stories of immigrant children and their families and their unique struggles and dreams。 These stories aren’t told often enough and it is wonderful that Kelly Yang shines a spotlight on them。This book is the story of young Lina who moves to America years after her parents and sister emigrated there to start a new life。 Lina， who stayed behind with her grandmother in China， is now making the move to America and to a life with new challenges and goals。 This book， in true Kelly Yang fashion， highlights the everyday injustices that immigrant children face。 In this case， Lina has to grapple with bullying， economic hardships， a language barrier and also the potential banning of a book that really resonates with her。Lina is a strong character with a lot of determination and resolve， and you can’t help but fall in love with her。 I really hope we see more of her and this book becomes a series！ 。。。more

Liberty ，

I received an Advance Listening Copy of Kelly Yang's most recent book from Libro。fm and was so excited to listen immediately！ This story deals with many things that really happened in the author's life as she adjusted to living as a Chinese immigrant in California。 It powerfully conveys the stress and hardship an immigrant family faces， from the perspective of a child who is facing her own personal struggles assimilating in school。 This book， along with Kelly Yang's previous book New From Here， I received an Advance Listening Copy of Kelly Yang's most recent book from Libro。fm and was so excited to listen immediately！ This story deals with many things that really happened in the author's life as she adjusted to living as a Chinese immigrant in California。 It powerfully conveys the stress and hardship an immigrant family faces， from the perspective of a child who is facing her own personal struggles assimilating in school。 This book， along with Kelly Yang's previous book New From Here， make me want to go back to 5th grade and become friends with the kids in my school who didn't yet speak English。 Why we are cruel and exclusionary to those who seem different or foreign to us is so wild to me。 Why is our first response not empathy and kindness？ In Finally Seen we get a glimpse of hardship and struggle， but we also get to witness that fighting immigrant spirit！ Lina's parents work hard， and every member of her family is an entrepreneur who brings their individual ideas and gifts to the family， to the school， and to the community。 I especially love the way they dream big as a family， openly laying bare their hopes and wishes， along with their griefs and sorrows。I'm a sucker for a family story where you get to see them root for each other， encourage each other， and work for the benefit of each other！ I'm a fan of Kelly Yang and her beautiful portrayals of familial love。I'm off to read another of her stories -- Front Desk！ 。。。more

Linda ，

A powerful story of a young Chinese immigrant who isn't met with warm welcomes by her new classmates。 She has been separated from her parents and younger sister while staying in China with her grandparents while the other come to America for the American dream。 She is disillusioned when she comes to the states and finds out her family hasn't been living the American dream instead struggling to make ends meet working as laborers at a farm to try to survive。 Very accurate look at immigration issue A powerful story of a young Chinese immigrant who isn't met with warm welcomes by her new classmates。 She has been separated from her parents and younger sister while staying in China with her grandparents while the other come to America for the American dream。 She is disillusioned when she comes to the states and finds out her family hasn't been living the American dream instead struggling to make ends meet working as laborers at a farm to try to survive。 Very accurate look at immigration issues。 Fans of Yang won't be disappointed。 。。。more

Shae ，

So many amazing topics covered！ Loved it for so many reasons！ Kelly Yang never disappoints。

Ashley Jackson ，

Another great book by Kelly Yang！ I love books that highlight the value of books。 Many of the books referenced in this book I have read before。 I love seeing the transformation of confidence in characters as they become more confident in their English。

Savannah ，

Five stars for sure！ I loved this book！ Another amazing book by Kelly Yang （every book I've read by her is amazing and 5 golden sparkly amazing dazzle-y stars）I enjoyed the character development， and that I was entertained even when it wasn't the climax of the story！ The way everything comes together in the end was great too， I had no "what about （something）？"s。 I would recommend this book to everyone， as it is amazing and this book needs to be Finally Seen！！！ The settings were amazing too， and Five stars for sure！ I loved this book！ Another amazing book by Kelly Yang （every book I've read by her is amazing and 5 golden sparkly amazing dazzle-y stars）I enjoyed the character development， and that I was entertained even when it wasn't the climax of the story！ The way everything comes together in the end was great too， I had no "what about （something）？"s。 I would recommend this book to everyone， as it is amazing and this book needs to be Finally Seen！！！ The settings were amazing too， and this book is inspiring for artists and writers alike。 :） 。。。more

Claudiaslibrarycard ，

I have been a Kelly Yang fan for several years now。 I’ve read almost all of her books and I’ve never been disappointed。 I was over the moon to get an ARC of her newest book- Finally Seen。 Finally Seen is the story of Lina， who has been living in China with her grandmother。 When Lao Lao goes into a nursing home， Lina comes to California to live with her parents and little sister， Millie。 Lina has a lot of feelings to process， sadness from missing her grandmother， confusion about why her parents l I have been a Kelly Yang fan for several years now。 I’ve read almost all of her books and I’ve never been disappointed。 I was over the moon to get an ARC of her newest book- Finally Seen。 Finally Seen is the story of Lina， who has been living in China with her grandmother。 When Lao Lao goes into a nursing home， Lina comes to California to live with her parents and little sister， Millie。 Lina has a lot of feelings to process， sadness from missing her grandmother， confusion about why her parents left her behind years ago when they immigrated to the US， and now the challenge of learning English。 On top of all of that， Lina’s family is struggling to come up with past due rent after the pandemic lockdowns as the eviction moratorium is about to end。 Lina’s mom has a bath bomb shop on Etsy and her father is overworked and taken advantage of by a local farmer。 Combined with bullying at school， it might sound like this book is all sad but it is uplifting and beautifully balanced。 Lina is taken in by the school librarian and the ESL teacher and she also makes a dear friend right away named Finn。 Yang weaves reading into the story， specifically graphic novels， and we see how this changes Lina and her friends for the better。 The plot hinges on a very realistic scenario about book challenges， and you will leave this one inspired， fired up， and maybe with some wet eyes。 I don’t know how she keeps doing it but she does， this Kelly Yang book is perfect。 I can’t wait to buy a copy for my shelf to read with my son when he’s a bit older。 This book is for all ages。 Read it asap！ 。。。more

Yapha ，

Another amazing novel from Kelly Yang！ Lina was left behind in China when her mother， father， and baby sister emigrated to California。 She has been living with her grandmother for the past five years， longing for the day that she can be reunited with her parents。 When she finally arrives in California， nothing is as she expected based on both her mother's letters and the American TV shows she had been watching。 She struggles with English， making friends， and fitting in to her own family。 Thanks Another amazing novel from Kelly Yang！ Lina was left behind in China when her mother， father， and baby sister emigrated to California。 She has been living with her grandmother for the past five years， longing for the day that she can be reunited with her parents。 When she finally arrives in California， nothing is as she expected based on both her mother's letters and the American TV shows she had been watching。 She struggles with English， making friends， and fitting in to her own family。 Thanks to the help of amazing support both at home and school， she is able to find her place and speak up about her feelings。 I loved the inclusion of book banning as well as the shout out to the importance of representation and graphic novels。 This is a must read。 Highly recommended for grades 4 & up。eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss 。。。more

Liv CG ，

Finally Seen is absolute catnip for teachers， but I think it will be a hit with my grade 7's too。 I loved Lina for her honesty， for her tenacity， and most of all， for her heart。 I could see a ton of kids reading it after loving Front Desk， but they may like this one even more！Kelly Yang writes for this moment exactly。 She explores the immigrant experience from an atypical angle （Lina， the main character， reunites with her parents and sister by moving to the US after 5 years of living with her gr Finally Seen is absolute catnip for teachers， but I think it will be a hit with my grade 7's too。 I loved Lina for her honesty， for her tenacity， and most of all， for her heart。 I could see a ton of kids reading it after loving Front Desk， but they may like this one even more！Kelly Yang writes for this moment exactly。 She explores the immigrant experience from an atypical angle （Lina， the main character， reunites with her parents and sister by moving to the US after 5 years of living with her grandparents in China）， climate change， toxic masculinity， book banning， predatory landlords， and the economic fallout of the pandemic。 I almost didn't want to write that list， since it might make it seem like the book is trying too hard， or is heavy-handed on current issues。 That's just not the case。 She includes these contemporary issues because they impact the life of her main character。 It's natural and relevant and makes sense， given Lina's experience。 Kelly Yang knows how to write dynamic characters - even the villains aren't one-sided。 I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a "character-driven story，" since there's plenty of action and drama， but the characters are what I stayed for。 And there were plenty of light-hearted moments too （puns and contemporary MG fiction references being my favs！）。 I hope we get more of Lina's story in the future。 She's just what we need right now: someone with spunk who's willing to speak up for what she values。Note: I got an advance listening copy from Libro FM as part of their educator ALC program。 。。。more

Alice ，

5 stars hands-down！ Such a timely book about allowing schools and libraries to provide representation as the minor plot line but more importantly just a beautiful book。 Ok， Kelly Yang - is Flea Shop a real book and where can I get it？？？

Rebecca ，

For the last five years， Lina has been living with her grandmother in China， while her parents start a new life in the US with Lina's little sister。 Lina longs for the day she's summoned to join them in the idyllic life they write about， when she won't be the "left behind" kid the other kids at school laugh about。 But when she finally gets to the US， she finds a life that's far from idyllic。 Her university-degree father is working for a mean organic farmer for pretty much a pittance of pay and 1 For the last five years， Lina has been living with her grandmother in China， while her parents start a new life in the US with Lina's little sister。 Lina longs for the day she's summoned to join them in the idyllic life they write about， when she won't be the "left behind" kid the other kids at school laugh about。 But when she finally gets to the US， she finds a life that's far from idyllic。 Her university-degree father is working for a mean organic farmer for pretty much a pittance of pay and 15 hour days。 Her also-well-educated mother has started an Etsy bath bomb business in their small apartment， desperately trying to make enough money to pay the back rent after the end of the pandemic。 Lina's little sister Millie seems completely American， which makes Lina stick out even more with her awkward English。 After her speech gets her laughed at in her new class， Lina vows she will never speak at school again。 Plus， she's worried about her grandmother in China， who has had to move into a retirement home now that Lina is not there to help her， and she's wondering if she will ever have the connection with her parents that her sister does--and will she ever know why they left her behind， and why there are no pictures of her up in the apartment？ Things do improve， slowly， as she manages to make some friends， and she discovers the joy of graphic novels， especially one that mirrors her own life。 But when an entitled parent challenges the book， will Lina finally be able to find her voice？I thought this was wonderful， and think kids will love it。 It shows what the immigrant experience can be like for kids like Lina， and her family。 It shows how difficult the pandemic was for families on the brink of poverty and homelessness， how they can be taken advantage of by employers， and how difficult the school experience can be for newly arrived kids。 The characters are all drawn with depth and nuance， and there's a good balance between people who help， and people who hinder， so it's not all bad news。 The world is really well-built， and I loved the details about organic farming and all the bath-bomb details。 And of course， as a librarian， I loved that the librarian and the library provided a refuge for Lina， and that books gave her hope and the feeling of being seen。 The author's afterword talks about how Lina's experience mirrored hers in some ways， and how she felt compelled to write something about a challenged book， since so many books are being challenged these days。 This one is a winner for me！ Thanks to Libro。fm for a free educator copy of the audiobook （which was excellent）。 。。。more

SFX School ，

Kelly Yang does it again - with compassion， clarity， and humor she tells the story of Lina Gao and her family who have immigrated from China to Southern California in search of opportunity and freedom。 This powerful story chronicles how Lina and her family face the very real hardships of having immigrant status in the US including exploitative employers， mockery from school mates， and the ache to fit in - not to mention book banning in her own school。 Lina's life are balanced with the relationsh Kelly Yang does it again - with compassion， clarity， and humor she tells the story of Lina Gao and her family who have immigrated from China to Southern California in search of opportunity and freedom。 This powerful story chronicles how Lina and her family face the very real hardships of having immigrant status in the US including exploitative employers， mockery from school mates， and the ache to fit in - not to mention book banning in her own school。 Lina's life are balanced with the relationships she builds， the teachers who believe in her， and the love of her family。 This story weaves together many aspects of Yang's own personal experience and is a timely novel for the middle grade set as it will serve as both a window and a sliding glass door to their own experiences。 。。。more

Rebecca Reid ，

Lina， the main character in Finally Seen by Kelly Yang （Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers， February 2023） has grown up with her grandmother in China， while her young sister and parents have spent the last years living in California without her。 Now it is her chance to move to the United States to live with her family， but she finds that life in the U。S。 is not what she expected。While Lina deals with the feelings of betrayal from her parents， she also now faces the challenges of a school t Lina， the main character in Finally Seen by Kelly Yang （Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers， February 2023） has grown up with her grandmother in China， while her young sister and parents have spent the last years living in California without her。 Now it is her chance to move to the United States to live with her family， but she finds that life in the U。S。 is not what she expected。While Lina deals with the feelings of betrayal from her parents， she also now faces the challenges of a school taught completely in her second language， as well as the universal challenge of finding friends。 The social situation is familiar to any tween in middle school， and so although Lina had additional challenges， the reader will quickly feel her discomfort and relate to her story。It turns out that Lina’s parents had written exaggerations in their letters home， which was why they had hesitated to bring her to the US。 Lina feels betrayed by this when she sees the impoverished situation her family lives in。 She also resents the lack of apology from her parents。 She desperately hopes for a positive relationship with her parents， but the closeness between them and her sister constantly reminds her that she is not a part of the family in the same way Millie is。In this middle grade novel， however， Lina begins to find her place as well as her voice。 In her school， a girl’s family challenges the book they are reading。 Lina， who had finally found a mirror to her own story in the book， decides that the time for remaining silent is over。 As she speaks up for her own wants and needs during the book banning discussion， her family finally sees her as the strong individual that she is。I really liked Lina。 She was such a likable girl， and her feelings of betrayal， discomfort， and loneliness resonated with me， as I’m sure they will with other readers！ I strongly disliked her parents， starting with the fact that they didn’t even bother to put pictures of Lina on their walls， but instead limited the photos to Lina’s sister and their family of three。 The parents had also make poor decisions， such as working for an abusive farmer who underpaid them， abused them verbally， and demanded extensive overtime without extra pay。 To some extent， despite my dislike， I did pity them in their unique situation as immigrants in a foreign country。Maybe this contrast with her parents is why I liked Lina so much。 Because she grew up with a different perspective on America and spent her formative years in a comfortable situation in China， she was able to see the poor situation her parents had put themselves in。 Her outside perspective， and her ability to finally speak up， helped her family， and when she is “finally seen” by them， they too can step outside of their poor situation and become more successful， thanks to her strong leadership and perspective。Lina’s story is completely unique to me， since I had never considered immigrants leaving one of their children behind in this way。 I wonder if this is a common decision for immigrants to the US。 At any rate， I wish other children in similar situations can have as satisfactory a story as Lina’s ultimately was。I read a digital review copy of Lina’s story。 。。。more

Tweller83 ，

I received a free audiobook through Libro。fm's educator subscription。 I received a free audiobook through Libro。fm's educator subscription。 。。。more

Veronica ，

Thanks to @libro。fm and Simon & Schuster Audio for allowing me to listen to an ALC of another fabulous middle grade novel by the great Kelly Yang。 I loved everything about this book and I know fans of Front Desk will， too。 Themes in the book include immigration， family， friendship， loss， poverty， xenophobia， censorship， courage， resiliency and hope。 I adored the parts when they checked into the imagination hotel。 I also appreciate how the author wove real events into the story as explained in th Thanks to @libro。fm and Simon & Schuster Audio for allowing me to listen to an ALC of another fabulous middle grade novel by the great Kelly Yang。 I loved everything about this book and I know fans of Front Desk will， too。 Themes in the book include immigration， family， friendship， loss， poverty， xenophobia， censorship， courage， resiliency and hope。 I adored the parts when they checked into the imagination hotel。 I also appreciate how the author wove real events into the story as explained in the author's note。 By sharing this book with my students， I hope， they too will feel like they are finally seen。 。。。more

Alma ，

I loved how Kelly Yang wove Rudine Sims Bishop’s philosophy of books as “mirrors” （to show readers their own experiences）， and “sliding glass doors” （to show readers not in the mirror what others feel） into the storyline。 Young readers will be sure to see “Finally seen” either as their own mirror or sliding glass door。 Read more about this book on my blog: https://shouldireaditornot。wordpress。。。。 I loved how Kelly Yang wove Rudine Sims Bishop’s philosophy of books as “mirrors” （to show readers their own experiences）， and “sliding glass doors” （to show readers not in the mirror what others feel） into the storyline。 Young readers will be sure to see “Finally seen” either as their own mirror or sliding glass door。 Read more about this book on my blog: https://shouldireaditornot。wordpress。。。。 。。。more

Mrs。 Luettchau ，

Finally Seen by Kelly Yang is one of the best books I've read this year！ It's loosely based on the author's own experiences moving to the US as a young child。 When the main character， Lina， moves to the US after the covid-19 pandemic， her parents struggle with paying back rent， securing their green cards， and making ends meet with inflation。 Their mom starts a bath bomb business on Etsy， while their dad works on a farm， racing to make up the back rent before the pandemic rent program expires and Finally Seen by Kelly Yang is one of the best books I've read this year！ It's loosely based on the author's own experiences moving to the US as a young child。 When the main character， Lina， moves to the US after the covid-19 pandemic， her parents struggle with paying back rent， securing their green cards， and making ends meet with inflation。 Their mom starts a bath bomb business on Etsy， while their dad works on a farm， racing to make up the back rent before the pandemic rent program expires and they are evicted from their apartment。 Meanwhile， Lina must deal with being a new kid in school。 Through her supportive teachers， Lina develops a love of graphic novels， as she learns about mirrors， windows， and sliding glass doors， and she finally sees herself in a story。 @librofm 。。。more

Lisa Noble ，

Teacher-Librarians， this is one for you！10 year old Lina is finally coming to America to join her parents and little sister。 5 years ago， they left her with her grandparents while they established themselves in the US。 She is excited and terrified and overwhelmed， all at once。 When her family's reality in post-pandemic California doesn't match with the postcards she's been getting for years， things seem even more confusing。It takes new friends， some caring teachers and some really great graphic Teacher-Librarians， this is one for you！10 year old Lina is finally coming to America to join her parents and little sister。 5 years ago， they left her with her grandparents while they established themselves in the US。 She is excited and terrified and overwhelmed， all at once。 When her family's reality in post-pandemic California doesn't match with the postcards she's been getting for years， things seem even more confusing。It takes new friends， some caring teachers and some really great graphic novels to help Lina figure out that she does have a place with her family。 She also gets the chance to support the people who have helped her when a very topical book challenge comes into play。@kellyyanghk does her usual remarkable job of putting us right in the shoes of her main character。 Modern language learners in your classes will really appreciate this， and feel seen。 A 5 star read that I am looking forward to sharing with kids as both print and audio。 This is a book that will lead to more books for readers。 Publication date is February 28。 。。。more

Nikki ，

Kelly Yang has done it again！ What a fabulous and important story about the experiences of an immigrant family！ I can’t wait to add this book to our Kelly Yang collection in my middle school library。

Nadine ，

Kelly Yang does it again with a dramatic ride of the "left behind" daughter joining her family （who is not doing as well as their letters suggested） in the USA。At first I was a little confused on the age of the protagonist vs。 the topics being dealt with - I can get making her in G5 would work as that's when kids have one homeroom teacher and don't have the issues of middle school but at times I thought the type of things she's dealing with would be hard for the typical 10 year old to understand Kelly Yang does it again with a dramatic ride of the "left behind" daughter joining her family （who is not doing as well as their letters suggested） in the USA。At first I was a little confused on the age of the protagonist vs。 the topics being dealt with - I can get making her in G5 would work as that's when kids have one homeroom teacher and don't have the issues of middle school but at times I thought the type of things she's dealing with would be hard for the typical 10 year old to understand and make a meaningful contribution / connection， but then again 1000s of kids are "dealing" with so much。 I like the fact that Pete was never redeemed and they all walked away。 Sometimes that's the best solution to someone who just refuses to change。 A tiny quibble - it's very hard to know the gender of a fetus at 10 weeks。 。。。more

Jennifer ，

4。5/5 starsFinally Seen is a middle grade book featuring 10 year old Lina as she arrives in America from China。This book was so good！ Lina's parents and 7 year old sister have been in the US for 5 years while Lina was left in China with her grandparents。 Seeing her struggles arriving in a new country were so moving。I loved seeing Lina connecting with her family。 I loved seeing her at school （with the librarian and her teachers）。 I loved seeing her friendships and struggles。 Overall this felt lik 4。5/5 starsFinally Seen is a middle grade book featuring 10 year old Lina as she arrives in America from China。This book was so good！ Lina's parents and 7 year old sister have been in the US for 5 years while Lina was left in China with her grandparents。 Seeing her struggles arriving in a new country were so moving。I loved seeing Lina connecting with her family。 I loved seeing her at school （with the librarian and her teachers）。 I loved seeing her friendships and struggles。 Overall this felt like such a realistic look at what it must feel like being a child arriving in a new country。 Would definitely recommend！Thanks to netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for allowing me to read this book。 。。。more

Alicia ，

Finally Seen is probably my favourite Kelly Yang book yet。 This is definitely one of those books that should be in every classroom， every library， and every home as it's enriching， powerful， and important。Our MC is Lina Gao。 Five years ago， she was left behind in China with her grandmother as her parents and younger sister flew to America to start a new life。 Lina finally gets the chance to be reunited with them in America， but it isn't all sunshine and rainbows like she's been led to believe。 A Finally Seen is probably my favourite Kelly Yang book yet。 This is definitely one of those books that should be in every classroom， every library， and every home as it's enriching， powerful， and important。Our MC is Lina Gao。 Five years ago， she was left behind in China with her grandmother as her parents and younger sister flew to America to start a new life。 Lina finally gets the chance to be reunited with them in America， but it isn't all sunshine and rainbows like she's been led to believe。 And living in America isn't a walk in the park either。This story takes place post-pandemic and shares some of the struggles of low-income and immigrant families， particularly pertaining to limited relief programs， job loss， and inflation。 It was sad to see the stress and struggles that Lina's family and their neighbours are going through as their back rent comes due。Thankfully， the pandemic struggles were limited to that area。 In terms of school， Lina dealt with old-school racism - sadly something that happens no matter the decade （though it's very well countered in this story）。 When she first arrives in America， Lina's English is broken through disuse and lack of practice， but she soldiers through despite her struggles with the language and the ridicule she experiences from her peers。 As she learns more English， we get to see her appreciate diversity in books and understand how much courage it takes to speak your truth。 I loved the impact that books and reading had on Lina， her family， and her friends， with this story also touching on the impact of banned books and removing diversity from the classroom curriculum。As always， Kelly Yang touches on very relevant and important topics without the story being overwhelmed with over-explanation。 Instead， there's a strong focus on friendships， family relationships， and finding your voice。 An absolutely pertinent story that I think everyone should take the time to read。TW: bullying （countered）， racism （countered）， parental neglect， toxic masculinity （countered）， gaslighting; mentions death of parent， death of grandparent， miscarriage， divorceRep: Chinese MCPlot: 5/5Characters: 4。5/5World Building: 5/5Writing: 5/5Pacing: 5/5Overall: 5/5ARC gifted by Simon and Schuster Canada and eARC gifted via NetGalley by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers via Simon and Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Chris G。 ，

Lina has been living with her grandparents in China ever since her mom， dad， and little sister left for the United States five years ago。 Now her grandfather has died， her grandmother needs more help with daily life， and Lina is finally going to join the family in California。 It’s a rough landing - little sister Millie speaks much better English than Lina， mom and dad have not let on how they are just barely scraping by， and they must all learn how to be a family of four。 Yang layers in plenty o Lina has been living with her grandparents in China ever since her mom， dad， and little sister left for the United States five years ago。 Now her grandfather has died， her grandmother needs more help with daily life， and Lina is finally going to join the family in California。 It’s a rough landing - little sister Millie speaks much better English than Lina， mom and dad have not let on how they are just barely scraping by， and they must all learn how to be a family of four。 Yang layers in plenty of big ideas - among them the many facets to being an immigrant， experiencing racist behavior， family expectations， and the freedom to read。 Yang provides some memorable descriptions， such as Lina’s grandmother explaining that in China one cannot speak freely but must always remember to keep one’s mouth half-stitched closed。 An excellent book。 EARC from Edelweiss。 。。。more

Michelle Simpson ，

I have not picked up one of Kelly Yang's books that didn't capture my interest in the first chapter。 She did a great job of developing the characters。 While drawing the reader into Lina's life， she also gradually revealed bits of the hearts of her family after they reunited。 I can't wait to share this one with my students and I think it will lead to great discussions。Thank you to Edelweiss。plus for the digital early copy。 I have not picked up one of Kelly Yang's books that didn't capture my interest in the first chapter。 She did a great job of developing the characters。 While drawing the reader into Lina's life， she also gradually revealed bits of the hearts of her family after they reunited。 I can't wait to share this one with my students and I think it will lead to great discussions。Thank you to Edelweiss。plus for the digital early copy。 。。。more

Valerie McEnroe ，

A well-told story about what it's like to be an immigrant in present day America。 Yang is a talented writer。 She has the keen ability to take the ordinary， day-to-day happenings in the life of a young girl and make them important。 That's why her books are so relatable。 When other authors are writing these fantastical， over-the-top tales of make believe being passed off as realism， Yang is looking at average America。 My students love Front Desk， as I'm sure they'll love this。 The book opens with A well-told story about what it's like to be an immigrant in present day America。 Yang is a talented writer。 She has the keen ability to take the ordinary， day-to-day happenings in the life of a young girl and make them important。 That's why her books are so relatable。 When other authors are writing these fantastical， over-the-top tales of make believe being passed off as realism， Yang is looking at average America。 My students love Front Desk， as I'm sure they'll love this。 The book opens with Lina boarding a plane in Beijing to join her family in California， leaving her grandmother behind in a nursing home。 It's been five years since they left， taking only her younger sister， Millie。 She arrives in America to find that their life isn't as grand as she'd thought。 They drive a beat up car。 Her father works for an organic farmer。 Her mother is trying to make ends meet with a bath bomb business。 Both are trying to come up with the back rent money they got behind on during the pandemic。It's all strange for Lina。 Her sister is hip and cool， knowing all the slang terms and posting videos on TikTok， while Lina can barely speak English。 Kids at school make fun of her。 Luckily， her teacher pairs her with a boy who genuinely wants to be helpful。 They bond over a love of reading， especially graphic novels。 Lina learns that the American dream doesn't come easy when you don't have a green card and although there are some bad apples who take advantage of minorities， there's also a lot of good people， too many to mention， but three of them work at the school， I'm happy to say。 The book is about being seen， but it's mostly about finding your voice。 Lina must become brave about speaking English if she's ever going to learn it and she must choose to stand up and speak publicly about what she believes in。 A lot going on in the book， but it's all woven together tightly。 。。。more

Emily ，

Thank you to #NetGalley， Kelly Yang， and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review。Lina Gao steps off the plan in LA from China and ready to see her family for the first time in five years！ This is a day Lina has dreamed of and looked forward to not being called， " the left behind girl"。 Not everything is as it seems though。 School is a lot harder than Lina thought it would be。 English is hard and the other kids snicker when she mispronounces words。 Thank you to #NetGalley， Kelly Yang， and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review。Lina Gao steps off the plan in LA from China and ready to see her family for the first time in five years！ This is a day Lina has dreamed of and looked forward to not being called， " the left behind girl"。 Not everything is as it seems though。 School is a lot harder than Lina thought it would be。 English is hard and the other kids snicker when she mispronounces words。 Lina also thinks she'll be living in a house， just like her mom told her， but is disappointed when she learns it's a small and cramped apartment。 Finally， her little sister has no problem with English and worse yet， has a better connection with their parents。Lina is hurt， both at home and at school。 Lina is also hurting for her grandmother who she left behind in China。 When a book Lina loves at school is challenged， she will have decide if she speaks up or stays quiet forever。What a fantastic read！ Lina is a role model for so many students who come to school in the USA knowing very little or no English。 I hope they will see Lina's bravery and be brave too。 I can't wait to purchase a copy for my classroom！ 。。。more

Vicky ，

Once again， Kelly Yang brings us a story of what it’s like to try to navigate a new country。 I don’t know how many parents find themselves in a situation where they must leave one or all of their children behind in order to forge a new life in the United States。In this case， once Lina is able to join her parents， she is excited to start living the beautiful life they’ve sent her photos of—only to find that that life isn’t real。 They are struggling to get by。 Her father lost his graduate school j Once again， Kelly Yang brings us a story of what it’s like to try to navigate a new country。 I don’t know how many parents find themselves in a situation where they must leave one or all of their children behind in order to forge a new life in the United States。In this case， once Lina is able to join her parents， she is excited to start living the beautiful life they’ve sent her photos of—only to find that that life isn’t real。 They are struggling to get by。 Her father lost his graduate school job after standing up for a coworker， and now does fieldwork for an organic farmer， who has promised to help Lina’s parents get their green cards。Lina’s little sister， of course， fits right in at school and speaks English well She’s all about her Tiktok dances。 But although Lina has studied English back in China， it is nothing like actually having to go to school in English in the U。S。Furthermore， she’s worried about her grandmother， who has moved into an assisted living center and doesn’t seem to be settling in well。Enter a wonderfully sympathetic teacher to help Lina grow her English skills and a school librarian who helps Lina find the perfect graphic novel。 The two of them even encourage Lina to create her own graphic novel about her experiences—including how she is bullied in her new schoolAnd when Lina shares her favorite graphic novel， about an immigrant girl whose experiences are similar to Lina’s own， there is consternation in the classroom when a parent objects to the book and wants it removed。 It is here that Lina finds her voice and is able to stand up， speak up， and be seen。I really， really loved this book， and look forward to more by Kelly Yang。 She made my heart hurt for Lina， and I sympathized with the struggles that her parents faced in trying to keep their family together。 These are heavy subjects， but Yang handles them deftly and in a way that is appropriate to her target age group。 It is such a pleasure watching Lina make friends and overcome her language barriers as she finds the way to make herself heard。Possible Objectionable Material:Family separation， bully， deception， censorship， immigration issues。Who Might Like This Book:Anyone who likes stories of families overcoming difficulties。 Those interested in the immigrant experience。 Those who like reading about social issues through the lens of a child’s life。Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion。This book also reviewed at https://biblioquacious。blogspot。com/2。。。 。。。more

Danielle ，

“My sister got to grow up with my parents。 Me？ I grew up with postcards from my parents。”With a description like that how can you not request this book！ Five years ago Lina’s parents and baby sister left China for the US in hopes of a better life while Lina stayed behind with her grandparents。 One day she asks her mom if she can come and live with them。 Upon arriving in US， Lina struggles with leaving behind her grandmother while also realizing that not everything her mom had told her about was “My sister got to grow up with my parents。 Me？ I grew up with postcards from my parents。”With a description like that how can you not request this book！ Five years ago Lina’s parents and baby sister left China for the US in hopes of a better life while Lina stayed behind with her grandparents。 One day she asks her mom if she can come and live with them。 Upon arriving in US， Lina struggles with leaving behind her grandmother while also realizing that not everything her mom had told her about was true。 The story explores many themes including the importance of family， friendship， the difficulties of immigrating， racism， bullying and so much more！ I was drawn into the troubles Lina’s family goes through and was so happy for the ending。 This is a fantastic middle grade book that can be read by all ages。 Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion。 Look for it on bookshelves February 28， 2023！ 。。。more

Macy Davis ，

After living with her Lao Lao in China for years while the rest of her family is in the US， Lina finally gets to chance to join her parents and younger sister Millie in California。 However， what Lina finds is different than everything that her parents had told her about their lives。 Add that to the fact that her English isn't good and she gets made fun of at school， and California and life with her family is nothing like Lina imagined。 I really liked Lina as a character and appreciated the rich After living with her Lao Lao in China for years while the rest of her family is in the US， Lina finally gets to chance to join her parents and younger sister Millie in California。 However， what Lina finds is different than everything that her parents had told her about their lives。 Add that to the fact that her English isn't good and she gets made fun of at school， and California and life with her family is nothing like Lina imagined。 I really liked Lina as a character and appreciated the rich narration that she provided to this book。 Yang's writing is accessible， entertaining， and representative of childhood。 I appreciated the ways in which Lina finds her voice and friends and works to change her circumstances and situation throughout the story。 I also thought the inclusion of ELL instruction at school was an excellent one as there are many kids of experience that but I've never really seen it included in a middle grade novel before。 Certainly a must-buy for libraries and this is one I'll likely recommend to kids a lot。 。。。more

Tag

    finally seen kelly yang finally seen book buy finally seen book finally seen finally see the light of day i have finally seen the light i've finally seen the light

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Finally Seen

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Finally Seen&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Finally Seen&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0